I need help with buying kids books?

[Jeannine]

 Hi all, I am a bit out of touch and I want to buy a few kids books  for  4 boys ages, 5,7,8,and  10 and two girls 4 and 5.

I would appreciate any ideas.

Also I would like to know about  black childrens authors if anyone has any personal knowledge.

Thank you XX Jeannine

[Jeannine]

[tomatoada]

If you google books for boys 5-9 you will get suggestions.   My boys liked Ronald Dahl.  Are you in touch with a teacher?  She/he could give you titles of the classics like Stig of the Dump.

[Twoflower]

Have they got the gruffalo? My girls like books by Julia Donaldson and Helen cooper and they are a similar age. Charlie and lola always go down well  :)

[lewic]

My favourite book as a kid was My Side of the Mountain, about a boy who runs away from home and goes to live in a tree house, learning survival skills. Probably suit 7-8 upwards.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Side-Mountain-Puffin-Modern-Classics/dp/0142401110

My niece is 4 and at the stage of asking 'why' to absolutely everything, which drives my sister nuts. She bought her a book with loads of questions and answers in it, like "why is the sky blue" and "why do bees buzz", and my niece loves it. Unfortunately cant remember the title!

[Flighty]

Jeannine this website may be of help!  :)

http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/

[manicscousers]

Callum has just finished the Harry Potter series, he also reads the three investigator books, has read all the Roald Dahl books, now onto the life and Times of his rugby heroes, he's 11  :)

[macmac]

My grandaughter is 8 and we've just discovered Anne Fine ,she wrote Mrs Doubtfire.Our favourite of the moment is Diary of a Killer Cat and the follow ons.These  are only paperbacks and not a long read but are hilairious and lively.We bothenjoy them so if you're in your local bookshop have a quick peek :)

[Dadnlad]

My lad is six, reading well, and is discovering all those stories that feed the imagination :o
I've picked up the first series of 'Astrosaurs', some 'Dennis the Menace', and a set of 'Captain Underpants' for Christmas - he still likes a story at bedtime, we've just started Enid Blytons 'Five on a treasure island' (with nice short chapters) ;D

[emmy1978]

For littlies-Charlie and Lola series, The Gruffalo, Five Little Fiends, The Alfie stories by Shirley Hughes, The Giraffe, The Pelly and Me picture book by Roald Dahl, Pop Up books are always a hit too.
The two boys of 8 and 10 may enjoy the Alex rider spy series - I think the authors name is Anthony Horowitz. If the 10 year old is a good reader he also may enjoy the Phillip Pullman series-His Dark Materials starts with the book Northern Lights.
the older little girls will probably like Enid Blyton's Amelia Jane series or Dorothy Edwards My Naughty Little Sister series.
Have fun!

[cocopops]

I love the idea that you are encouraging reading in children.  I know you are not in the UK anymore but maybe the children are?  If you would only like the children to buy books you can get book vouchers from http://www.nationalbooktokens.com/.  You can order them online and they get to choose what they would like, get them thinking about books?

I have tried long and hard to get my daughter (9) to read for pleasure.  I have the complete Famous Five and Secret Seven sets but she is not interested.  A neighbour who is a retire(ing) teacher passed on loads of Horrid Henry's and she read them.  Her school (in France) has a library and she chose a Jacquelin Wilson book and has not stopped reading it since she picked it up.  I am out loop as far as children's reading, and Tray Beaker is not one of my favourite characters but  I would rather her read something she chooses than not at all.

Hope you get it sorted.

[emmy1978]

I agree cocopops! Tracey Beaker not my fav either! J Wilson has written lots of good books without her in them though-I would say don't get complacent that they are all for our girls age group as my mum bought her one that looks the same as all the others but is aimed at teenagers and deals with snogging etc! Swiped and tucked away for a few more years I think!!

I am a massive advocate of reading for children and am a complete bore on the subject. Books, books, wonderrful books... :)

[cocopops]

I had a really strange experience with library books bought home (in France).  There is a series called 'Lily and Max' which deals with all the issues that children may face.  They are rather like a comic book with pictures and text. 

Grace chose one about the internet.  It was all about being safe as you may see unwanted things - 'pornography'.  The illustration had a woman with her legs spread etc...  To be honest she was unfazed about it.  It gave us an opportunity to talk honestly, but flippin ek talk about being upfront.  Personally I prefer this to the over-pc brigade in the UK, but having lived there it for such a long time it was a shock.

[anemone]

This company has some really interesting looking books http://www.mini-iq.co.uk/acatalog/key_stage_1.html
The lookalikes ones looked good in real life - one was for 3+ and theres an older one at 7+

There's a cute one for the little girls where you choose the way the story goes 'once upon a time' on this page http://www.mini-iq.co.uk/acatalog/pre-school.html

i'm thinking of getting the picture atlas or 'the story of everything' for my little boy

[Digeroo]

I would like to know about  black childrens authors if anyone has any personal knowledge

Sorry I find this unacceptable.

How would you feel if I asked for white childrens authors?

[Georgie]

My grandaughter is 8 and we've just discovered Anne Fine ,she wrote Mrs Doubtfire.Our favourite of the moment is Diary of a Killer Cat and the follow ons.These  are only paperbacks and not a long read but are hilairious and lively.We bothenjoy them so if you're in your local bookshop have a quick peek :)

Diary of a Killer Cat is the most hilarious book ever.  PMSL just thinking about it.   ;D

I would like to know about  black childrens authors if anyone has any personal knowledge

Sorry I find this unacceptable.

How would you feel if I asked for white childrens authors?

I didn't understand the question to be honest.  Totally baffled here.

G x

[grawrc]

I have no particular knowledge of black authors writing for children but I found this website which gives some information:
http://www.best-childrens-books.com/african-american-childrens-books.html.

I find it quite had to choose books as presents, especially  for children: you don't know what they've read or what  their current interests are. I usually end up buying my grandchildren amazon electronic gift tokens so they can choose for themselves. Some might say it's a cop-out but they're happy with it and so am I.

[Levi]

Sorry I find this unacceptable.

How would you feel if I asked for white childrens authors?


[/quote]

Surely the same as if a man asked for recommended women authors or vica versa

There was a time, way back when, when men wrote all or the majority of books, thankfully this has changed because women needed to reflect their own experiences and become represented in literature.
Imagine being a child but all of the images and stories you see are of adult people or animals or aliens and you aren't represented/reflected at all.

Equal but different

[1066]

Nicely expressed Levi

Jeannine - I heard a programme the other day talking about the best kids books of the year, and as I don't have any young kids to buy for didn't pay too much attention, but they did talk about the lack of books that crossed the Atlantic (both ways). Now they were talking about American and British authors. So not sure if some of the British authors do as well your side of the pond or not, but then no mention was made of Canadian authors!
Sorry I can't be of much help - I'm sure what ever you choose will be appreciated  :)

1066

[Melbourne12]

For 8 yr + boys look at Beast quest series,   Fantastic and has got a non reader boy totally hooked.  Horrid Henry, Try Enid Blyton, not PC but still a good story moving on, Try the Adventure series, Island of Adventure, Castle of Adventure etc.  for 9 - 11 yr olds.  The current girls books are way too pink for me all about fairies and animals and absolutely no story.  Jackqui Wilson is excellent but she write s for all 3 age groups so look at what you are buying, a teenage book will involve teen pregnancy, rubbish parenting and good ness knows what else,  Beware.  Look at Anne Fine, fabulous stories for all age groups, and one of my favourite authors Geraldine McCaughrean, got one of my children totally hooked on the Canterbury Tales, went from her viersion to the original in 2 years !  Ask your local bookshop, they should know their stock but if they start recommending beauticul coloured covers leave them and go somewhere else.  There are so many fantastic books for children at the moment you are absolutely spoiled for choice.  Look at Phillip Pullman but not eh Dark Materials series, he does other books for younger children like the Fireworkmakers Daughter and the rest of that series, more suitable for 8 - 11 yr olds and still thought provoking.  Dark Materials are for teen readers.  Look at Eoin Colfer, absolutely brilliant stories.  I'll stop now or I will go on all night.

[BockingBill]

Try the Primate Puzzle by Oliver Nash - good read (even for grown up children aged 57 !!!!) plus all the money goes to Gt Ormond Street Hospital. Purchase books through a website called Just Giving