DS1 enjoyed the Magic Tree House series at that age. He still enjoys reading(he's 12 now) and likes to pick out his own books when given a Barnes & Noble gift card.

A is for Author (it's a whole series, and beware, because she might eventually demand them all!)

Sideways Stories from Wayside School, by Louis Sachar

Elmer and the Dragon (there are three novels in this series, from the '40s, and oh my goodness, so wonderful.... my 5-year-old has demanded these nonstop, over and over, since we bought the book)

I love books! I could write a chapter book on my childhood favorites :)

Here are a few. These are all the beginning books in their series. Some of these may be a "stretch" for your niece right now, but I think many people underestimate young readers. There is no better way to become a better reader than to read something really good that you WANT to understand--even if you have to keep on asking what the words mean. Also, these are all good read-aloud books that can be enjoyed by all ages.

All-of-A-Kind-Of-A-Family, by Sydney Taylor

Ballet Shoes, by Noel Streatfield, also Thursday's Child

Betsy-Tacy, by Maud Hart Lovelace

Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery by Deborah Howe, James Howe, and Alan Daniel

Finn Family Moomintroll, by Tove Jansson

Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit

Gone-Away-Lake, by Elizabeth Enright

Henry Reed, by Keith Robertson

Knight's Castle, by Edward Eager

Swallows and Amazons, by Arthur Ransome

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis

The Children of Green Knowe, by L. M. Boston

The Diamond in the Window, by Jane Langton

The Saturdays, by Elizabeth Enright

The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew, Book 1) by Carolyn Keene, Russell H. Tandy, and Sara Paretsky

and also

Amy's Eyes, by Richard Kennedy (non-series)

Captain Underpants

Fly Guy

The Teacher from the Black Lagoon

My older child is a boy, 5-yr old girl isn't reading yet. So I'm not familiar with Junie B. DS got hooked on Harry Potter about that age. But I think I remember 1st grade him reading Magic Tree House, Horrible Harry, The Bobbsey Twins, Cam Jansen.

The My Father's Dragon series is another great one...

Here is a link that might be useful: I miss my 7 y.o. :)

Ah -- another one: James Herriot wrote a book of short stories about animals adapted from his grownup books that I absolutely LOVE. It's called James Herriot's Treasury for Children. It's a must-get, IMO. Not really chapters, but episodes--does that count? If it's James Herriot, I'll read anything :)

Here is a link that might be useful: I had a cat like Oscar the cat-about-town :)

Mary Poppins?

My DS (age 8 now) used to like the Magic tree house series, A-Z mysteries, Goosebumps . Over the last summer, I got tired of him finishing up his books so fast, so I started him on thicker books like Jules Vernes books (Around the world in 80 days, Travel to the center..etc.), and he really liked it. He's been reading Mark Twain's books, Frankenstein, Gullivers travels, etc...I'm thinking of getting him Ray Bradbury's books, maybe Dandelion wine.

I imagine Nancy Drew, Judy Blume, or classics like Anne of Green gables series, Little Women, etc. would be great read for a girl. There are also American Girl series (but they may want you to buy the dolls which are expensive!) :-D

I like books that inspire imagination, but also taught them life skill, and instill certain values. Kids learned a lot through books, and yes, don't underestimate their ability to comprehend.

Many of the American Girl books are wonderful and also look at Hank the Cowdog.

Wow! Super suggestions here, and I thank you all so very much! I was perusing eBay this morning and searched for "chapter books" and "2nd grade" and ended up buying her a lot of books that fit that description from a home schooling mom selling them there. Twenty books for about $1 each, so I figured that was a good deal. I just couldn't resist the bargain, but I'm also going to be searching Amazon for the books that have been suggested here.

Bellaflora, you're so right about not underestimating a child's ability to comprehend! My parents had taken my niece and her little brother somewhere recently, and there was a sign on the door that said that outside food and drinks were not allowed. My niece "informed" my mom of this fact -- she had actually read the sign!

I hope her younger brother will become a reader too. I can't imagine not reading as a child. My aunt, who works with elementary school children, tell me that kids in her school district are being encouraged to read electronic books in class, because many of them just can't relate to books with actual pages and binding. Her reasoning is that anything that will get them to read is a good thing, and I suppose that's so -- but I also think the whole tactile experience of holding a book in one's hands and turning those crisp pages is one of life's simple pleasures that deserves to be savored by everyone.

Anyway, thanks again for so many wonderful recommendations!

If your niece is just now reading signs, then some beginner reader books may work for her. Chapter books like Henry and Mudge (very short chapters, simple words), I think there is a whole set of "step into reading" Step 1 and Step 2 books from Scholastic featuring the Disney princesses (DD has some), and non-chapter books like Dr. Seuss and anything by H.A. Rey (Curious George).

About ability to comprehend - Ds started reading Harry Potter by himself (Half Blood Prince) when he was 6.5, we'd been reading the earlier ones to him and skipped some scarier parts. Of course he didn't comprehend everything. But he has gone on to read the entire Narnia series, has really gotten into fantasy series (started with Guardians of Gahoole, Redwall, now reading things from teen section like Bartimaeus series by Stroud, anything by Garth Nix, T. H. White, etc.). He has got quite a vocabulary, though sometimes we laugh at how he pronounces things b/c he's never *heard* the word (and can guess meaning from context, but misses connotations). I can't wait for him to be ready for Tolkien - maybe later this year!

He's almost 10.5 now, and the challenge is to find him material that is challenging but still age-appropriate. I read most of what I take out of the library for him before I let him have it - even if it's not in the teen section. Some of the Nutmeg books for 7-8 grades can still be a little "adult" for him.

One recent surprise hit - fairy tales retold by Gail Carson Levine (of Ella Enchanted fame). He just re-read "Fairest" - a new take on Snow White. I took it out thinking DD might like to have it as a bedtime story, 1 chapter at a time, but it was too complex for her. He loved it!

Whoops, forgot some favorites:

The Changeling and The Egypt Game, both by by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Here is a link that might be useful: The Changeling on Amazon

ajsmama, Check out Henty for your son. Historical fiction, very well done and he was a very prolific writer so it will definitely keep him busy for some time.

First initial or name? I didn't see Henty in the list above.

Right now he's finishing a trilogy by P.B. Kerr about some kids who find out they're djinn on their mom's side (Children of the Lamp). He read all the Percy Jackson series last summer.

He also enjoyed another series (The Last Apprentice? The Ranger's Apprentice? he read them both) by an author who usually writes for adults. Does anybody have any recommendations for children's books by such authors? The Weiss/Hickman books are too violent for him.

My DD moved on to the Judy Moody series after Junie B Jones. She also liked Goony Bird Jones for a while. Now she's moved onto Roald Dahl.

You've already gotten lots of good suggestions! I'd like to add the Jenny and the Cat Club books by Esther Averill. (especially if she likes cats!)

Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey. It is a Newberry winner from 1947. I read it as a young girl and give it as a gift to little girls. It is delightful.

Sorry, ajsmama, it is G.A. Henty. He has many, many books out there, many of which may be in your library system too.

I second American Girl. Started reading 'Addy' to my son when he was four. That series spoke to him deeply. He hated Fairy Tales. He'd listen politely until I finished then say with a very dry voice, "That isn't real." By the time he was in 4th grade, he was an expert in Black History.

Yeah, he's now 21. This year, my hand made Mother's Day card was written in Arabic. Follow your children's interest while considering books.

Thanks - found him online, I'll have to see if library has any of his books. DS should like them - he really was a non-fiction kind of guy until he was about 7 (so obsessed we thought he might be Asperger's), then got into the fiction, but I think he liked the Magic Tree House b/c of the historical aspect.

golddust - funny about 4-yr old Ds. When my Ds was 5 he was an expert on ancient Egypt (after a brief dinosaur phase)! Now DD thinks she wants to be an Egyptologist, only a few months ago it was a paleontologist. Of course, she doesn't have the background that DS did at that age b/c she isn't reading herself yet, has to be read to. But her preschool teacher said she's the 1st Egyptologist wannabe she's seen, all the kids just get into dinosaurs after that topic each spring. What did your Ds's teacher say about his "obsession"?

Great suggestions!!

Here are the chapter book series we have gone through recently:

American Girl
Junie B. Jones
Captain Underpants
Magic Tree House
Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Kinda nice to get a book that is part of a series because once they are hooked, they can't wait to read the next one =)

I think the first books that I fell in love with were the Enid Blyton books. They are so much fun-I wanted to be a sleuth for a long long time! Since Enid is british and the books were written around 1930s, the wording might not be familiar. But be warned-the books will make the kid very very hungry-the food she describes is just yummy!

Oh a lot of these bring back so many fond memories. I loved the Enid Blyton ones and Tove Janssons too.

Astrid Lindgren's "Pippi Longstocking" (amazon has the series), "Ronia, the Robber's daughter", and Madita (think she'd like that series as it is about a girl around her age).

ajsmama,

Exactly. Max got tons of attention at school. "You could be an engineer.", "I like the way your mind thinks. Keep it up!", "Good writing. How I enjoyed your work." I have a thick file on that kid. Now he is a guest speaker at his old high school. It's a high school with 2,600 students and he loves giving presentations there.

Remembering where his car is or how long until it's towed or ticketed? Not so much. He reminds me of Adam, on American Idol. He is so good at what he does. Other things, well, he thinks he should just get student loans so he has money to pay his own parking tickets. He doesn't have time for a job (heavy year round college load alert). Then he wouldn't have to put up with our lectures.

He doesn't owe a cent for college but he's willing to take out a loan for... parking tickets? What? I hope he gets a very good job because he pays high dollar valet fees. He'll need it because he's a repeat parking ticket offender who would rather take out a loan than change his ways. Oy!

I've tried my best. And he's good. Still there is much learning ahead for that one. There is no perfection anywhere.

My Ds might be the same way (he's only 10, so no parking tickets yet, but forgetting his lunchbox or his homework at school - though never a book!). He is continually reading - even if we're going somewhere - we were taking the kids to a 6pm show at the circus 35-40 minutes away and he had to take a book in the car! I don't know how he can read in the car - I always got motion sickness when I tried. I think he stays up late at night reading and that's why he's so tired in the AM - send him to bed b/t 8:30-9pm, get him up at 7, and he's dragging.

When he was about 4 (in preschool, but I forget whether it was PS1 or PS2 - he went for 2 yrs) he explained to his teacher how cell phones worked - he had seen the towers, asked about the antennas, and so I told him the basics. She was impressed - but that's what you get when you have an engineer and a computer geek for parents! He was always asking questions. Now of course he thinks Mom's the dumbest person on earth, always wants Dad to help him with homework - I had to convince him the other night that I really did know how to add fractions! Though by the time he gets to calculus I might need to brush up.

DD is just more interested in animals and flowers than technology - and I'm not good at biology/botany so I have a hard time answering her questions.

My son is 5 1/2 (he can read a good bit) and he loves the Captain underpants series and also the "Jack and Annie" - I believe these are the same as the Magic Treehouse books. (We've just started into our first one.)

For a girl - try Lois Lenske's "Strawberry Girl". I forget how old I was when I read this (but it was when I was elementary age, I was an early reader) and I loved this book!!

Great thread, I can't wait to jot down all these great book suggestions as I haven't heard of some of the ones mentioned here.

auntjen - I was in library today, saw the Junie B. books and noted the reading level. Not sure if "RL" corresponds to grade level (but close from the looks of it), librarian told me you can only really compare books from same publisher since they all have different systems. But anyway, Junie B., Magic Tree House, and the Disney Fairy books are all the same publisher. Junie B. is RL2, Disney Fairy (other than those written by Gail Carson Levine, which I didn't look up but know they're at a higher level) are RL2.7 and my DD absolutely loves them (read her a chapter a night at bedtime). If your niece is into the Disney Fairies I'm sure they would be right for her, just a little more challenging than the Junie B. Magic Tree House is RL3, I think Horrible Harry was RL2. HTH

I read through the posts above and alot I thought of were already suggested.

Adding to the list :

A must are the Mark Teague books, they are awesome, very funny! Read them with your niece, you'll love them.

Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague.

Detective LaRue: Letters from the Investigation by Mark Teague

Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist books by Jim Benton

Tale of Despereax by Kate Dicamillo ..( All of my girls read these in school before way before the movie was released, they were so excited to see the movie, even my oldest )

The Flat Stanley books by Jeff Brown

The Judy Moody books by Megan McDonald