@fantasia I would say that all the Penderwick books are worth reading, although the first two are the most iconic, so definitely at least continue on that far.

There are so many books here that I have never heard of.  I used to consider myself an avid reader but I think my choices are actually rather limited and safe.  I am timid in going outside my comfort zone as some books I tried on a whim ended up having things in them I was not comfortable with.  And the computer era has taken me away from books more than I care to admit.  

I am currently working through CS Lewis' sci-fi trilogy.  I have yet to figure out what the series is actually called as my very very old copies do not say.  I didn't even know we had them until I was digging through a box of my husband's old university texts. I have just started "Hideous Strength" so I'm still waiting for the plot to connect with that of the previous two installments. No spoilers how they connect, please! haha  If Narnia ever gave anyone the impression that Lewis was a 'simple' writer then these books really dispel you of that notion.  I'm not normally into sci-fi so I really had to bend my imagination to "see" what he is describing.  I'm enjoying them but it's a fair amount of mental exercise.

I also recently purchased copies of "Cranford" by Elizabeth Gaskell and "Story Girl" by Lucy Maud Montgomery and feel anxious to get to them.  I have never read Gaskell but I own several BBC movies based on her stories.  And "Story Girl" is one of the few remaining Montgomery novels I haven't read yet.  I have built up quite the collection.

I am also reading with my children. For some reason, I never got around to some of the famous children's classics so I am using that time now.  I read "101 Dalmations" and "Winnie the Pooh" and "Stuart Little" for the first time with them. I also found old copies of "Padddington Bear" and "Babe" and "A Wrinkle in Time" and it's first sequel.  They were all thrift store finds and I can't imagine anyone parting with a quality book.  Though I will say that I did not like "Stuart Little".  How it came to be a classic I don't really know.   "Charlotte's Web" was a much stronger story, I think.  And I FINALLY finished reading "The Little House on the Praire" series.  I could never get into them as a kid and recently my grandmother gave me her set.  I enjoyed them much more now and my daughter asked me to read them to her.  We've gotten through two together.

Posted by: @fantasia

Are the other books worth reading too? Or just the first? 

Very late reply, but yes, I think all of them are worth reading.

Well, I finished the Shadow and Bone trilogy before the Netflix series came out and my general conclusion is the Six of Crows duology is just so much better that unless you really like YA fantasy rebellions with love triangles don't bother reading the trilogy. It's not bad, but it's nothing super impressive either.

Ruby Red was interesting. Two families have the genetic ability to time travel and there is a whole secretive organization based around that and of course there is a conspiracy and a prophecy and so on and so forth. My biggest complaint is that the whole book felt like it was the first three episodes in a tv series. It was all rising action without any answers so it doesn't stand very well on its own. I suppose that's what I should expect from the first book in a trilogy, but I like having complete stories.

Tooth and Claw was excellent. Supposedly it's at least somewhat inspired by a book by Anthony Trollope, but if you like Jane Austen it feels very much like one of hers. Single dragons with fortunes! Marriage woes! Inheritance disputes! Also, everyone is a dragon.

For YA club this past month I read The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys. It's historical fiction set in 1950's Spain during the dictatorship of General Franco. The romance was a bit trite, but the story was very well researched.

For SFF I read How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason. It's part fairytale, part political intrigue, but in space! I enjoyed it a lot, but there was a lot less science fiction stuff than I expected based on the title and description. Still, I am definitely going to read the sequel How the Multiverse Got Its Revenge.

I also recently read The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence because the second book in the Book of the Ice series came out recently and I hadn't gotten around to reading the first one yet. It felt a bit slow, and more like a very long prologue than a book all on its own. I'm only 50 pages into the second book, The Girl and the Mountain, so I don't feel like I can judge that one very well yet. So far I like the series as a whole well enough to keep reading, but it's not as good as the Book of the Ancestor series.

Thanks to all of you who left feedback on the Penderwick books, I'll have to track them down.

My kids and I have been reading some fun books so far this summer. We just finished up Hank the Cowdog (book 1). It was pretty hilarious. The kids laughed a lot at that one.

I'm getting ready to start Redwall with them. I'll be curious to see what they think of this one. I wish I could find my copy of Martin the Warrior because I actually like that one better, but the internet says to read Redwall first and I had that one in hand.  

Posted by: @fantasia

I'm getting ready to start Redwall with them. I'll be curious to see what they think of this one. I wish I could find my copy of Martin the Warrior because I actually like that one better, but the internet says to read Redwall first and I had that one in hand.  

I love the Redwall series! Great choice, Fantasia. I read a lot of those books when I was in my teens, at a time when I was really struggling with a lot of things, and they were quite a comfort to me. I think they reminded me of Narnia — Talking Beasts and courageous adventures and wonderful characters! — although at that time I hadn't touched the Narnia books for years and rarely thought of them consciously. (Basically because although when I first read them, I understood who Aslan was, I'd since been put off religion in general and Christianity in particular and didn't want to think about any of that stuff. But it's OK, He found me again. )

I know I read most of the books that had already been published at the time I was reading them (between about 1998-2000), but I only owned Redwall itself — the rest were from the library — so I just had to look up Martin the Warrior to jog my memory... yes, I did read that one. (I haven't forgotten what happened to Rose. ? ) But actually, I would also recommend starting with Redwall, simply because it was the first one written and readers can follow how the author's ideas develop from there throughout the series. Again, like Narnia!

I do remember that first book gives a whole lot of little teasers that are later expanded on in other books, and it's fun to come across those in the sequels — how Redwall Abbey came to be, who Martin the Warrior was, what the significance of the Late Rose is, why the bell is called the Joseph Bell... (I think Sunflash the Mace gets his first mention in Redwall too — his full story, Outcast of Redwall, was one of my favourites.) But for the other books in the series, I don't think reading order matters so much. I hope your kids will love them too!  

So, I have seen The Queen's Thief series mention on here a ton, but didn't really think about reading it until N.D. Wilson mention the books on an episode of Stories Are Soul Food. A couple months ago on a whim The Thief was in my library book selection and I have since read the whole series. I just finished Return of the Thief this morning. I think I liked the first three books best...so much as happened since I started reading the series.

Last month I read Fault Lines by Voddie Baucham, it was excellent. If you're looking for a book on CRT, read Voddie's new book. I also read The Paris Betrayal by James R. Hannibal (terrific, love this one), Never Miss by Melissa Koslin (don't recommend this one, it was lousy), and The Black Hand by Stephan Talty (really interesting story).

Now I'm reading The Brenner Assignment by Patrick K. O'Donnell and Aftermath by Terri Blackstock.

SnowAngel

I have heard elsewhere that Voddie Baucham's new book, Fault Line, is excellent, @snowangel. We need to pick that one up.

I have read a good bit (mostly biographies and one historical fiction series by the Thoenes, Zion Covenant) since I last posted in here, but to mention briefly, currently I am 2/3 of the way through Elisabeth Elliot's bio on Amy Carmichael, A Chance to Die. Fascinating. A very unusual and dedicated lady was Amy C. She was almost eccentric in some ways, but in such a manner that cared extremely deeply for the most vulnerable: as God has loved us, shown through Christ, so we should share His love to others, even if it means giving our lives. This was what drove her every minute of every day. She was quite the adventurous sort too.

I am also continuing my re-read of Real Christianity by William Wilberforce: this is my 'waiting book' in the car, so it's taking me a good while to go through this excellent book again. And it should not be read quickly, so I am reveling in every page; every sentence. What a treasure! Btw, the full title of this book when it was written (1797, yet it feel so current!) was A practical view of the prevailing religious system of professed Christians, in the higher and middle classes in this country, contrasted with real Christianity. Eventually it was shortened to the final two words.

@fantasia : our Geoff loved the Redwall books. He began a boys' book club in grade 4 or 5 and the group of them read through the series, enjoying their youthful discussions together!  

It's been a while , but I am looking for book recommendations for someone reading at a 2nd/3rd grade-level (for those - like me -  to whom this means little, Encyclopedia Brown and The Boxcar Children are at her level). The reader likes animals and plants (so non-fiction could be applicable, and horse books are a distinct probability), as well as just general stories. So far my tentative list includes the American Girl books, The Happy Hollisters, Betsy-Tacy (it's been ages, but I think the first one might be that age range?), The Finches' Fabulous Furnace, Hank the Cowdog, possibly the Fairchild Family series by Rebecca Caudill, and maybe the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books. I think All-of-a-Kind Family might be a bit advanced still (longer chapters, if memory serves), otherwise it would go on the list.

My reading growing up definitely skewed towards historical fiction, mysteries, and fantasies, so I'm at a loss for any animal or horse books, much less plant books. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thinking especially of @mel for appropriate horse books and @fantasia for general 2nd/3rd grade level books, though anyone could weigh in! (Been wondering if the Green Ember series is that age level? My gut feeling is that the Wingfeather series is perhaps not quite there for reading solo at that age, but I am not sure.)

As for my own reading, it's been all over the place (lots of WWII non-fiction and lots of children's books, with some random other things stuck in the middle). I am currently reading The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman, though - one of my coworkers handed it to me a couple weeks ago and basically told me to read it.

Well, I'm reading Redwall to my kids right now, so that probably qualifies. Looking over the MENSA reading list and my homeschool list to refresh my memory of what I've read to them.... The E.B. White books, including Charlotte's Web, The Cricket in Times Square, the Frog and Toad books are fantastic, those are for younger kiddos (1st grade?), Mr. Popper's Penguins (I thought this was just okay, but my kids liked it), Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM, Rabbit Hill, Shiloh, The Tale of Despereaux, The Babar books (again, younger kiddos), Beatrix Potter books, Winnie-the-Pooh, Owls in the Family, Babe, Kildee House, James Harriot's All Creatures, Dr. Dolittle, Mouse and the Motorcycle (series).

Actually, having listed all of these out, I just saw that it's for the kiddo to read rather than being read to. LOL So most of these will be a bit of a higher level probably. But perhaps it will inspire some other ideas or maybe he/she can handle some of them?  

If you have any specific favorite books you can pass along, I might be able to come up with some additional, more age-appropriate suggestions. 

I think the first three Betsy-Tacy books would fit the Boxcar Children level complexity. Green Ember is about that age level? I'd say it's more a family read-aloud than solo reading, but I would have read it to myself so...  

Horses:

• The Pony Pal series by Jeanne Betancourt would be great (I'm fond of that one because the illustrations are nice and it's overall a very friendly sort of series, with the drama not over-the-top)
• Five O'Clock Charlie by Marguerite Henry
• Misty of Chincoteague and Stormy, Misty's Foal and Sea Star, Orphan of Chincoteauge are classics, if on the more advanced end of the reading difficulty 
• The Billy and Blaze series by C. W. Anderson (his illustrations are always top-notch)
• The Blind Connemara by C. W. Anderson
• Scholastic had a series called Treasured Horses and the ones I remember seem to be by Deborah G. Felder but it looks like there were also books by Susan Saunders; each one is a stand alone about a different breed in a different moment of US history
• The Saddle Club series had a junior branch, called Pony Tails, which would be about that age level. I think I liked those better than most of the later Saddle Club stuff?
• Tizz and Company by Elisa Bialk
• ...honestly, most of the horse stories I read and remember are for a tiny bit older audience. But at that point I have literal shelves of horse stories.  

Other:

• Animal Ark is worth looking into for a larger variety of animal types
• The Jim Forest series is about a forest ranger and his nephew and the books increase in complexity as the series progresses  
• Frog and Toad are so much fun, everyone should read Frog and Toad.
• Cynthia Rylant's Henry and Mudge series is good for dog stories. (Actually, I think anything by Cynthia Rylant would be worth looking into. Cobble Street Cousins might have plants? Or maybe just a lot of floral decorative illustrations...) 
• speaking of plants, Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
• Linnea in Monet's Garden by Cristina Bjork

Posted by: @jo

I have heard elsewhere that Voddie Baucham's new book, Fault Line, is excellent, @snowangel. We need to pick that one up.

My dad just reading Fault Lines, although it's very well written, he was certain glad to have finished it. The subject is a very important topic to be informed about and Voddie Baucham's book is top-notch. I almost felt like I should immediately start the book over upon finishing it. But Scarlet and dad were waiting to read it, and then it had to be returned to the library. I will be looking for a copy of it in the future.

@valiantarcher, maybe the Tales of Young Americans series by various authors, Sarah Plain and Tall series by Patrica MacLachlan, Nathan T. Riggins series and The Lost Wagon Train series by Stephen Bly. Maybe some of Robert McCloskey's short books. I would say the first Green Ember book might be okay for that reading level, but the rest of the series would probably be best in a couple more years. The prequel series might be easier to start with since they are shorter books and also more interesting stories in my opinion. 

I just finished reading a political nonfiction as well as Night Fall by Nancy Mehl. I am now reading Saving My Enemy by Bob Welch (and after just two chapters, now I need to watch Band of Brothers again) and The Misadventured Summer of Tumbleweed Thompson by Glenn McCarty (all the younger siblings enjoyed this one and insisted I read it as well).   

SnowAngel

Posted by: @valiantarcher

So far my tentative list includes the American Girl books, The Happy Hollisters, Betsy-Tacy (it's been ages, but I think the first one might be that age range?), The Finches' Fabulous Furnace, Hank the Cowdog, possibly the Fairchild Family series by Rebecca Caudill, and maybe the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books.

I had to stop and think about what else I was reading way back when I was obsessed with American Girl and The Boxcar Children. Some of the Little House series is more middle-grade than elementary, but the Martha and Charlotte series are roughly second grade level if I remember right. The Moffats by Eleanor Estes might fit in that category too. As for animals, I've read a grand total of three books on this list, but Best Children's Books About Squirrels seems like something fun to explore.  

The Girl and the Mountain was a decent sequel, but a hallmark of this series seems to be a lot of running around in the dark and I was rather tired of that aspect by the end.

Recently read Legendborn by Tracy Deon for YA club. I enjoyed it. Arthurian legend meets secret historical societies in the US plus exploration of individual grief and generational trauma. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

And for a non-book club read, The Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L. Sayers and her Oxford Circle Remade the World for Women by Mo Moulton. The title is a bit misleading because they didn't really remake the world but they did influence 20th Century England. Still, it's a well-researched group biography about educated women who did what they could to support each other in their individual pursuits.

Up next for YA is We Are Okay by Nina LaCour. It's contemporary romance, which isn't my usual cup of tea, but a couple of book club members have already rated it on goodreads and the guy who is usually the least enthusiastic about romances enjoyed it. So maybe I'll enjoy, or at least tolerate this one.  

And for SFF is Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. The settings is 1920s Mexico, but it is apparently more fantasy than history with lots of folklore and the Mayan god of death.

I also recently pre-ordered Cytonic, the third book in Brandon Sanderson's Skyward series. Very much looking forward to that, although it's not out until November.

Just finished Diary of a Wimpy Kid #15: The Deep End by Jeff Kinney. Not really aimed at my age group, but "Look: The Unprepareds Go Camping" and I figured I'd give it a look.

From what I know of the series, bad things happen to the narrator (Greg the Wimpy Kid), and sometimes he causes it. This book does not include "Rowley," his only friend, so he has to have different adventures.

Did a decent job of capturing campground mishaps, but I couldn't help wondering how the family would have fared with a tent rather than an RV. Probably still setting up yet!

Here's a question for fellow fans of British fantasy for children: Has anyone here read Alan Garner's books, most specifically Elidor?

I was just now leafing through the blurbs of "Some Other Puffins" at the back of my copy of VDT — one of which was Elidor, which from the blurb, sounds quite exciting and intriguing. And it's set in Manchester (well, the parts of the story that take place in our world, at least), which happens to be where I live now!

I know I read Garner's book The Weirdstone of Brisingamen when I was still in primary school, but I remember virtually nothing about it — even looking up the plot summary online doesn't jog my memory — and I know I never went on to read the sequel (The Moon of Gomrath), which strongly suggests I wasn't very impressed with the first book. However, just because I don't like one book by a particular author doesn't mean I won't like any others by that author. (As an example, I LOVE Narnia but don't like Lewis's Space Trilogy. I know, I know — blasphemy!! )

So, before I decide whether or not to go and buy it... have any of you read Elidor, and if so, what did you think of it and would you recommend it? No spoilers, please!!  

I checked out a new-to-me book from the library recently called 'The Book of the Dun Cow.' What a strange and intriguing book this is. I'm only 1/3 of the way in so far, and I don't want to share too many spoilers about it, but it makes me think of a cross between Redwall and Chicken Run (movie). 

I did ask my moderators about it and I think @Mel and @shastastwin have read it. Anyone else? What did you think of it?