I know a little boy who has developed some bad habits by reading funny books his father got him without thinking about the consequences of said little boy emulating the behavior of the main character.
We don’t need to go into who the boy is or who his father is. Let’s just say I have a friend!
I would very much like to buy this little boy some books featuring characters who are admirable and who would be great for him to emulate. Any good recommendations?
November 30th, 2009 | 2:40 pm | #1
I’ve got to know….did your “friend” get him Captain Underpants or something? HAHAHA
November 30th, 2009 | 3:50 pm | #2
How old is this little boy?
November 30th, 2009 | 4:12 pm | #3
If you want to stick with comics, the classic Superman and Batman are always worthwhile (serious plots, good characters doing good things in tough situations): http://www.amazon.com/Superman-Classics-1939-1943-Jerry-Siegel/dp/1402737866/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259614828&sr=8-1
If you want something to read to him (or that he can read himself, if old enough), I recommend the series of Ralph Moody’s autobiographies. Actually, “recommend” is probably too light a word- these books are simply amazing. Moody is a fantastic writer who tells his stories in a way that is readable and enjoyable. (One of my best memories of second grade is being read these books by my teacher, who was the same teacher who had read them to my dad when he was in second grade, so they even cross generations pretty well.)
The first book in the series is called Little Britches, and can be seen here: http://www.amazon.com/Little-Britches-Father-Were-Ranchers/dp/0803281781/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259615017&sr=1-1
November 30th, 2009 | 5:12 pm | #4
The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan is a modern take on Greek mythology, great for young readers who are comfortable with chapter books. My son started reading them at age nine. The first book is called “The Lightning Thief.”
November 30th, 2009 | 5:23 pm | #5
My “friend” got him Diary of a Wimpy Kid. This was a mistake that my “friend” made. And the little boy is seven years old.
November 30th, 2009 | 5:53 pm | #6
the Hank the Cow Dog series by John Erickson.
And “Wimpy Kid” is not a mistake. It’s sanctification.
And at 7 you can read the Narnia Chronicles with him; he might could read them himself/
And what kind of parent are you that you aren’t forcing him to read “Pilgrim’s Progress”? (I have to ask that question to keep my Truly Reformed street cred up)
November 30th, 2009 | 5:54 pm | #7
And also I second Percy Jackson. My kids loved those books.
November 30th, 2009 | 6:36 pm | #8
GA Henty has good kids but will harm his taste in literature. Narnia is good, also Tintin.
November 30th, 2009 | 10:28 pm | #9
And there’s nothing wrong with comic books, btw. I wouldn’t let him read Marvel Zombies or most of the Indie titles, but you could find a well-run shop that has a rack of kids’ comics (like Sonic the Hedgehog, or “Marvel Adventures”, or the various Cartoon Network/DC Comics spin offs), and you could enjoy those together.
Just be ready for the inevitable, “Dad: who would win in a fight … ?” discussion, which is the 7-yr-old equivalent of a late-night college dorm BS session — which he will remember forever as you loving him.
December 1st, 2009 | 12:22 pm | #10
The Boxcar children are honest, hardworking, and resourceful, while they know when to ask for adult help. They have library cards and know how to use them.
The Hardy boys weren’t really my thing, but they might be good for this boy.
December 1st, 2009 | 2:21 pm | #11
Also, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” has to be an evangelical Advent/Christmas classic. While the children in the story aren’t perfect, they do get the unpopular kids at school to come to church. They share. And they arguably show charity to the less fortunate better than the adults around them.
December 1st, 2009 | 5:16 pm | #12
For books with admirable characters, I’d wholeheartedly recommend the Lamplighter books (http://www.lamplighterpublishing.com) Wholesome, old-fashioned stories–”Teddy’s Button” especially is a classic.
Also, Rosemary Sutcliff’s books (Eagle of the Ninth, The Lantern Bearers) are action-packed historical fiction with strong main characters–characters who struggle through political, physical, and emotional pressures–and never give up on those they love.
Ralph Moody’s autobiographies are fantastic. Funny, thoughtful, heartfelt.
December 7th, 2009 | 3:35 am | #13
I remember really liking Joan Aiken’s books. “The Wolves of Willoughby Chase” sticks with me in particular, though it’s part of a series. Scrappy, resourceful, confident children. And the Lemony Snicket books could be fun? He might be too young for L’Engle… probably is, actually. But keep her in mind, get her up on the bookshelf so he can pull it when he’s ready.
I loved big, doorstop books as a little girl, and a fave was Aesop’s Fables. I could read them easily on my own in a short time, and they left me thinking. Grimm’s fairy tales were another valued doorstop book, but I mostly liked those because they didn’t insist on always end nicely. At seven, you’re beginning to clock it’s not realistic for everyone in every story to have a happy ending waiting for them.
Oh! Roald Dahl! How could I forget Roald Dahl? BFG, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, Revolting Rhymes (which I can still recite at length) etc. You can appreciate wicked characters who are truly chillingly wicked, and enjoy them getting their just desserts. Ghost stories too, those were starting to get good. And the Westing Game, which is a mystery and I recall being more intellectual than gimmicky.
There are classics, like the Secret Garden. Or Beverley Cleary, with her books about that motorcycling mouse, written in the 60s I think. Or if you go British, stuff like the Fantastic Five and boarding school stories. I’m also remembering some American series that involved children solving puzzles left for them every summer by their grandfather, very wholesome books: Peggy Parish’s “Liza, Bill & Jed Mysteries”. Actually, those are probably the most appropriate for his age.
If you cruise around Goodreads, you can probably find a few lists of books that are right up a 7 year old boy’s alley. And the reviews are all there too, so you’ll have an idea of what the book’s really got in it.
I’ll be interested to hear what the hypothetical boy thinks of Narnia — I developed a fervent dislike for Aslan the first time I read them as a kid, having absolutely no idea he was anything more than a lion. Hypothetical boy might not be as sensitive to the lion’s constant put-downs towards the female character I identified with as a child!
December 7th, 2009 | 3:49 am | #14
Also, Bunnicula. I LOVED that book. It’s about a cat and a paranoid dog who suspect the new family rabbit is a vampire who sneaks out and sucks the garden carrots dry. They were hilarious.
Here are the Amazon links for some of those mentioned above:
http://www.amazon.com/Wolves-Willoughby-Chase-Chronicles/dp/0440496039/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260175662&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Bunnicula-Collection-Rabbit-Tale-Howliday-Midnight/dp/1400094720/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260175121&sr=1-3
http://www.amazon.com/Ribsy-Camelot-Books-Beverly-Cleary/dp/0380709554/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_3
http://www.amazon.com/Haunted-House-Liza-Bill-Mysteries/dp/0440434599/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_7
http://www.amazon.com/BFG-My-Roald-Dahl/dp/0141322624/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260175382&sr=1-9
And whoops, FAMOUS Five, by Enid Blyton: http://www.amazon.com/Famous-Five-Mysteries-Collection-Blyton/dp/034089363X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260175471&sr=1-2
Turns out Parish also wrote the Amelia Bedelia series, but that’s more of a girl series, I think?
Again, most of these I remember because of resourceful, clever children who got stuck in tight spots and thought their way out of trouble.
Links
Blogs
Find Us
Contact