Ruby Holler
by Sharon Creech
Age: 8+
Interests: orphans, twins, siblings, family, country living, adoption
Ruby Holler
07 Oct 2014 Leave a comment
in Books, books 8+ Tags: adoption, country life, family, orphans, siblings, twins
The Graveyard Book
22 Sep 2014 2 Comments
in Books, books 10+ Tags: adoption, adventure, death, ghosts, monsters, orphans, violence
The Graveyard Book
by Neil Gaiman
Age: 10+
Interests: ghosts, ghouls, violence, orphans, monsters, adopted family, adventure
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
05 Sep 2014 1 Comment
in Books, books 10+ Tags: adventure, American history, boats, history, intolerance, orphans, religion, romance, strong girls, superstition, travel, witches
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
by Elizabeth George Speare
Age: 10+
Interests: history, American history, politics, religion, intolerance, adventure, romance, strong girls, orphans, witches, superstition More
The Storm (Lighthouse Family series)
29 Jan 2014 Leave a comment
in Books, books 4+, books 6+ Tags: animals, boats, cats, dogs, family, independence, mice, ocean, orphans, storms, weather
The Storm (Lighthouse Family series)
by Cynthia Rylant
illustrated by Preston McDaniels
Age: 4+ (read to); 6+ (independent reading)
Interests: animals, cats, dogs, mice, ocean, boats, weather More
The Dark Frigate
30 Dec 2013 Leave a comment
in Books, books 12+ Tags: action, adventure, boats, British history, crime, history, orphans, pirates, travel, violence
The Dark Frigate
by Charles Boardman Hawes
Age: 12+
Interests: ships, pirates, adventure, action, violence, travel, history, British history More
A Single Shard
03 Dec 2013 2 Comments
in Books, books 9+ Tags: artists, history, Korea, orphans, pottery, poverty
The Three Robbers
29 May 2013 Leave a comment
in Books, books 3+ Tags: crime, helping others, morality, orphans, robbers, treasure
by Tomi Ungerer
Age: 3+
Interests: crime, robbers, treasure, orphans, morality, helping others
The Whipping Boy
14 May 2013 Leave a comment
in Books, books 6+, books 7+ Tags: adventure, bears, crime, friendship, medieval history, orphans, royalty
The Whipping Boy
by Sid Fleischman
Age: 6 + (read to); 7 + (independent reading)
Interests: medieval times, adventure, criminals, carnivals and bears
When Jessie Came Across the Sea
07 Apr 2013 Leave a comment
in Books, books 6+ Tags: American history, boats, cities, history, immigration, New York, orphans, romance, sewing, strong girls, travel
When Jessie Came Across the Sea
Amy Hest, text
P. J. Lynch, illustrations
Age: 6+
Interests: history, ship, travel, immigration, American history, New York City, sewing, romance
What Age is Right for Harry Potter?
02 Oct 2012 2 Comments
in Books, books 6+, Movies, movies 7+, Parenting Tags: adventure, boarding school, Magic, orphans, wizard
My six-year-old is loving stories about magic and strange creatures, and it occurred to me that we might be ready to wade into Potter-mania. Maybe. I think. Or maybe I should wait. Isn’t it too scary? Too violent? Too intense?
Fortunately I’ve come across this succinct bit of advice on Commonsense Media re. what ages are best for all the Harry Potter books, movies and games.
Here’s the gist of it… At age 6 or 7 it’s fine to read first book to them aloud (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone), and maybe watch the first movie.
After that the books and movies ramp up pretty quickly, agewise. You should check out the link for greater detail, but the last book, and the movies from Goblet of Fire onward are more appropriate for age 11 or 12.
Also included in the article are recommended ages for the various Harry Potter video games.
There really shouldn’t be any rush to put HP into your child’s hands, after all there are many, many fantasy books and movies out there more suitable for ages 5, 6, or 7, titles that are tamer, less violent and scary, and just not so grim. I’m working on a list of these right now, to be posted soon, I hope!
Let me know if you have any suggestions!
Rarest Kind of Best 