Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day is almost upon us, and the bookstore for a child can be an overwhelming experience. Even for a parent who isn’t sure which books their child might enjoy. So today, I am sharing some recommendations from my two children.

Jack Recommends…

I asked Jack (age 7 and starting to read independently) to choose four books he enjoyed reading out loud. Three of his choices are new to his shelf so weren’t too surprising. The fourth is a long time favorite that hubby and I have read to him since he was a baby, and although he can’t quite read the whole book himself yet, he enjoys the challenge.

Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach by James Dean

Splat the Cat: The Rain is a Pain by Rob Scotton

Biscuit and the Lost Teddy Bear by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Tiddler by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

Emily Recommends…

Emily has always been ahead of her grade with her reading choices, having read The Hunger Games in Fourth Grade much to her teachers disapproval. I asked her to try to keep that in mind as she made her selections, and instead of just four picks she came to me with a list of six, three for two different age groups, complete with notes on who she would recommend the books to.

For ages 8-10

Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney (for girls and boys who enjoy comedy)

Dork Diaries series by Rachel Renee Russell (for girly girls who enjoy comedy)

The Haunted Museum series by Suzanne Weyn (for girls and boys who enjoy mystery)

For ages 11-12

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins (for girls and boys who enjoy action)

The Candymakers by Wendy Mass (for girls and boys who like mystery, suspense and adventure)

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass (for girls who like magic and mystery)

I hope that these recommendations offer a starting point to any book shopping.

Which books do your children enjoy? Can they offer any recommendations for my children?