The 8-Year-Old
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

From the publisher: “Harry Potter has no idea how famous he is. That’s because he’s being raised by his miserable aunt and uncle who are terrified Harry will learn that he’s really a wizard, just as his parents were. But everything changes when Harry is summoned to attend an infamous school for wizards, and he begins to discover some clues about his illustrious birthright. From the surprising way he is greeted by a lovable giant, to the unique curriculum and colorful faculty at his unusual school, Harry finds himself drawn deep inside a mystical world he never knew existed and closer to his own noble destiny.”

This is a big one. For both of us. I have been waiting for the day that one of my kids (because they WILL both read the books, whether they want to or not) is old enough to begin the Harry Potter series, and last week was the week. My 8-year-old has been begging me to let him, so I read the first page of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and he made me stop. He wanted to wait until the next day when he could go out and buy his own copy and read it to himself. ALL OF THE FEELINGS. We’ve been doing a combination of reading it together and him reading it on his own, because he takes it to school and reads in his downtime. It is such a different experience reading it to someone, and if you have a kid or know a kid or can wave a kid down, read this to them when they’re ready. It is so good.
 
The 6-Year-Old
Calling All Master Builders!

From the publisher: “Who are the Master Builders? Do they have what it takes to stop an evil LEGO® tyrant from ending the LEGO world? This all-new Level 1 reader from DK’s levelled reading program follows the adventures of The LEGO® Movie, assembling in February 2014. DK Readers are a multi-level reading program guaranteed to capture a child’s interest while developing reading skills and general knowledge — compatible with the framework for teaching literacy.”

This one is a little tough for my 6-year-old to read (Vitruvius isn’t the easiest name to sound out) but he’s working through it! He loves the Lego Movie, so this book is perfect for him to practice sounding out more difficult words, and getting excited when he comes across words he already knows. And Benny the astronaut is in it, and who doesn’t love Benny?
 
What We’re Reading Together
Rumpelstiltskin

From the publisher and the New York Times Book Review: “Richly hued oil paintings complement a story simply and gracefully told. Children…love the story for its mystery, and its familiarity. Adults will find that, like most classic fairy tales, this one rewards periodic rethinking.”

This is such a classic tale that I often forget how much kids still love the story. I intended to just read this to my 6-year-old, but the 8-year-old ran over and said it’s one of his favorites! The version above is no longer available (since that was my copy as a kid, and we won’t discuss the publication date) but the newer version from 1996 looks beautiful.

The 6-Year-Old
 

From the publisher: “An early reader based on the animated LEGO(R) Batman Movie(TM) starring Batman(TM) and Robin(TM)! When Bruce Wayne(TM) adopts Dick Grayson(TM), Dick discovers that “Bruce Wayne is . . . Batman’s roommate!” Now Batman wants this special kid’s help on a brand new mission to take down the Joker(TM). Featuring special appearances from Alfred, Superman(TM), and more. Includes full-color images from the film, plus a full sheet of stickers!”

I know this isn’t some great piece of kidlet literature, but . . . it’s fun! My kids love all things Lego, including the Lego Batman movie, and this is a fun book. It’s silly, and the words are longer but easy enough for my 6-year-old to sound out on his own. I really like all the leveled readers as well, because it takes the guesswork out of which books will be challenging and which books will just be frustrating for new readers.

The 8-Year-Old
 

From the publisher: “Fish-tory comes to life with two more fin-tastic stories featuring our favorite zombie goldfish Frankie from New York Times-bestselling author Mo O’Hara. When Tom and his best friend rescued Frankie the goldfish from his evil-scientist big brother’s toxic gunge their new pet came back as a BIG FAT ZOMBIE GOLDFISH. Frankie is good at saving the day, but can he become a real knight in shining armor during the medieval day reenactment joust? Then, can the school survive two BIG FAT ZOMBIE GOLDFISH? Find out when Tom’s evil big brother manages to clone a Jurassic Carp!”

This is one of those series that doesn’t necessarily appeal to me (as a reader, not as a parent) but clearly appeals to every other kid out there. My 8-year-old is no exception. He thinks these books are weird and funny and he also wishes that we could have a zombie goldfish. Definitely check this book out (the newest in the series) if your kid is looking for something different to read!
 

What We’re Reading Together
 

Well, this week is the first week that I don’t have any new book updates in what we’re reading together! We are still working through Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (which is . . . weirder than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and have been reading Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel over and over! It’s just one of those weeks where they want me to read the same books, and I love that. Dragons Love Tacos is a great read-aloud book too, so I’m happy to read it over and over. (Although we all want tacos for dinner every night now!)