If you can handle Brian Jacques' books (which aren't exactly picnics in terms of violent content themselves), you can handle Watership Down. People tend to overstate the level of disturbia in it, mostly because they're among those who got duped by the movie at a very young age.

Which is probably like 90% of people who are familiar with the name.

I never saw the movie, but didn't know it wasn't that disturbing. Thanks. Sorry for any misinformation.

I was mainly joking about the book since I never read it. I do think the movie looks interesting, but I probably would be horrified by it even though I am legally an advlt now.

I have book from when I was a toddler that I read to my 3yo daughter. It's a Disney Babies book that's filled with short stories and various poems. She loves it but I'm still trying to get the concept across that she needs to sit silently while I read .

I also have another book that PACKED with older stories, such as Snow White and Rose Red and various other tales that I'm saving for when she's older. I'm also starting to teach her the alphabet.

Though I must admit that I do let her watch Dora and other various Disney/Nick Jr children shows. She likes them and I sit with her and involve myself with them. She's starting to get much better at problem solving.

Likes a challenge, huh? So do I. At that age, I was reading:

The Hobbit

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

A Tale of Two Cities

Treasure Island

Last of the Mohicans

Bridge to Terabithia

Where the Red Fern Grows

Johnnny Tremain

Also big books on Greek myths and Civil War battles.

Those are some good ones too. I remember Where the Red Fern Grows fondly, which reminds me of a personal favorite. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Side_of_the_Mountain, it's about a boy who becomes tired of city life and leaves his family to live in the wilderness on some land that they had inherited. He learns to survive, and for a book that actually talks a lot about the survival of one person it keeps you interested and from what I remember it was well written.

You know what would be awesome for the OP's daughter? If the OP wrote his own story that reflects an important life lesson while still appealing to daughter, and then OP gives daughter the story.

That's what I would do if I had kids (which will never happen). Because I think that children can learn life lessons from books better than they can from their parents. So, combine both parent and book.

That reminds me of a real oldie- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_in_the_Barrens (my copy is Two Against the North)

I got this book when I was around 8, and I've read it a dozen times since then.

That's a good one. While we're on the subject of Jean Craighead George, there's The Missing Gator of Gumbo Limbo, which largely concerns a group of people who, for various reasons, have chosen to live in Everglades.

Well, we made it to the library. And being the history buff, she chose 6 books about Washington DC to prep for a road trip in a couple weeks

Your suggestions are archived.

In other words, all of our suggestions were worthless

Well my reading level is about 9 years old so I got some good recommendations out of it

Well, until the next library trip. They've been written down.

9 years old might be a little optimistic Jag. For you I recommend Hairy Maclary

I prefer 'Walter the Farting Dog'.

I just Googled these books and I want them.

I have no idea where my reading level is at. How do I self-test for my reading level?

For some reason, they're a staple in our house..

There's no official test or anything.
But books are categorized by age of intended reader. (Child, Young advlt, Teen, advlt)
There's also no official categories, since YA 12+ can be very different from YA 14+

Then there's also the complexity of how the material is written. James Joyce is a lot harder to read than Stephen King, but both are intended for advlts.

Basically, if you read and understand books that are intended for a mature audience, you're above your reading level.

Okay, then. I guess I'm above my reading level, in a sense.

Didn't see him mentioned so I'd add a reccomendation for Alan Garner especially The Owl Service, a fine childrens fantasy thats also a good read for advlts.

Phillip Pullman said of Garner

Yes, it's really a miracle that a novel like this even exists. It couldn't have turned out better imo. I was also pleasantly surprised by how mature it was and how Bakker weaved his theories and modern science into the narrative. The short perspective switches between different animals was brilliant as well. I loved the white dactyl

It truly painted a picture of the Early Cretaceous. My favorite bit was after the little mammal (Aegi, I think?) had just feasted on a horde of toxic insects during the night, and all the various dinosaurs are waking up, oblivious to the fact that the rodents had saved them from potentially devastating disease. It was rather comical, but also very moving in the way that he described that prehistoric morning. Really captured the romanticism of dinosaurs and prehistoric Earth.

OP, YOUR DAUGHTER SHOULD REALLY READ THIS BOOK.

(and maybe you too)

Our school is k-5 grade and uses an A-Z reading scale. A = absolute beginer books with one or two words per page and matching picture. Level Z is the end of 5th grade - decent chapter books, harder than Magic Tree House. I'm not sure which A-Z scale our school uses, but here's a link: http://www.readinga-z.com/guided/

Also, if you type in or can somehow copy/paste a paragrph or page into MS Word, you can highlight the section. That section will be correlated to a reading level via several methods. Unfortunately, I've forgotten how...might be under review or word count.

noted

Damn, I forgot Artemis Fowl.

Good lengthy series, with nine(?) books in it. Pretty fun read.

Definitely agree with this. The Phantom Tollbooth is excellent. I highly recommend it.