Books for 9 year olds

[Sandi Papaya]

When I was that age, I adored the "Black Stallion" series, but perhaps that is too dated now.

If there's a horse (better yet, a wild horse) in it, most girls will love it.

See, I loved those kinds of series when I was a kid. Even if they were dated, it gave me a glimpse into another world, another time, another life. And isn't that the whole point of reading for pleasure, anyway?

I really don't understand people who think that just because a book or movie or other entertainment isn't something that was just put out five minutes ago, kids today wouldn't understand or appreciate it.

[jais]

When I was that age, I adored the "Black Stallion" series, but perhaps that is too dated now.

If there's a horse (better yet, a wild horse) in it, most girls will love it.

See, I loved those kinds of series when I was a kid. Even if they were dated, it gave me a glimpse into another world, another time, another life. And isn't that the whole point of reading for pleasure, anyway?

I really don't understand people who think that just because a book or movie or other entertainment isn't something that was just put out five minutes ago, kids today wouldn't understand or appreciate it.

I don't think it's that at all.  IMHO, you have a 9 year old.  Someone old enough to know things aren't financially wonderful without knowing all of the details.  Someone who may even think they are getting nothing for Christmas.  We all know anyone getting a gift should be gracious. 

Imagine the child finding out there are gifts this holiday.  "Books" is a pretty vague description.  What if the books bought aren't this childs 'cup of tea'?  That's why I suggest something classic and something contemporary.  You just don't know the audience in this angel tree situation.   

[Sandi Papaya]

When I was that age, I adored the "Black Stallion" series, but perhaps that is too dated now.

If there's a horse (better yet, a wild horse) in it, most girls will love it.

See, I loved those kinds of series when I was a kid. Even if they were dated, it gave me a glimpse into another world, another time, another life. And isn't that the whole point of reading for pleasure, anyway?

I really don't understand people who think that just because a book or movie or other entertainment isn't something that was just put out five minutes ago, kids today wouldn't understand or appreciate it.

I don't think it's that at all.  IMHO, you have a 9 year old.  Someone old enough to know things aren't financially wonderful without knowing all of the details.  Someone who may even think they are getting nothing for Christmas.  We all know anyone getting a gift should be gracious. 

Imagine the child finding out there are gifts this holiday.  "Books" is a pretty vague description.  What if the books bought aren't this childs 'cup of tea'?  That's why I suggest something classic and something contemporary.  You just don't know the audience in this angel tree situation.   

That's very true - just because you are a reader doesn't mean any old book will do. My family automatically assumes that just because I like books, I will like ANYTHING that comes as a collection of pages bound together with glue, a bit of cardboard and some cloth (or just heavier paper, in the case of paperbacks). Even if it's a book about a subject I'm totally uninterested in. If it's a gift, I'll accept it graciously and donate it to the library or a nursing home or someplace where someone is bound to like it, but it's just not to my taste.

I can't suggest too much contemporary stuff because I don't have kids and I don't really have a reason to keep up with what kids today are reading, with the exception of the stuff that appeals to adults as well (Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket, etc). But I do know my classics and the stuff that was pretty contemporary when I was a kid (I still read those old books on occasion).

[SheltieMom]

I still love the Black Stallion books and I'm 52. (I'm just weird that way, I have over 700 children's books, and I love to read them.)

• You might try the Animal Ark series. They were some of my daughter's favorites.
  Charlotte's Web, and Stuart Little by E.B. White
  My Friend, Flicka by Mary O'Hara, (although some parts of that may be a little graphic)
  Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
  The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
  Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DeCamillo
  My America series (Historical fiction about children. My daughter says My Brother's Keeper was her favorite.)
  The Wishbone series if you can find them
  The American Girl books
  Anything by Peg Kehret. Some of her books are a little far-fetched for my taste ("2 kids get locked in a zoo overnight and capture a criminal" type of book) but others such as Shelter Dogs and Cages are more believable. Her autobiography, Small Steps, is about the year after she contracted polio, and is very good.
  Anything by Marguerite Henry, especially Misty of Chincoteague--(We visited Chincoteague and Assateague Islands several years ago. I bawled like a baby when we found the wild ponies on Assateague. Like I said, I'm a little weird about children's books!)

[MDefarge]

I also second "From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenwieler" Great story.

Another fantastic one - The Last Silk Dress by Ann Rinaldi - she writes really good historical fiction - this was one of the first I read (@ 10 or 11 maybe?) and it tells the story of a girl raised in the south just before the Civil War - one of the main points of the story is that she and her friend are collecting silk dresses so the Confederate Army can have a hot air balloon to spy on the Northern troops.
Here is a description from Amazon.


High-spirited, beautiful Susan Chilmark, fourteen, vows to do something meaningful to support the Confederacy during the Civil War.  Despite the wishes of her mother, Susan and her best friend, Connie, collect silk dresses from all the ladies of Richmond to make a balloon that will be used to spy on the Yankees.

But the issues behind the war aren't as obvious as Susan thinks.  When she meets her dashing, scandalous older brother and discovers why he was banished from the family, Susan unlocks a Pandora's box of secrets that forces her to rethink and challenge the very system she was born into.  Does she have the courage to do what is right even though it may hurt the ones she loves?

[Etikate]

I think that 9 is a great age for the American Girl series. I know that I loved reading them and learning about what life was like from girls my age at different points in American history.

[nolechica]

I also second "From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenwieler" Great story.

Another fantastic one - The Last Silk Dress by Ann Rinaldi - she writes really good historical fiction - this was one of the first I read (@ 10 or 11 maybe?) and it tells the story of a girl raised in the south just before the Civil War - one of the main points of the story is that she and her friend are collecting silk dresses so the Confederate Army can have a hot air balloon to spy on the Northern troops.
Here is a description from Amazon.


High-spirited, beautiful Susan Chilmark, fourteen, vows to do something meaningful to support the Confederacy during the Civil War.  Despite the wishes of her mother, Susan and her best friend, Connie, collect silk dresses from all the ladies of Richmond to make a balloon that will be used to spy on the Yankees.

But the issues behind the war aren't as obvious as Susan thinks.  When she meets her dashing, scandalous older brother and discovers why he was banished from the family, Susan unlocks a Pandora's box of secrets that forces her to rethink and challenge the very system she was born into.  Does she have the courage to do what is right even though it may hurt the ones she loves?

I loved Ann Rinaldi, but I was older than 9, so the historical context made sense for me.  In My Father's House, also about the Civil War, was my favorite.

[RainhaDoTexugo]

There are already so many wonderful suggestions on this thread that I won't clutter your mind further, but I do want to share a bit of extremely simple advice that a number of my education professors have shared with us.  Generally, the quickest way to check to see if a book is age appropriate is to see how old the main character is.  Of course, reading levels vary, but if you don't have much to go on, and you're looking for a book for a 9 year old, get a book about a 9 year old.  It's not foolproof, and I don't think I'd ever give a kid a book I hadn't read myself, but it's somewhere to start at least

[NsWife]

DD ( was reading my old collection of Cherry Ames books this summer.  Dated but gave her a totally different purspective on time.

[Shea]

I'm a big fan of Marguerite Henry's books
   Misty of Chincoteague
   Mustang, Wild Spirit of the West
   King of the Wind
   Black Gold
Have you seen the Dear America series? They're fictional diaries of girls from different times in American history (I don't remember if you're American or not, but you don't have to be to enjoy them). I think there are more now than when I read them, but these are the ones I remember:
   Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie: The Oregon Trail Diary of Hattie Campbell
   A Journey to the New World: The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple, Mayflower 1620
   I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl, South Carolina 1865
   The Winter of Red Snow: The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart
   A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, A Slave Girl, Virginia 1859
Looking on Amazon, I see there are many more now if you want a different time period! I'd forgotten about these until now. I think I might get one or two for my cousin this Christmas...

[Brentwood]

DD ( was reading my old collection of Cherry Ames books this summer.  Dated but gave her a totally different purspective on time.

I have several Cherry Ames books as well as Vicki Barr books. I've always loved them.

[DottyG]

Oh my goodness, y'all, I had a BLAST in the store yesterday!  I went to Half Price Books, so I got a great deal on all my books.  Including the ones I got listed below, I also was able to get a Bible Dictionary for my sis-in-law.  My total bill for everything was only $44, and I could hardly carry everything out!

For my Angel, I got 8 books:

The Wizard of Oz (OF COURSE! )
Little House on the Prairie
Anne of Green Gables
Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
One of the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books
Harriet the Spy
A Word Search Puzzle book (it was on sale, and I thought it might be fun for her)

I, actually, have another Angel as well.  A 2 year old.  She wanted a "baby doll" (ok, how cute is that?! Like I could possibly resist this child?!).  I got two baby dolls at Target and a little nightgown outfit for her.  But, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get this one started on reading as well.  Three guesses as to which of the above books I got for her, too!   Everyone needs a little Oz, you know.   I'm going to write a little note in it about how this is for her future library and that I hope the book one day means as much to her as it always has to me.

It was so hard to stop at just the books I got, though!  I so wanted to keep buying more and more!  I may have to see if I can find another child who wants books, so I can go back and buy more!

I had to bring a couple of the books in and read them before I give them.  I'm being VERY, VERY careful with them - I'm not doing anything that will bend the bindings or make it even look like the books have been opened.  But, I had to quickly reread Mrs. Piggle Wiggle and Harriet!  They're bringing back memories for me.

I tried to find Half Magic and Mixed Up Files.... but I couldn't find them on the shelf.  I'll have to keep looking for those, as they're both excellent as well.

Ah, books!  Do you know how hard it was to leave that store without buying tons of books for myself?!  It's my weakness!

[Just Lori]

My daughter is a fan of Peg Kehret.  She has written many books for children, including "Small Steps," her own story of contracting polio as a young girl.  We have been reading it out loud in the evening (although I confess I had to finish it myself one evening because I wanted to know if she ever recovered.)

[DottyG]

bumping up for hobish

[beingkj]

I didn't read every reply, so I don't know if it has been suggested yet, but try and get your hands on "Helen Keller's Teacher"

I read it as a 10 year old and it is deeply moving, gives insights in the Helen Keller's life that my book about Helen Keller didn't, and just made me want to go out there and make the world a better place

Other than that - if you're an Aussie I suggest Jackie French's "Stories to eat with a..." (1 - Banana, 2 - Watermelon, 3 - Blood Plum). They're quirky and funny and have a very independent, tomboyish lead character. And a punk fairy.