It's We Recommend, where (when?) people write (or call) us asking for the perfect book for their reader, and we try our darndest to comply. Looking for a recommendation? Just email as at thediamondinthewindw (at) gmail (dot) com, with the age, reading level, likes, dislikes, loves, longings, losses, and anything else that might be helpful abour your reader. And the secret of it all? The best recommendations are in the comments.
This one is for someone near and dear to me, my most excellent nephew, who is a prodigious reader and something of a wild man. See here.
He is 7 years old, reads A LOT, and also tears around. What's the thing that keeps him calm when indoors (where it's sometimes better to be calm)? A nice fat stack of books. Previous successes have been: The Secrets of Droon. Animorphs, though, was too scary. The "according to Humphrey" series was a big hit, as was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (he hasn't read the others yet, given that Animorphs was too scary. Another miss? The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler: too confusing. He is only 7, after all. What do you got?
Well. A few things we've recommended in the past: Dragons of Deltora, and Deltora Quest. Also, of course, The Box Car Children. Magic Treehouse they've left far behind them in the rear view mirror. Hmmm. I happen to know they've read all of Roald Dahl and Ramona the Pest. Wait a second—is it possible they haven't read….the Fudge books????
Holy cow. If it's really true they haven't gotten to these yet, I think I've done it. Though it's not exactly a stack.
But now, I step back for the experts: do you know of a perfect, thrilling, absorbing stack of a books for a very nice avid reader?
marcialerner.com 
How about Redwall? It’s busy like Deltora but not really scary.
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Clementine? Ivy and Bean? I know the main characters are girls, but they are good books for a 7 y.o., no?
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How To train Your Dragon series? Sideways Stories from Wayside School?
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My Weird School. There’s 30 or so.
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Mad Scientists’ Club
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What about THE GREAT BRAIN series, or ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN, or THE THREE INVESTIGATORS? These might be a bit advanced, but they’re not scary.
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If he is a really good reader, these might be a little beneath him, but the Zack Power books are cool and fun for an active little boy. My son really liked that there were lots of diagrams in addition to the text. Another good possibility that is a bit more challenging is the Spiderwick Chronicles. My 7yo devoured those this summer.
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Ooh! I have one! THE BIG BIG BIG BOOK OF TASHI. Humor, adventure, silliness, cliffhangers, not too scary. And there are sequels, too. I just learned about this from a colleague a few weeks ago –the series is Australian–and am glad to be able to pass it along!
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/787548.The_Big_Big_Big_Book_of_Tashi
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Fudge books are AWESOME. My son has some additional suggestions for this wild child! The current can’t-put-down-book is Dragon Rider by Funke. She has others, but this is a good one to start. Last week’s great read was good old Harriet the Spy. Prior to that, he enjoyed The Magic Thief, Lost, and Found by Prineas.
If Harry Potter wasn’t too scary, then the Rick Riordan Percy Jackson series might work. And the Mysterious Benedict Society books are wonderful as well.
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The books by Edward Eager and those by Eleanor Estes are some suggestions.
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Thanks for all the great suggestions. I just bought a bunch of them – so excited to put them by his bed. What a relief to have a stockpile,
Sharon
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Another good choice is a stack of E. B. White books. Animals on adventures always seem to work for my little wild man. And the Mouse on a Motorcycle series was a hit.
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I just wanted to say how much both my sons (wild man and his 5-y-o brother) and I, too, LOVED Tashi. big, big, big thanks for that recommendation.
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Oh! This makes me so happy! Thanks for telling me!
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