This feature, in which we recommend books based on what you tell us in an email, is going to be around throughout our summer vacation. I am trying to catch up on all the kind people who have been patiently waiting for a recommendation. If you have specific questions, needs, or desires (my child is a reluctant reader who loves carnage but hates cats) send it to us here, and we will do our best to recommend the right book for you. And, as always, please don’t hesitate to put in your own recommendations!
All right, team: we’ve got a 6-year-old boy who absolutely loves movies and stories, but can’t stay interested in chapter books. He liked the Magic Treehouse books, was motivated by getting the stamps in he passport, and loves exciting things but can also get scared (who can’t?).
My thoughts are simple: go for pictures, and go for cliff-hangers. Voila!
OK: I can’t say that the parents here will enjoy reading these. But maybe the boy will! These books mean well, and they’re exciting, and they’ll pull him along in the story. Along these lines, the Boxcar Children might be a good choice—the tension of solving the mystery has grabbed more than one reluctant reader. Any other ideas?
marcialerner.com 
choose your own adventures? they have them on a million different, all exciting, topics.
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good suggestion. I can’t read any more spinning tree house books. gag. we’ll try those!
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How about the ABC Mysteries? The reading level, pacing and length of those are similar to MTH.
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I second the A to Z Mysteries (by Ron Roy, I believe), and his Capitol Mysteries as well. Jigsaw Jones and Cam Jansen might also be worth exploring. I believe Cynthia Rylant also has some early reader mysteries, High-Rise Private Eyes perhaps?
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Geronimo Stilton, or would a talking mouse be too goofy?
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My six-year-old loves all of the above, and also loves: Captain Underpants. Right now we are reading “Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary” that we checked out from the library. We read one page spread per sitting.
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Hmmm… the Flat Stanley books? My Fathers Dragon?
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Also, what about The 21 Balloons and James and the Giant Peach? My boyfriend was just this sort of reader (or rather, non-reader) as a kid, and these are the books he remembers loving.
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Thanks for all the great recommendations! I’ve ordered the first “Secrets of Droon” book and am looking for the “A to Z Mysteries,” though I may have to slow down on ordering every book I want!
I’m glad he’s not the only one struggling with the attention span for chapter books. He’s reading well enough now that he can handle a lot of the vocabulary in the Magic Tree House books, but he definitely won’t be reading them independently until he gets more into the chapter books. Hopefully some of these suggestions will help us out!
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Bone. Sort of scary and goofy comic.AWESOME.
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