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Authors that tend to write good books for young, advanced readers are Roald Dahl, Jerry Spinelli, Andrew Clements, E.B. White, E.L. Konigsburg, Helen Cresswell, Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume. Obviously not every book by these authors is appropriate for children. Judy Blume particularly has some books with a good deal of inappropriate content for a 2nd grade student, but the "Fudge" series and some of her other work is fantastic.
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Though the books I list have been carefully selected, parents should always exercise their own discretion when choosing literature for their children. What one child finds exciting in a book, another child may consider frightening. Some children don't enjoy suspense or stories in which very sad events occur. As parents, you know your child's sensitivities and many highly gifted learners are extremely sensitive and often have overexcitabilities. .
A few other resources that may be helpful:
Some of My Best Friends Are Books by Judith Wynn Halstead is a guide to finding appropriate books for gifted learners of all ages.
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The Hoagies Gifted Website and Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) both have lists of books that are constantly updated for young, advanced readers.
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Some books I personally like and recommend: .
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Cricket in Times Square, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Harriet the Spy, Socks, Mr. Popper's Penguins, Charlotte's Web, Shiloh, Bunnicula, The Indian In the Cupboard, The Secret Garden, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM, A Dog's Life and The Chocolate Touch.
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Book series that students in my class tend to enjoy include:
"Baily School Kids", "Boxcar Children", "Geronimo Stilton", "Henry Huggins", "Ramona Quimby", "Mrs. Piggle Wiggle", "The Little House", "Anastasia Krupnik", "The Great Brain", "Judy Moody", "Stink", "Wayside School", "Chronicles of Narnia" and "Ivy and Bean".
