Books for Advanced Readers: Early Elementary School-Aged Kids

Here are more than a dozen series to introduce to your young and skilled reader.

By Amy Mascott
Feb 17, 2014

Ages

7-13


Feb 17, 2014

Your child is reading above grade level, and you’re not sure what to do.

After mastering the alphabet early and reading names, signs, and menus, your little one was ready to jump into the wild world of reading.  But what do you do if your kindergartner is way beyond the early leveled Guided Reading texts?  Or your first grader seems ready to tackle the books in the fourth grade curriculum but not necessarily the concepts?

It’s important that, as parents, we keep an eye on our advanced readers. We want to provide them with reading material that is rich, engaging, and challenging but doesn’t include concepts that are too mature for them to process. 

What can you give to your child if you know she can decode the words and understand the text?

Try a few of these series out and let us know what you think. They are loosely in order of easier reads to more difficult reads.


Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant


Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel


Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park


Rainbow Magic series by Daisy Meadows


Calendar Mysteries series by Ron Roy


Nate the Great series by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat


Cam Jansen series by David Alder


Amelia Bedelia series created by Peggy Parish


Pinky and Rex series by James Howe and Melissa Sweet


The Puppy Place series by Ellen Miles


Triplet Trouble series by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Jones


Arthur series by Marc Brown


The Littles series by John Peterson


Flat Stanley series by Jeff Brown


The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne


A to Z Mysteries series by Ron Roy

 

This is just a start, and as always, our advice is to read the book before you hand it to your child.  That way, you will know for sure if your own child will be able to handle the subject matter.

What are some other great book recommendations for our younger advanced readers? Share your thoughts on the Scholastic Parents Facebook page, or find Amy on Twitter, @teachmama, and let’s continue the conversation!

 

Read all posts by Amy Mascott.

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