Kids’ Picks: A review of C’s summer

Kids' Picks5 Minutes for Books is hosting their monthly Kids’ Picks Carnival today, in which participants are invited to share what their kids have been reading this month.

I’m going to cheat a bit and share with you all the books that C (age 10) read over the summer. At the end of August, he put together a table of all he had read, so I could share it with the blogosphere, just in case anyone with kids aged 9-11 were looking for some new ideas. I’m including some additional notes that occurred to me as I copied over his list, but I’m sure he’ll correct me if I get anything wrong.

Hugo CabretThe Invention of Hugo Cabret

This book arrived at our house right as school was wrapping up last spring. I had thought C. and I might read through it together, but that wasn’t meant to be. He glanced at it, snagged it for his own, and before I knew it, he had read the whole thing himself. I still haven’t read it, but C. had lots of good things to say about it.

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Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith

C. received the first two Ryann Watters books from the author, and gave his thoughts in a previous post.

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The Black CircleBooks from the 39 Clues series:
#4, Beyond the Grave
#5, The Black Circle

The 39 Clues series is an interesting concept. It’s a multi-author project coordinated by Scholastic that includes ten books, online gaming, and card collecting. A number of well-known KidLit/YA authors (including Rick Riordan and Margaret Peterson Haddix) are involved, and each book is written by one of seven different authors. In addition, kids can buy sets of cards and visit the 39 Clues website to play along and try to solve mysteries. Several books come out each year (with the last one slated for September 2010), and C has read the first five (book 6 is due in November and will probably be on C’s Christmas list).

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Forest of SecretsBooks from the original Warriors series:
Forest of Secrets
Rising Storm
A Dangerous Path

These were re-reads for C. The Warriors series (well, actually, it’s a mega-series comprised of a number of other sub-series) is definitely near the top of his list of favorite books. He’s not normally a re-reader, but it seems he’s always happy to pick up a Warriors book — whether he’s read it before or not — and read more about these wild clans of cats.

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EclipseBooks from the Warriors: The Power of Three series:
Dark River
Outcast
Eclipse

These are the most recent paperbacks in the most recent sub-series of the Warriors. C. is collecting the paperbacks, so though he finds himself tempted by the brand new hardcovers, he waits until the paperback editions come out and then snatches them up.

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Bluestar’s Prophecy (a Warriors Super-Edition)

Yes, another book in the Warriors series, though these “Super-Editions” are extra-long and fall outside the normal series, providing additional backstory and adventure. Perhaps you’ve noticed a theme: the Warriors series is a hit in this house.

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Strictest SchoolBooks from the Mad Misadventures of Emmaline and Rubberbones series:
The Strictest School in the World
The Faceless Fiend
The Island of Mad Scientists

I picked up The Strictest School in the World after reading Carrie’s review of the series on 5 Minutes for Books. C. is very glad I did. These books are filled with fun, adventure, and humor (just check out their subtitles on Amazon to get a taste), and he devoured all three of these books this summer.

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Around the World in 80 Days (Great Illustrated Classics)

C. really likes the Great Illustrtated Classics series, which takes classic novels and makes them readable and approachable for the younger set. I think this is the third he’s read (after Moby Dick and War of the Worlds). The Hound of the Baskervilles is next on his classics list.

Comments

  1. Oh my, it sounds like our boys are a lot alike in the reading category! My 9 year old LOVED Hugo Cabret, and he has read several Great Illustrated Classics, usually again and again. There are some on here that are new to me, so I’ll use your son’s fantastic list to share with my son! Thanks–

  2. Carrie says:

    HURRAY! I’m so glad that he liked The Strictest School in the World. In a few weeks we have the “I Read It” carnival and I’d love to hear more of C’s thoughts then if he’s willing to share. That’s so awesome.

    As for 39 clues – it is indeed an interesting concept.

    Thanks for sharing all of his reads. It was fun to see what he’s been into.

  3. I LOVE reading what he liked, and I’m sure that others will enjoy the recommendations.

    We did Hugo Cabret as a read-aloud, but it’s really better to read on your own, since the pictures are so much a part of it.

    Amanda hasn’t read any 39 Clues.

    She also read the Strictest School, but hasn’t read the second one yet (even though it’s sitting on her bookshelf!!).
    .-= Jennifer, Snapshot´s last post ..The Hunger Games — What Next? =-.

  4. Jenny says:

    This is a great review of books, several which are on my son’s favorites list. I will have to pick up some of the others for him.

    BTW, I gave you an award….http://booksjustbooks.blogspot.com/2009/09/first-blog-award.html

  5. Thanks for the Summer update! I love your website.
    Eric Reinhold, Author
    The Annals of Aeliana
    Ryann Watters and the King’s Sword
    Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith
    http://www.ryannwatters.com

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