I need recommendations for fantasy/adventure in English for a 9 year old. Problem is, English is his second language, so the books need to be at about a 2nd-3rd grade level (approx. age 7), but that can interest a 9 year old's imagination. Thank you for any help you can give on this.
Have you considered something like Harry Potter or The Hobbit, but reading to the child? I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to my kids when they were quite young, and before I knew it, they were reading at that level for themselves. I prefer that approach over presenting reading material at an easy level.
Thanks Cogito - we've already read The Hobbit and LOT is next on the list (I read to him every night - currently Huckleberry Finn which he's getting a real kick out of). Harry Potter is a possibility, though when I tried a couple of years back he didn't find it very interesting - perhaps if he were to read it on his own.... But "serious" tales of dragons, knights, pirates - that sort of thing is probably more to his liking. Or historical, especially drawn from Roman and Greek history. Science fiction could also interest. Boarding school settings (like Hogwarts) are a little too... I don't know... unremarkable for him. I know, it's a tall order - not sure there's much out there like what I'm describing. I sure can't think of anything. The problem is his reading level right now, which could correct itself quickly if he just had the right thing to read... (In Italian, he's well ahead of the class.)
Have you tried the Percy Jackson books? They're set in the real world, but with gods and monsters from Greek myths
"The Chronicles of Narnia" "The BFG" (The Big Friendly Giant) It is a bit more advanced however "Treasure Island" is a good one. "The Five Children and It" Those are some pretty decent books that I enjoyed when I was around his age. I will probably remember some more later, I will let you know if I remember more good ones.
Thank you Britannica - these are good suggestions. We've read the Narnia books together, but I'll look for the others.
Try Ender's Game for science fiction. Easy read and also a sci fi classic. Plus the main character is a young boy, they might like that.
I wouldn't really agree with Ender's Game for children. Yes, the main character is a child, but the story is not particularly child-friendly: Spoiler children being used as soldiers in a war, ending in genocide.
In 4th grade I really was enthralled with "Island of the Blue Dolphins". It's not fantasy. More like anthropological fiction. My little guy is almost 9 and is a struggling reader, though he is enjoying Percey Jackson. "Look mom! He has ADHD just like me!" Yes, he told me this. It takes him a long time to read them though. He only gets through a few pages at a time. The Wrinkle in Time series is always good by Madelein L'Engel (sp?) The Guardians of Ga'Hoole is kind of fantasy but with owls. It is an entire series as well. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing Diary of a Wimpy Kid (the first book that I didn't have to fight my daughter to read and really sparked her love for reading). The Borrowers The Beast Quest is advertised as for boys who are reluctant readers. The Dragon Trelian actually sounds like something he might be interested in from your description, though I've never read it. Hope these help.
Oh and I caught your Italian mention. What about children's books on Roman legends? Romulus and Remus and all those guys? A google search brought up an amazon list. Try those too.
Ooh I have some suggestions for you! Kenny and The Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi (Perfect for a young reader who likes knights and Dragons! It's very funny too, would be a good book to read aloud.) The Spiderwick Chronicles also by Tony DiTerlizzi with Holly Black (Completely fantasy with all the old folklore of faeries, goblins, trolls, ect. The books are pretty short too.) Like BFGuru said above Guardians of Ga'hoole are a must-read! I also enjoyed Mr. Tucket by Gary Paulsen a lot when I was younger, the story revolves around Indians. I have the first book of The Dragons of Deltora by Emily Rodda but haven't read it yet. The story looks intriguing though! I plan on reading it soon. The Redwall Series by Brian Jacques is amazing too! Hope these help! Happy reading!
Thank you BFGuru, JessWrite and D-Doc for adding to a great list of suggestions. The Redwall series was suggested to me elsewhere as well - we'll definitely be looking at that. We read Deltora Quest and Shadowlands together - weren't aware of Dragons, so I just now put that on order (following an enthusiastic 2 thumbs up sign from my son). We'll study together all the other suggestions. Thanks again!: )
