Good books for a 7-year-old girl?

Rarri · Oct 29, 2009

Hello all!

Would really, really appreciate help with this as i'm a bit lost.

I'm looking for a book that would be suitable for a girl aged 7, well - as this is a Christmas present - she'll be seven and a half. There are a couple of books i've been wondering about (Harry Potter and The Hobbit), but just don't know if they'd be appropriate for her age as it's a while since i was 7 and our son is nowhere near that age yet either. So any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Many thanks!

JamieB · Oct 29, 2009

My daughter is that age and I think Harry Potter and especially The Hobbit would be too old. Some books my daughter likes are:

The Magic Treehouse books by Mary Pope Osborne
The Nancy Drew Clue Crew - not sure who writes them
Scooby Doo books - chapter books
Fancy Nancy - chapter books

JLM · Oct 29, 2009

You really need to know what age level she reads at. My girl when she was 7 was reading about 2 grades ahead. You might ask her parents if there are any series she's reading, maybe you can buy her the next one or few, or you can find a similar series and get her started on a whole new set of adventures.

The Magic Treehouse books are good for that age level. Also for girls, Scholastic has a series of Fairy Magic books, written by several authors under the pen name of Daisey Meadows. My daughter still reads and adores both these, she's almost 9 now and has been reading them for years.

jennifer75 · Oct 29, 2009

How about a gift card to the book store? You really need to know what the girl likes to read, have read to her, and her interests subject wise.

alleycat · Oct 29, 2009

Maybe the Clementine books by Sara Pennypacker?

I think at that age one of the classic story collections (in one volume) would still be okay; such as all the Beatrix Potter tales.

Perks · Oct 29, 2009

If she's a good reader, I know that our own Toothpaste's (Adrienne Kress) books, Alex and the Ironic Gentlemen and Timothy and the Dragon's Gatewent over huge here last year when my daughter was nine.

And also, Collinsfort Village by AW's, Joe Ekaitis.

And no, I'm not just saying that because they're AWers. I bought their books because I heard about them here, but they really are fantastic.

WendyNYC · Oct 29, 2009

My daughter is 7. Her favorite books of the moment are Meg Cabot's Allie Finkle series, the Clementine books, and the Ivy and Bean books. For read aloud, she loved loved loved The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (it's a bit gruesome, though.) My older daughter liked Harry Potter and any kind of fantasy at that age, but not my little one. No sir.

James81 · Oct 29, 2009

I used to love the Berenstein Bear books when I was a kid. I think they are still around too. Maybe you should try one of those.

CaroGirl · Oct 29, 2009

WendyNYC said:
Meg Cabot's Allie Finkle series

I second that.

And JUDY BLUME!! Her whole MG series: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Superfudge, Fudge-A-Mania, Double Fudge, Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, and so on. My daughter (now 9) loves them all and reads them over and over.

Ken · Oct 29, 2009

... a biography on a famous person who played an important role in Scotland's history. Instilling youngsters with an appreciation of those who've shaped and founded their nations and the sacrafices those advances entailed will set children on the proper path, in being devoted and loyal citizens who put their country's interests before their own.

Rarri · Oct 29, 2009

Thank you for the suggestions; i'll be sure to check them out. Circumstances aren't simple, so her age is the simplest thing to work from and would rather give book than a voucher (seems a bit impersonal?) but it was part of the reason for possibly playing safe with a 'classic'.

Thank you all again for the suggestions, i truly do appreciate them.

Priene · Oct 29, 2009

My daughter went through all the Harry Potter books at seven, boring me senseless with Rowling trivia in the process. But she's well ahead of her age, and I suspect an average 7-year would find Harry Potter a bit too much.

Smish · Oct 29, 2009

Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein (silly poems/illustrations).
The Ivy and Bean series, by Annie Barrows.
The Judy Moody and/or Stink series, by Megan McDonald.
The Junie B. Jones series, by Barbara Park.
Any of Roald Dahl's books for kids.
Judy Bloom's books for younger kids.

MissKris · Oct 29, 2009

I was going to suggest the American Girls books, but then I saw that you're in Scotland, lol. They're still good books, but perhaps not so easy to find/not much interest for you. My daughter just turned seven and loved Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great. She read all of the Rainbow Fairy books last year (and weather fairies, gem fairies, etc.) and liked them. She hasn't shown much interest yet in Harry Potter, even though we own the series and several of the movies. I think that's more a subject matter thing than anything else, though.

She likes non-fiction quite a bit - books about famous women, dinosaurs, learn-to-draw, fashion design, crafts. There are some really neat craft kit/books out there if she has a hobby you know of.

Jersey Chick · Oct 29, 2009

My daughter's almost 9, but she still rereads her Captain Underpants books, and the Dan Guttman books (he came to her school last year and she got a few signed copies of his books - there's a bunch of them and the titles are rhymes e.g. "Miss Daisy is Crazy" and so on.)

I'll third the Judy Blume books - the Fudge series, Sheila the Great, Blubber, etc.

Definitely Juney B. Jones books and Judy Moody.

She just got into the new Nancy Drew - I'm trying to convince her to give the classic Drews a try as well.

quickWit · Oct 29, 2009

Hollywood Wives

sheadakota · Oct 29, 2009

Diary of a wimpy kid books- Silly and funny
Dumb Bunny books- again very silly- my son still loves these at 12-
I also recomend the Magic treehouse books- my daughter (now11) loved these at seven.

Jersey Chick · Oct 29, 2009

Ooh... can't believe I forgot the Wimpy kid series - my daughter just got into them and she loves them!

JustJess · Oct 29, 2009

My daughter loves:

-Junie B Junes
-Ivy & Bean
-Fancy Nancy
-Amelia Bedelia

She enjoys having the larger books read TO her but when reading to herself she prefers chapter books.

S.J. · Oct 30, 2009

CaroGirl said:
I second that.

And JUDY BLUME!! Her whole MG series: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Superfudge, Fudge-A-Mania, Double Fudge, Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, and so on. My daughter (now 9) loves them all and reads them over and over.

Yes! Judy Blume's 'MG' books are hilarious - childish without being overly simple or sentimental.

... And I'm sixteen and I still read them over and over. :rolleyes

MaryMumsy · Oct 30, 2009

No books to suggest (no kids, so I'm not familiar with most of them). When our youngest nephew was 7 he loved getting gift cards for the bookstore. He would always show off to us what he used the card to purchase. He's 15 now, and still thinks a bookstore card is one the bestest gifts to get.

MM

archerjoe · Oct 30, 2009

My 7 year old daughter loves Junie B. Jones and Skippyjon Jones. Do you know what she's read already? If not, I second MaryMumsy's excellent suggestion of a bookstore gift card.

icerose · Oct 30, 2009

My daughter started the Fairy Realm series. It's really quite charming and is a good starter chapter book. Fairy Quest for the Egg was lovely as well. She's just started A Series of Unfortunate Events. She also loved Encyclopedia Brown series. Flat Stanley. Underdog. Those are the ones I can think of.

katiemac · Oct 30, 2009

The Wainscott Weasel! Always.

Autodidact · Oct 30, 2009

A lot of girls love the American Girl books, and they're good and educational.

ETA oops, should have read the thread.

O.K., be anarchist and go for The Stupids.

Good books for a 7-year-old girl?

SupahStah!

Still around

delicate #!&@*#! flower

fiddle-dee-dee

Great Scott Member

Living the dream

Out to lunch

Reads more than she writes.

Is the random.

Up all night to get Loki

Totally Ninja!

part of the human equation

Up all night to get Loki

Addict? I can quit whenever I want!

the original blond bombshell

Lost in School Work

Five by Five

...in my Maidenform Bra.