Recommend me: Quirky Books for Young Kids.

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  • Krizzle4Rizzle
    Krizzle4Rizzle Posts: 2,704 Member
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    http://www.lemonysnicket.com/

    A Series of Unfortunate Events. I bought these for my niece, and read them with her. I loved them.

    THIS! My nephew loves these books!
  • sporadica
    sporadica Posts: 133
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    In my real life I work in a kids library- so the real question is, how many recommendations do you really want? ;)
    In terms of series- Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo is great. Also, check out Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. Gregor the Overlander is also fun- a little dark, but about a fantasy world under the ground that is accessed by a hole behind the washing machine. They're written by Suzanne Collins. Oh, and the Molly Moon books by Georgia Byng. And the Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi.For stand-alone books, anything by Kate DiCamillo is great- The tale of Despereaux Mouse and also The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Illustrations are magic as well.
    Aaaand, I might stop now. Sorry :)
  • gillybumbler
    gillybumbler Posts: 136
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    There is a huge list at this link:
    http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G2-3419900011.html
  • Just_Dot
    Just_Dot Posts: 2,289 Member
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    I second Series of Unfortunate Events, Phantom Tollbooth, and The Graveyard Book!

    Whales on Stilts by M.T. Anderson...it's hilarious!

    What age are you talking? I teach 6th grade Language Arts, so I've read a ton of YA stuff, but I'm worried it might be too "old" for your kiddos.
  • dreamingchild
    dreamingchild Posts: 208 Member
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    This is a fun one....Capyboppy

    Can read in one sitting so not a chapter book but still it's one of my favorites.
  • thedreamhazer
    thedreamhazer Posts: 1,156 Member
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    In my real life I work in a kids library- so the real question is, how many recommendations do you really want? ;)
    In terms of series- Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo is great. Also, check out Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. Gregor the Overlander is also fun- a little dark, but about a fantasy world under the ground that is accessed by a hole behind the washing machine. They're written by Suzanne Collins. Oh, and the Molly Moon books by Georgia Byng. And the Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi.For stand-alone books, anything by Kate DiCamillo is great- The tale of Despereaux Mouse and also The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Illustrations are magic as well.
    Aaaand, I might stop now. Sorry :)

    How could I forget Gregor the Overlander? I just read these last year and I loved them. I enjoy children's books immensely.

    Also, the Redwall series by Brian Jacques.
  • garnet1483
    garnet1483 Posts: 249 Member
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    The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. but you might want to read it first - i did for the nephews and then put it away for a few years. it's a bit dark.

    Ditto this...it IS dark, but it's also good. Coraline, same author, is also good and dark and creepy (better than the movie).

    I'd also recommend the Myth books by Robert Asprin (you may want to pre-read...I can't remember, there may be some more grown-up content--if there is, it's probably mostly double entendre). And the Wrinkle in Time series by Madeleine L'Engle. Definitely kid appropriate, and exciting. Oh, also, Charles de Lint has several collections of short stories set in the fictional Newford. Some of them are a bit grown-up, especially the later books, but The Ivory and the Horn, Dreams Underfoot, and Moonlight and Vine are all good.
  • ket_the_jet
    ket_the_jet Posts: 1,257 Member
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    I don't have kids, but my favorite book as a child was Le Petit Prince.
    -wtk
  • HeelsAndBoxingGloves
    HeelsAndBoxingGloves Posts: 916 Member
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    I was going to recommend the Series of Unfortunate Events books but everyone beat me to it lol!! I haven't read them but I've heard the Percy Jackson series is good
  • garbanzalo
    garbanzalo Posts: 61 Member
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    Shel Silverstein's poetry.

    Harry Potter series

    Series of Unfortunate Events

    Alice in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass

    Sideways Stories from Wayside School
  • sfh0wrd
    sfh0wrd Posts: 82
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    Neil Gaiman (writes a lot of dark humor adult novels... not "adult" novels, but novels for adults, lol) also wrote a kids book called "The Graveyard Book" which was really good, and probably about the same level as Roald Dahl.

    There is also a relatively new series called The Mysterious Benedict Society. Really clever and would probably do well as a "read together" sort of book. Along the lines of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (also terrific) and Harry Potter, in a sense.
  • HeelsAndBoxingGloves
    HeelsAndBoxingGloves Posts: 916 Member
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    The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. but you might want to read it first - i did for the nephews and then put it away for a few years. it's a bit dark.

    Ditto this...it IS dark, but it's also good. Coraline, same author, is also good and dark and creepy (better than the movie).

    I'd also recommend the Myth books by Robert Asprin (you may want to pre-read...I can't remember, there may be some more grown-up content--if there is, it's probably mostly double entendre). And the Wrinkle in Time series by Madeleine L'Engle. Definitely kid appropriate, and exciting. Oh, also, Charles de Lint has several collections of short stories set in the fictional Newford. Some of them are a bit grown-up, especially the later books, but The Ivory and the Horn, Dreams Underfoot, and Moonlight and Vine are all good.

    I love A Wrinkle in Time when I was a kid! I don't think I ever realized it was a series and just read the one book tho :facepalm: I remember really enjoying Time Cat - I don't remember who it's by but it's about a cat that can travel through time and takes his owner to all different places during different centuries
  • maab_connor
    maab_connor Posts: 3,927 Member
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    HOW could i have forgotten???

    The Demon's Lexicon series by Sarah Rees Brennan (she's actually a friend of mine, so i'm kicking myself) - she's awesome and the story is a little dark but quirky and awesome.

    http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/demons-lexicon-sarah-rees-brennan/1100329381



    *edit b/c i can't spell today
  • MissO﹠A
    MissO﹠A Posts: 906 Member
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    Yay for more suggestions. :love: Along with the Lemony Snicket box-set I've forgotten about like a huge dunderhead, the Neil Gaiman recommendation reminds me we've got a copy of The Graveyard Book, Blueberry Girl and The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish. We buy books, put them on the shelf and forget about them. Duh.

    Having two dorky parents as the culprit, she's into the 'odd' stuff already, even at her age. (She's sat next to me reading an extract from The Enormous Crocodile at this very moment.)
  • Angelap1121
    Angelap1121 Posts: 18
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    I found when I re-read Phantom Tollbooth as an adult, I got so much more out of it. Love this book and tell everyone with kids to read it to them. Also on my must list to read out loud is The Princess Bride
  • TheAnie
    TheAnie Posts: 180 Member
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    Former bookseller here. I'm not sure about quirky, but I can suggest good books that most kids can't stop reading.

    All of Rick Riordan's books. This means The Lightning Thief Series, the follow up series to that, his Red Pyramid series, and the 39 Clues books.
    Margaret Peterson Haddix's Shadow Children series. That one starts with Among the Hidden.
    I can second the Once Upon a Time recommendation.
    Seconding the Series of Unfortunate Events suggestion.
    Angie Sage has the Septimus Heap series, which starts with Magyk.
    The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black
    Even if you are not religious(because I'm REALLY not) the Narnia books are usually a good bet.
    The Dark Hills Divide
    Diane Duane has a Young Wizards series that is very good.
    Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles (dragons, and a lot of sarcasm)
    Into the Wild by Sara Beth Durst, a new take on fairy tales.
    Gail Carson Levine has a lot of good books in that age range(Fairest, Fairy's Return, Two Princesses of Bamarre)

    Most of what I read is young adult though, so this is just a small amount that I can suggest based on what I actually read.
  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,887 Member
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    Shel Silverstein's poetry.
    Where the Sidewalk Ends --- one of my favorite books EVER.
  • barefoot76
    barefoot76 Posts: 314 Member
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    The Phantom Tollbooth and The Fantastic Mr. Fox

    Yes!!

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