Original poster:
“My 8 year old has announced that when I read to him before bed, he only wants me to read funny books "where nothing bad or sad or scary" happens. Anything else gives him "bad thoughts before sleep.
This eliminates a lot of books.
We had great success with Judy Blume's "Fudge" series, but now it's done. I have found many funny series about middle schoolers who hate school, but that's just not what I had in mind for our bedtime reading. Any book recommendations for a very conflict-averse 8 year old boy?? Bonus points if his 11 year old brother would like to listen too!!
Thank you!
Mom to two kiddos who will not be reading the boys Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket, Matilda or Treasure Island tonight.
Replies:
The Ramona Quimby books
By Beverly Cleary
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Paula Danzinger books
As a 9-year old I think my class was swept by a Paula Danzinger phase. Do kids still read her stuff?”
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The Giggler Treatment (Rover Adventures Triology)
By Roddy Doyle
“The Giggler Treatment and other kids' books by Roddy Doyle are really funny and worth looking for although they might be hard to find--some are published only in the UK.”
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Half Magic (and the other books in the series)
By Edward Eager
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The Saturdays
By Elizabeth Enright
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Harriet the Spy
By Louise Fitzhugh
“What about Harriet the Spy? So funny though she does get her comeuppance at the end.”
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Flush, Skink, Hoot, Scat
All by Carl Hiaasen
“Carl Hiaasen's books: Flush, Skink, Hoot, Scat.”
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Fortunately, the Milk
By Neil Gaiman
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid
By Jeff Kinney
“My daughter loved the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.”
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From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler
By EL Konigsburg
“For any kid familiar with the Met, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler (and many other books by EL Konigsburg if that one is a success).”
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Phantom Tollbooth
By Norton Juster
“My boys loved The Phantom Tollbooth, if you haven't read it with yours yet--they're at the right age for them to get all/most of the wordplay.”
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Alvin Ho series
By Lenore Look
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Phineas L MacGuire books
By Frances O'Roark Dowell
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Freaky Friday and Billion for Boris
By Mary Rodgers
“Consider also Freaky Friday and Billion for Boris (but be prepared for the reader to start calling a perceived annoying sibling "Ape Face").”
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Dork Diaries
By Rachel Renee Russell
“My daughter loved Dear Dork Diaries.”
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Time Warp Trio series
by Jon Scieszka
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Hotter than a Hot Dog
By Milly Silver
“We really love Hotter than a Hot Dog—it’s silly more than “funny” per se, but it’s a really sweet book.”
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Adrian Mole
By Sue Townsend
“The secret diary of Adrian Mole. By Sue something or other. Though as I think about it, I might not have wanted a parent to read it. Potentially too old. Not sure. But so great.
“The Adrian Mole series is great and hilarious but be aware that it has a good amount of young adult themed content. May not be right for kids who haven't already been having conversations of that nature in the house.”
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Owl Moon
By Jane Yolen
“Also sweet is Owl Moon… a Coming of Age book—a kid gets to go owling for the first time with the dad.”
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Justin Case series
By Rachel Vail
“I love, love Rachel Vail's Justin Case series, about a "worried kid" who also has a lot of nighttime (and daytime) fears:
They're so sweet and funny--I've reread them several times, and my daughter is only 10 months, so I read them entirely of my own volition, as an adult who loves kids' books!”
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Non kids books:
“Also I'd give a plug for books that aren't kid books. Some of the classics are great read aloud stories. We were read Pride and Prejudice, Middlemarch and others as kids. I bet some of the Dickens stuff would be fun.”
