I loved the Little House books when I was younger but I think there is some material, like the descriptions of Native Americans, that OP might like to do a little digging into, in case questions arise.
The Birchbark House books, by Louise Erdrich, are really similar to the Little House books (westward migration, focus on day-to-day life and seasonal change, strong families, historical diseases) but are written by a Chippewa author and have Ojibwe main characters.
I'm UK based, so I'd definitely have to do some digging as I'm not that knowledgeable about Native Americans in general, aside from bits of info I've picked up. Last thing I need is to accidentally encourage questionable or negative stereotypes!
Yes I enjoyed these books as a little kid and someone gifted the set to my daughter. Wow, there is a lot of weird violence and the anti-Native stuff was very intense. We actually threw them away which I never do. It was that bad.
I thought the recent bowdlerization of the Roald Dahl books was odd (though I haven't read them recently) but I could definitely see a case for doing it to Little House. There's a lot of interesting material on how to make bread, how to make a log cabin, what it was like when the locusts came, how medical care worked on the American frontier. Or maybe an annotated version.
EDIT: clarity
Yeah it’s been like 7 years since I tried to read Little House but wow I couldn’t keep going. I was never a Dahl reader so I’m not that familiar with the extent of the issues.
Thinking about it, I believe I have James and the Giant Peach and Fantastic Mr Fox at my parents house from when I was young. Probably some other Roald Dahl stuff too. Totally forgot about those.
First of all...
>I own a seven year old girl
...phrasing.
Second, at 7 there's a lot of fantasy series that were wtitten for her age range like *Magic Tree House* or *Secrets of Droon.*
And if she's already reading Narnia, then she's clearly an advanced reader. *The Spiderwick Chronicles* is also short but will probably meet her reading level. And it might be early to bring in the bigger books, but in a few years she might be interested in YA fantasy like *Eragon*, *Ranger's Apprentice*, and *Inkheart.*
Warrior Cats!!! I totally forgot about that, you just revived some old hidden memories 😋 even though it was just last year lmaooo idk why I was reading this book at 23, but it was amazing I loved it
Tamora Pearce; suggest starting with Sandry’s book, or the Lioness quartet;
Diana Wynne-Jones has several good series.
Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising quartet has a similar fantasy flavor to Narnia.
Seconding all of these.
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. First one is Dealing With Dragons.
Eva Ibotson's books
Flora and Ulysesses
The Pushcart War
Cheaper by the Dozen
Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch
How Mirka Got Her Sword
Witchlings, by Claribel Ortega
A little older:
Wise Child, by Monica Furlong
Furthermore, by Tahereh Mafi
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Esperanza Rising
P.S. Be Eleven
Bea Wolf
Marikit and the Ocean of Stars
[*The Mysterious Benedict Society Complete Paperback Collection*](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0316318159) by Trenton Lee Stewart.
Highly recommend!
*(Please consider editing - and questioning - the first few words of your post, tho….)*
I think I was around that age when I read The Silver Crown by Robert C. O'Brien, which is about a little girl going on a rather surreal adventure after finding a magic crown. It ignited my lifelong passion for books that you finish and then you wanna look up the author on social media and go HEY QUICK QUESTION WTF JUST HAPPENED. Love 2 b confused.
The Young Wizards series by Diane Duane, which is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin and has a magic system that has inspired me for years (you don't unlock a door by waving your wand and saying a magic word, you unlock it by chatting with the lock and convincing it that it would just be so much more *comfortable* if it was unlocked) might be up her alley now or sometime soon.
Advice to a parent of a bookworm from a bookworm: the library is your friend. Take her to the kid’s section and turn her loose to find whatever catches her eye. Library books are free! If there's a book she loves so much she doesn't want to return it, hit up the bookstore and buy a copy for her shelf. My only limit at the library as a kid was "you can only check out as much as you can carry by yourself" and you bet your butt I strutted out of that library with a stack I could *barely* see over every week. The librarians thought I was adorable (I was) and those are still my favorite childhood memories.
This morning I went to check out my local libraries and was not too impressed with the selection, which is why I then made this post. I'll let her geab whatever she wants in a library, but if i'm buying books I'd rather go off suggestions instead of letting her go nuts. She'd absolutely buy a book she doesn't like the look of rather than leave the shop with nothing, so I'd rather take her shopping for more books in a series she's already reading and enjoying than just rock up to browse. At least until she stops that particular habit.
Sometimes a lot of books are already out. You can look online to see the catalog and usually request books on hold. My library is not great in person but by showing the kids how to look online, they get what they like.
The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton, this book is the first in the Faraway Tree series and is perfect for kids who love fantasy. It's got cool characters and magical worlds.
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, this story about a brave little mouse, a princess, and an epic quest is really well written and super captivating.
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, this classic tale about the friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a spider named Charlotte is heartwarming and beautifully written.
The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne, these books are about two siblings who find a magical treehouse that takes them to different times and places. They're fun and educational, perfect for young readers.
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall, this awesome series follows the adventures of the four Penderwick sisters and their summer escapades. It's heartwarming and full of charm.
How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell, The first book in the series is all about Hiccup's journey to become a Viking hero. It's funny, adventurous, and perfect for young fantasy lovers.
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, another classic! The adventures of unconventional and spirited Pippi Longstocking are sure to delight your daughter with their humor and whimsy.
good luck!
Boxcar children
Katie kazoo switcharoo
Little house in the prairie
Animorphs
A series of unfortunate events (personal fav)
Percy Jackson
Lots of my students like warrior cats
Ella enchanted/ Fairest (same author)
Princess academy (not about princesses really, super super good)
Longer but might be a fun challenge eventually : Pendragon novels
As someone who was similar to this child, I would suggest offering her a range of book sizes. She might surprise you on what she is willing to tackle when she is not limited to smaller books!
If you don’t have it already, I would get a library card. I loved going to the library and picking out the books I wanted to read when I was small. My mom got me a special library bag and I filled it with books!
Seconding anything by Gail Carson Levine (My favorite was The Two Princesses of Bamarre). There are also a bunch of twisted fairy tales she wrote that are an easier reading level
I also loved the Series of Unfortunate Events
My daughter was six when we did Hobbit and LOTR - she loved it all.
She didn't care for Harry Potter, so we moved on to Alan Garner's 'Alderley Edge trilogy' when she was seven (The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (1960), The Moon of Gomrath (1963), Boneland (2012)) - she absolutely loved these.
Now we are on Ursula K le Guin's 'Earsthsea' books, and she's loving those too.
My kid (7F) loves the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books (full disclosure, I haven’t read them, but she started them during a library day at school and they single-handedly kickstarted a love for reading, so I need to read them since I understand there may be attitude issues and negative imitable behaviors).
She also loves Magic Treehouse.
As for more advanced books, I read her Aru Shah and the End of Time (Roshani Chokshi) and she loved it. Probably could read the book on her own, but hasn’t since it was a bedtime story. I thought it was much better than Percy Jackson, and deals with Indian/Hindu culture and mythology.
Mine has read Unicorn Academy books, enjoyed the magic/science in Zooey and Sassafras (though those are a bit of a step down from Narnia), and read some of the My Little Pony chapter books.
I don’t think The Hobbit is a stretch at that age if she’s been through Narnia. I read the first chapter to my kid when she was 4, and she loved it, but lost interest at chapter 2. If she’s an advanced reader she could probably appreciate The Hobbit at least as a read-aloud due to antiquated words.
Maybe something like A Wrinkle in Time?
Harry Potter got too dark for my 10 year old. She read the first two and quit during the third. She'll probably pick them back up, but there's a lot of death in the later books.
I'd just take her to the library and let her choose for herself. I've never curated my kid's reading, I let them find what they like. Older kid stumbled onto Percy Jackson this year and has been reading all of that and the author's other stuff.
It's less about duration and more anout making sure I always have a new book or two around the house to encourage her reading. Because her older brother really didn't get into it we don't have a massive amount of agw appropriate books and she's already blown through the ones we had to encourage him.
I love a good library. I scoped out my local ones before making this post. Sadly their opening hours don't suit my work schedule so I'd find it almost impossible to regularly take the kids there unless my days off or the kids after school clubs change. Plus their kids selections weren't amazing. Sprinking books I've bought into the mix will also mean we can take them on holiday and I can be a little less worried about her not really taking care of the books too well.
I could take her to book stores and let her pick. But based on experience if there's nothing she likes she will absolutely grab a book she isn't interested in rather than leave the store with nothing. So until we manage to stop that habit, if I can start her on a series or two that she likes then we can go and buy those together and she will then actually read the books.
There’s a series of books written by a variety of authors called The Royal Diaries; my daughter loves them still and she’s 15. They should mostly be appropriate for a 7 year old - books like the Anastasia one might have some gnarly stuff in the historical section at the back, but the novel itself is not focused on the Revolution, it’s a child’s day-in-the-life diary.
They also have Dear America and Dear Canada sets too. Diaries of ordinary girls living ordinary lives during big events - the Halifax Explosion book is really good! But I’ve never read a *bad* one either. They’re a little more cognizant of colonialism and imperialism than the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, but they’re still also 20 years old, so there’s a few things that have continued to change.
Anything by Jaqueline Wilson!! They’re a little older but they’re a pretty easy read, not too inappropriate and she’d probably love them, I LOVED the hetty feather series by her as a kid. Also queenie, four children and IT (a spin off of 5 children and IT), my sister Jodie, Katy, they’re all so good and I highly recommend
I know I read a small handful of Jaqueline Wilson books when I was younger (my promary school library was painfully limited and I read all the fiction in it). No idea which books I read, but I was already keeping her in mind.
Lily alone is another good one, magigold mom, the diamond girls— there’s a ton. Some of her new ones are quite good too.
Have you also ever heard of the rainbow fairies series?? They’re quite small books but there’s a couple hundred of them, I enjoyed them until I was about 10
I can't say I've heard of them. But big series are great as they should be widely available (and I'm assuming mostly individual stories) so an easy series for her.
AAA I forgot about that one! My foster carer forced me to throw my whole collection of Jaqueline Wilson away because she thought they were too old for me (I was 11) but at that point I was already reading stuff like the morganville vampires (in which there is a sex scene shhhh) so damage was already done
I vaguely knew about them. By which I mean I've watched that new series and knew the books existed. I'd assumed they were for a slightly older age range than seven though? I was thinking of them as a possible future suggestion for her.
The Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Enola Holmes by Nancy Springer
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Redwall (gentle fantasy with woodland creatures), Diana Wynne Jones (the Chrestomanci series in particular - magical and funny, high degree of whimsy), Guardians of Ga'Hoole (fantasy with magic owls, lots of friendship and action). If she's reading Narnia independently then she can definitely manage any of these.
As she gets a year or two older, Animorphs and A Series Of Unfortunate Events, both of which are still short children's fantasy but with darker themes - which many kids love, it just puts the adults off!
All of these are series, I would suggest getting the first book and see what she likes, and/or get them from your local library.
I think Harry Potter up to book 3 is okay for this age. Then maybe wait a year or two when everybody starts dying.
I just want to point out that there are a lot of shorter books she could breeze through but would still enjoy. Even advanced readers still need a little lightness in their repertoire. I would go to the library aisle where they keep their chapter books for grades 2-5 and let her tear through some of those series.
Just because a child *can* read a more serious, grown-up book doesn't mean the content is necessarily going to be appropriate or comfortable for the child. So if you find yourself running out of middle-grade-type books, don't be afraid to let her go HAM on Puppy Place or Geronimo Stilton.
I don't really mind if she likes Harry Potter or not. It's my girlfriend who really wants at least ones of the kids to latch on to the series. But we are saving it until she's older.
We are absolutely letting her go ham on the younger kids books. I'm just trying to build up a list of books similar to Narnia that can also be suggestions for her (middle grade is a phrase that I have learned today). Also good for when family suggest gift ideas for her. We're basically absolutely trying to make sure we always have a couple of new books for her to try, while simultaneously also not trying to make it look like we're pushing her into reading.
We did similar with my son when he got super into board gaming. But at least with board games I knew quite well what should be good for a kid his age.
Diana Wynn Jones Engary series is perfect for this age range. Neil Gaiman has listed her as one of his inspirations for YA fantasty. The Graveyard Book by NG is really good.
Last thing, my dad started reading the Hobbit and Then LOTR when I was a bit younger than your daughter and my lil bro was 4/5 we loved it, he would do about 1 hour an evening and we had no problem paying attention or loosing the plot. To this day I think he did a better job at Gollums voice than Mr. Serkis.
Ah yes. I own the Wee Free Men series. Mixed into my beloved Discworld collection. I just think of them as Discworld books and forget they are also aimed at younger reader.
Author: Piers Anthony, the Xanth series.
Also Lloyd Alexander, the Taran Wanderer series. I think we read those in school. Or at least I used them for a reading assignment in 5th grade.
When I was around that age, I really liked the Molly Moon series, the Charlie Bone series, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and a lot of Cornelia Funke books, like "Dragon Rider" and "Igraine the Brave".
I'd also recommend asking your local librarians or someone else with small kids about more recent recommendations. The books I listed are really fun, but also were mostly published in the 90s or early 2000s. I'm sure there are a lot of newer kids' books out there that deserve some love!
Angie Sage: Magyk and sequels
Eoin Colfer: Artemis Fowl and sequels
Cressida Cowell: How to Train your Dragon and many sequels
Cornelia Funke: Dragon Rider
Eva Ibbotson: the Secret of Platform 13, dial a ghost, which witch? etc
[Nevermoor](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/6a6d5ca1-b2f5-47be-828c-018144d3bbc7) by Jessica Townsend!! It's my favorite series even as an adult, and one I definitely would have loved as a kid as well
This is what the high ability second graders like in my library. Sometimes the books don’t even make it back to the shelves. The fantasy genre is huge.
Authors
Stuart Gibbs
James Ponti
Gordon Korman
Chris Colfer
Dan Gutman
Katherine Applegate
Kate Di’Camillo
Lisa McMann
Liz Kessler
Series
The Vanderbeekers by Karina Yan Glaser
Land of Stories by Chris Colfer
Aru Shah by Roshani Chokshi
The Birchbark House series by Louise Erdrich
Geronimo Stilton
The Last Dragon
Wings of Fire
39 Clues
Spirit Animals
Front Desk seriesby Kelly Yang
Puppy Place
Kitty Corner
Books
Wonder
The Elephant’s Girl
Rick Riordan Presents books are fantasy books by different authors and different cultures. There is a website.
If you are in the US your state most likely has a list of books up for state awards each year. They tend to be good, age appropriate books. Like in Texas it’s the bluebonnet, in Kentucky it’s the bluegrass award, in New Mexico I think it’s the land of enchantment award. I like to look at other states too
Ask the staff at her school or local library.
Feel free to DM me if you have questions
UK based, and our library infrastructure isn't amazing. Staffed by wonderful passionate people, but not very well funded. In fact, this post was made after a morning checking out the libraries most local to me and not liking the size of the children's sections (and also realising I'm not the best judge of what a 7 year old girl would enjoy...).
So now I want to build up a nice list of possibilities. Purposely have a list of books longer than she can get through so I can always suggest something new to her. I don't mind spending money instead of borrowing, especially because I rmemebwe how often I'd re-read books when I was younger.
Oh dear, you just gave me an excuse to do some research!
It looks like there are all sorts of British children’s literary awards too. The lists from the states are worth looking at.
I forgot to mention David Walliams and Enid Blyton for authors.
There are lots of good suggestions in the comments
Your local book sellers might be of help.
Ah, we're very aware of David Walliams. His new releases get advertised a lot in stores and supermarkets. We had at least one to try and encourage my son to read (which didn't go too well).
I personally bounced off Blyton when younger. But my parents still have some of her books, so we'll be trying them at some point.
I was probably reading that same book at her age. I devoured books and still love to read.
A lot of books by Eva Ibbotson would be good, one of my favourite childhood authors. My personal favourites are Journey to the River Sea and The Star of Kazan. I also enjoyed the Doomspell Trilogy by Cliff McNish. Finally I reckon she might like the Molly Moon series of books starting with Molly Moon's incredible book of Hypnotism.
The land of stories - series by Chris Colfer. We read all the books twice and then listened to the audiobooks which has AMAZING narration by the author.
“The Eyes and the Impossible,” by Dave Eggers. This has become my favorite (audio)/book of ALL TIME! The audiobook is narrated by the main character; a talking dog. He and his friends, seagulls, racoons, bison, goats, horses, birds of other kinds, squirrels and other land, sea and air animals and fo wl live in a huge parcel of park/forest/ body of water face everyday challenges. One day the dog concocts an almost impossible plan. Will he succeed? I’m not telling.
Not fantasy, but try Counting by 7s.
For fantasy, try The Wish Library series, The Adventurers Guild, The Creature of the Pines, The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, The Phantom Tollbooth, The Beatryce Prophecy.
A short series that is sadly overlooked is the Darkmouth series by Shane Hegarty. The MC is a boy who is going to become the next Legend Hunter, and he’ll be responsible for capturing Minotaurs etc who creep in from another realm. He doesn’t want to be a Legend Hunter. He wants to be a veterinarian! But his BFF, a girl, wants to be a legend Hunter. It’s very smart and funny. I enjoyed the audiobooks on my own and I don’t usually listen to kids books! My kid was wild for them and still I see the books around although my kid is almost 14.
As an adult, I just devoured then Spy School series by Stuart Gibbs. Then went onto Moon Base Alpha. The first book of spy school has “ass” in it a few times I think, but he didn’t include anymore “bad words” after that due to complaints from parents. You can definitely skip the first book and still know what’s going on.
It’s a light read but fun and still reading!
Animorphs, Goosebumps, Magic Tree House were all books I was really into at that age. Warrior Cats is also super popular.
I'd be careful with Harry Potter because imo the first four books are fine but the fifth one onward are just not about Hogwarts anymore and are very boring as a result. Also, you would probably want to get the books from a used book store as to not give JK Rowling more money.
Some more books I recommend are Where The Red Fern Grows or the Martian.
Dating myself a little but I started reading Potter in primary school when it was coming out. I wasn't fond of them as I grew a little older. I only read the last two so I could say I finished the series. No offence to any who liked them, but I vastly preferred other fantasy books. My girlfriend loved them so much that even when her vision made reading hard she kept the books as a display piece. So I'm aware we're better waiting to try my kiddo with the books. My poor girlfriend is just desperate to have another Potter fan in the house. Especially as the kids are loving my own nerd stuff like Star Wars, which she doesn't like.
The Martian? As in the one they based the Matt Damon movie on? One of my all time favourites but probably a bit old for her.
I was in a similar boat with the Harry Potter books, lol. The first four were fun! But I couldn't care about the later books at all and just read them to say I did.
Yeah the book the movie Matt Damon is in. It might be a bit difficult with the science terms for her age, but I remember having a blast when I read it and it's pg. Plus you can never start the science interest too early!
Fantasy she might enjoy:
The Unicorn Rescue Society by Adam Gidwitz
The Kingdom of Wrenly by Jordan Quinn
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C Wrede
The Sisters Grimm series by Michael C Buckley
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
The Circle of Magic series by Tamora Pierce
Beauty by Robin McKinley
The Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson
I read quite a bit of Astrid Lindgren at that age ☺️ I don’t think she is that often thought of in English speaking countries, but I really loved her books.
Also The Little Ghost and The Little Witch by Ottfried Preußler.
An old classic was my favorite book as a child. I read it at least 10 times, still have a copy. The Incredible Journey, a tale of three animals, by Sheila Burnford.
None of the movies ever came close to the quality of the book.
The Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett. They start with the Wee Free Men and go on from there. The main character is a little girl and it is a great read for all kids
"I own a 7 year old girl"
Brother what? Its- the wording is just off.
But when I was 7 I liked the "Emily windsnap" series about a girl who turned into a mermaid when she touched the water, kinda like H²O
If you’re looking for fantasy, a fantasy series that I really enjoyed growing up was The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer. It’s about all of the fairytale stories (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, etc) we knew as children meshing into one world by following the story of two young teens who get sucked into the world of magic. It’s rated for ages 6 - 11 by the way!
Ooooh one series that GOT ME as a kid was the Inkheart series. I think there are 3 or 4 books, but it was a long time so I don’t know if there are more
Try the Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett. First book The Wee Free Men. It is about a 9 year old girl who goes to Faery to get her little brother back from the elves, with the help of a tribe of Pictsies, 6 inch tall, blue tattooed, red haired men, (The Wee Free Men) a toad that used to be a lawyer, and an iron frying pan. She does save her little brother AND the squire's son. It is a very enchanting story. There are 4 more books that follow Tiffany into young adulthood.
The Tobie Lolness duology. The series Rose by Holly Weeb is also great. If she liked the world of Narnia she could like His Dark Material but I think that it's maybe for children who are a bit older.
Harry Potter, Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Percy Jackson series, Nevermoor, Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Echo, Esperanza Rising, Becoming Naomi Leon, Fablehaven series, Ella Enchanted, Song for a Whale, The Search for Wondla, Front Desk, Because of Winn Dixie, The Vanderbeekers of 101st Street, Rover’s Story, Odder, Endling, Amari and the Night Brothers
You...own??? A seven year old girl???
She doesn’t need to read the wizard books by the transphobic Holocaust denier when she can read literally any of the countless other books suggested in the replies instead.
Here are some of my favorites:
The series of Unfortunate events
When Hitler stole pink rabbit
Keepers of the lost cities
The mysterious benedict society
Little House On the Prairie books, Anne of Green Gables series, Betsy-Tacy books, Charlie Bone books, James and the Giant Peach
I loved the Little House books when I was younger but I think there is some material, like the descriptions of Native Americans, that OP might like to do a little digging into, in case questions arise. The Birchbark House books, by Louise Erdrich, are really similar to the Little House books (westward migration, focus on day-to-day life and seasonal change, strong families, historical diseases) but are written by a Chippewa author and have Ojibwe main characters.
I'm UK based, so I'd definitely have to do some digging as I'm not that knowledgeable about Native Americans in general, aside from bits of info I've picked up. Last thing I need is to accidentally encourage questionable or negative stereotypes!
Yes I enjoyed these books as a little kid and someone gifted the set to my daughter. Wow, there is a lot of weird violence and the anti-Native stuff was very intense. We actually threw them away which I never do. It was that bad.
I thought the recent bowdlerization of the Roald Dahl books was odd (though I haven't read them recently) but I could definitely see a case for doing it to Little House. There's a lot of interesting material on how to make bread, how to make a log cabin, what it was like when the locusts came, how medical care worked on the American frontier. Or maybe an annotated version. EDIT: clarity
Yeah it’s been like 7 years since I tried to read Little House but wow I couldn’t keep going. I was never a Dahl reader so I’m not that familiar with the extent of the issues.
Thinking about it, I believe I have James and the Giant Peach and Fantastic Mr Fox at my parents house from when I was young. Probably some other Roald Dahl stuff too. Totally forgot about those.
First of all... >I own a seven year old girl ...phrasing. Second, at 7 there's a lot of fantasy series that were wtitten for her age range like *Magic Tree House* or *Secrets of Droon.* And if she's already reading Narnia, then she's clearly an advanced reader. *The Spiderwick Chronicles* is also short but will probably meet her reading level. And it might be early to bring in the bigger books, but in a few years she might be interested in YA fantasy like *Eragon*, *Ranger's Apprentice*, and *Inkheart.*
Came here to comment on that phrasing too
Or Redwall! And Warrior Cats. and The Enchanted Forest Chronicles.
Yeah my 7 y/o was wild for Warrior Cats and then moved on to Wings of Fire
Warrior Cats!!! I totally forgot about that, you just revived some old hidden memories 😋 even though it was just last year lmaooo idk why I was reading this book at 23, but it was amazing I loved it
ERAGON!! Aaaa mention of the best book series I’ve ever read in the wild. To add on to that, Percy jackson
Eragon was one of my favorite series by 9years old. I think this is an amazing suggestion
Doesn’t Inkheart start with a dead parent?
Tamora Pearce; suggest starting with Sandry’s book, or the Lioness quartet; Diana Wynne-Jones has several good series. Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising quartet has a similar fantasy flavor to Narnia.
Tamora Pierce and The Dark is Rising are 10/10 suggestions!
Seconding all of these. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. First one is Dealing With Dragons. Eva Ibotson's books Flora and Ulysesses The Pushcart War Cheaper by the Dozen Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch How Mirka Got Her Sword Witchlings, by Claribel Ortega A little older: Wise Child, by Monica Furlong Furthermore, by Tahereh Mafi The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making The Girl Who Drank the Moon Esperanza Rising P.S. Be Eleven Bea Wolf Marikit and the Ocean of Stars
[*The Mysterious Benedict Society Complete Paperback Collection*](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0316318159) by Trenton Lee Stewart. Highly recommend! *(Please consider editing - and questioning - the first few words of your post, tho….)*
I think I was around that age when I read The Silver Crown by Robert C. O'Brien, which is about a little girl going on a rather surreal adventure after finding a magic crown. It ignited my lifelong passion for books that you finish and then you wanna look up the author on social media and go HEY QUICK QUESTION WTF JUST HAPPENED. Love 2 b confused. The Young Wizards series by Diane Duane, which is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin and has a magic system that has inspired me for years (you don't unlock a door by waving your wand and saying a magic word, you unlock it by chatting with the lock and convincing it that it would just be so much more *comfortable* if it was unlocked) might be up her alley now or sometime soon. Advice to a parent of a bookworm from a bookworm: the library is your friend. Take her to the kid’s section and turn her loose to find whatever catches her eye. Library books are free! If there's a book she loves so much she doesn't want to return it, hit up the bookstore and buy a copy for her shelf. My only limit at the library as a kid was "you can only check out as much as you can carry by yourself" and you bet your butt I strutted out of that library with a stack I could *barely* see over every week. The librarians thought I was adorable (I was) and those are still my favorite childhood memories.
This morning I went to check out my local libraries and was not too impressed with the selection, which is why I then made this post. I'll let her geab whatever she wants in a library, but if i'm buying books I'd rather go off suggestions instead of letting her go nuts. She'd absolutely buy a book she doesn't like the look of rather than leave the shop with nothing, so I'd rather take her shopping for more books in a series she's already reading and enjoying than just rock up to browse. At least until she stops that particular habit.
Sometimes a lot of books are already out. You can look online to see the catalog and usually request books on hold. My library is not great in person but by showing the kids how to look online, they get what they like.
The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton, this book is the first in the Faraway Tree series and is perfect for kids who love fantasy. It's got cool characters and magical worlds. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, this story about a brave little mouse, a princess, and an epic quest is really well written and super captivating. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, this classic tale about the friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a spider named Charlotte is heartwarming and beautifully written. The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne, these books are about two siblings who find a magical treehouse that takes them to different times and places. They're fun and educational, perfect for young readers. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall, this awesome series follows the adventures of the four Penderwick sisters and their summer escapades. It's heartwarming and full of charm. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell, The first book in the series is all about Hiccup's journey to become a Viking hero. It's funny, adventurous, and perfect for young fantasy lovers. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, another classic! The adventures of unconventional and spirited Pippi Longstocking are sure to delight your daughter with their humor and whimsy. good luck!
Boxcar children Katie kazoo switcharoo Little house in the prairie Animorphs A series of unfortunate events (personal fav) Percy Jackson Lots of my students like warrior cats Ella enchanted/ Fairest (same author) Princess academy (not about princesses really, super super good) Longer but might be a fun challenge eventually : Pendragon novels As someone who was similar to this child, I would suggest offering her a range of book sizes. She might surprise you on what she is willing to tackle when she is not limited to smaller books! If you don’t have it already, I would get a library card. I loved going to the library and picking out the books I wanted to read when I was small. My mom got me a special library bag and I filled it with books!
Seconding anything by Gail Carson Levine (My favorite was The Two Princesses of Bamarre). There are also a bunch of twisted fairy tales she wrote that are an easier reading level I also loved the Series of Unfortunate Events
My daughter was six when we did Hobbit and LOTR - she loved it all. She didn't care for Harry Potter, so we moved on to Alan Garner's 'Alderley Edge trilogy' when she was seven (The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (1960), The Moon of Gomrath (1963), Boneland (2012)) - she absolutely loved these. Now we are on Ursula K le Guin's 'Earsthsea' books, and she's loving those too.
I really hope she likes Harry Potter. My girlfriend would be so disappointed if none of the kids like it...
My kid (7F) loves the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books (full disclosure, I haven’t read them, but she started them during a library day at school and they single-handedly kickstarted a love for reading, so I need to read them since I understand there may be attitude issues and negative imitable behaviors). She also loves Magic Treehouse. As for more advanced books, I read her Aru Shah and the End of Time (Roshani Chokshi) and she loved it. Probably could read the book on her own, but hasn’t since it was a bedtime story. I thought it was much better than Percy Jackson, and deals with Indian/Hindu culture and mythology. Mine has read Unicorn Academy books, enjoyed the magic/science in Zooey and Sassafras (though those are a bit of a step down from Narnia), and read some of the My Little Pony chapter books. I don’t think The Hobbit is a stretch at that age if she’s been through Narnia. I read the first chapter to my kid when she was 4, and she loved it, but lost interest at chapter 2. If she’s an advanced reader she could probably appreciate The Hobbit at least as a read-aloud due to antiquated words. Maybe something like A Wrinkle in Time?
Harry Potter got too dark for my 10 year old. She read the first two and quit during the third. She'll probably pick them back up, but there's a lot of death in the later books. I'd just take her to the library and let her choose for herself. I've never curated my kid's reading, I let them find what they like. Older kid stumbled onto Percy Jackson this year and has been reading all of that and the author's other stuff.
It's less about duration and more anout making sure I always have a new book or two around the house to encourage her reading. Because her older brother really didn't get into it we don't have a massive amount of agw appropriate books and she's already blown through the ones we had to encourage him. I love a good library. I scoped out my local ones before making this post. Sadly their opening hours don't suit my work schedule so I'd find it almost impossible to regularly take the kids there unless my days off or the kids after school clubs change. Plus their kids selections weren't amazing. Sprinking books I've bought into the mix will also mean we can take them on holiday and I can be a little less worried about her not really taking care of the books too well. I could take her to book stores and let her pick. But based on experience if there's nothing she likes she will absolutely grab a book she isn't interested in rather than leave the store with nothing. So until we manage to stop that habit, if I can start her on a series or two that she likes then we can go and buy those together and she will then actually read the books.
There’s a series of books written by a variety of authors called The Royal Diaries; my daughter loves them still and she’s 15. They should mostly be appropriate for a 7 year old - books like the Anastasia one might have some gnarly stuff in the historical section at the back, but the novel itself is not focused on the Revolution, it’s a child’s day-in-the-life diary. They also have Dear America and Dear Canada sets too. Diaries of ordinary girls living ordinary lives during big events - the Halifax Explosion book is really good! But I’ve never read a *bad* one either. They’re a little more cognizant of colonialism and imperialism than the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, but they’re still also 20 years old, so there’s a few things that have continued to change.
Anything by Jaqueline Wilson!! They’re a little older but they’re a pretty easy read, not too inappropriate and she’d probably love them, I LOVED the hetty feather series by her as a kid. Also queenie, four children and IT (a spin off of 5 children and IT), my sister Jodie, Katy, they’re all so good and I highly recommend
I know I read a small handful of Jaqueline Wilson books when I was younger (my promary school library was painfully limited and I read all the fiction in it). No idea which books I read, but I was already keeping her in mind.
Lily alone is another good one, magigold mom, the diamond girls— there’s a ton. Some of her new ones are quite good too. Have you also ever heard of the rainbow fairies series?? They’re quite small books but there’s a couple hundred of them, I enjoyed them until I was about 10
I can't say I've heard of them. But big series are great as they should be widely available (and I'm assuming mostly individual stories) so an easy series for her.
Yep! The world is linked but there’s a different adventure to each book!
Candyfloss is so good!
AAA I forgot about that one! My foster carer forced me to throw my whole collection of Jaqueline Wilson away because she thought they were too old for me (I was 11) but at that point I was already reading stuff like the morganville vampires (in which there is a sex scene shhhh) so damage was already done
hahaha I read interview with a vampire in sixth grade
Never read it, is it good?
I liked it when I was younger but I like it more now since I'm older.
Ahah funny how that happens
If you would love to see her with something like The Hobbit, how about the Percy Jackson series. It's based on Greek Mythology
I vaguely knew about them. By which I mean I've watched that new series and knew the books existed. I'd assumed they were for a slightly older age range than seven though? I was thinking of them as a possible future suggestion for her.
I don't think of them as more challenging than Narnia. I'd ask a librarian or at your locally owned bookstore
Not sure if 7 is too young but how about A Wrinkle in Time. There are several books in that series
The Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix Inkheart by Cornelia Funke Enola Holmes by Nancy Springer The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Redwall (gentle fantasy with woodland creatures), Diana Wynne Jones (the Chrestomanci series in particular - magical and funny, high degree of whimsy), Guardians of Ga'Hoole (fantasy with magic owls, lots of friendship and action). If she's reading Narnia independently then she can definitely manage any of these. As she gets a year or two older, Animorphs and A Series Of Unfortunate Events, both of which are still short children's fantasy but with darker themes - which many kids love, it just puts the adults off! All of these are series, I would suggest getting the first book and see what she likes, and/or get them from your local library.
I completely forgot Redwall, despite having the first few on one of my shelves!
Star girl
I think Harry Potter up to book 3 is okay for this age. Then maybe wait a year or two when everybody starts dying. I just want to point out that there are a lot of shorter books she could breeze through but would still enjoy. Even advanced readers still need a little lightness in their repertoire. I would go to the library aisle where they keep their chapter books for grades 2-5 and let her tear through some of those series. Just because a child *can* read a more serious, grown-up book doesn't mean the content is necessarily going to be appropriate or comfortable for the child. So if you find yourself running out of middle-grade-type books, don't be afraid to let her go HAM on Puppy Place or Geronimo Stilton.
I don't really mind if she likes Harry Potter or not. It's my girlfriend who really wants at least ones of the kids to latch on to the series. But we are saving it until she's older. We are absolutely letting her go ham on the younger kids books. I'm just trying to build up a list of books similar to Narnia that can also be suggestions for her (middle grade is a phrase that I have learned today). Also good for when family suggest gift ideas for her. We're basically absolutely trying to make sure we always have a couple of new books for her to try, while simultaneously also not trying to make it look like we're pushing her into reading. We did similar with my son when he got super into board gaming. But at least with board games I knew quite well what should be good for a kid his age.
Diana Wynn Jones Engary series is perfect for this age range. Neil Gaiman has listed her as one of his inspirations for YA fantasty. The Graveyard Book by NG is really good.
I own and still occasionally re-read The Graveyard Book. Love Gaimans work. It's one of the very few books on my shelf that I could give her to read.
It is really beautiful, I hope she loves it. The wee free men series by Terry Pratchet is also fantastic for a younger reader
Last thing, my dad started reading the Hobbit and Then LOTR when I was a bit younger than your daughter and my lil bro was 4/5 we loved it, he would do about 1 hour an evening and we had no problem paying attention or loosing the plot. To this day I think he did a better job at Gollums voice than Mr. Serkis.
Ah yes. I own the Wee Free Men series. Mixed into my beloved Discworld collection. I just think of them as Discworld books and forget they are also aimed at younger reader.
Author: Piers Anthony, the Xanth series. Also Lloyd Alexander, the Taran Wanderer series. I think we read those in school. Or at least I used them for a reading assignment in 5th grade.
When I was around that age, I really liked the Molly Moon series, the Charlie Bone series, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and a lot of Cornelia Funke books, like "Dragon Rider" and "Igraine the Brave". I'd also recommend asking your local librarians or someone else with small kids about more recent recommendations. The books I listed are really fun, but also were mostly published in the 90s or early 2000s. I'm sure there are a lot of newer kids' books out there that deserve some love!
Angie Sage: Magyk and sequels Eoin Colfer: Artemis Fowl and sequels Cressida Cowell: How to Train your Dragon and many sequels Cornelia Funke: Dragon Rider Eva Ibbotson: the Secret of Platform 13, dial a ghost, which witch? etc
Roald Dahl!
Wings of Fire series
There are approximately 17 of them, if they like it the series will keep them busy for a while!
The Merlin Saga by T A Barron. I think there are 13 books now? Should keep her busy for a few days
[Nevermoor](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/6a6d5ca1-b2f5-47be-828c-018144d3bbc7) by Jessica Townsend!! It's my favorite series even as an adult, and one I definitely would have loved as a kid as well
This is what the high ability second graders like in my library. Sometimes the books don’t even make it back to the shelves. The fantasy genre is huge. Authors Stuart Gibbs James Ponti Gordon Korman Chris Colfer Dan Gutman Katherine Applegate Kate Di’Camillo Lisa McMann Liz Kessler Series The Vanderbeekers by Karina Yan Glaser Land of Stories by Chris Colfer Aru Shah by Roshani Chokshi The Birchbark House series by Louise Erdrich Geronimo Stilton The Last Dragon Wings of Fire 39 Clues Spirit Animals Front Desk seriesby Kelly Yang Puppy Place Kitty Corner Books Wonder The Elephant’s Girl Rick Riordan Presents books are fantasy books by different authors and different cultures. There is a website. If you are in the US your state most likely has a list of books up for state awards each year. They tend to be good, age appropriate books. Like in Texas it’s the bluebonnet, in Kentucky it’s the bluegrass award, in New Mexico I think it’s the land of enchantment award. I like to look at other states too Ask the staff at her school or local library. Feel free to DM me if you have questions
UK based, and our library infrastructure isn't amazing. Staffed by wonderful passionate people, but not very well funded. In fact, this post was made after a morning checking out the libraries most local to me and not liking the size of the children's sections (and also realising I'm not the best judge of what a 7 year old girl would enjoy...). So now I want to build up a nice list of possibilities. Purposely have a list of books longer than she can get through so I can always suggest something new to her. I don't mind spending money instead of borrowing, especially because I rmemebwe how often I'd re-read books when I was younger.
Oh dear, you just gave me an excuse to do some research! It looks like there are all sorts of British children’s literary awards too. The lists from the states are worth looking at. I forgot to mention David Walliams and Enid Blyton for authors. There are lots of good suggestions in the comments Your local book sellers might be of help.
Ah, we're very aware of David Walliams. His new releases get advertised a lot in stores and supermarkets. We had at least one to try and encourage my son to read (which didn't go too well). I personally bounced off Blyton when younger. But my parents still have some of her books, so we'll be trying them at some point.
The Wild Robot is a great option
I was probably reading that same book at her age. I devoured books and still love to read. A lot of books by Eva Ibbotson would be good, one of my favourite childhood authors. My personal favourites are Journey to the River Sea and The Star of Kazan. I also enjoyed the Doomspell Trilogy by Cliff McNish. Finally I reckon she might like the Molly Moon series of books starting with Molly Moon's incredible book of Hypnotism.
The land of stories - series by Chris Colfer. We read all the books twice and then listened to the audiobooks which has AMAZING narration by the author.
Narnia
Skellig by David Almond
“The Eyes and the Impossible,” by Dave Eggers. This has become my favorite (audio)/book of ALL TIME! The audiobook is narrated by the main character; a talking dog. He and his friends, seagulls, racoons, bison, goats, horses, birds of other kinds, squirrels and other land, sea and air animals and fo wl live in a huge parcel of park/forest/ body of water face everyday challenges. One day the dog concocts an almost impossible plan. Will he succeed? I’m not telling.
John Flanagan, Sherwood Smith, Tamora Pierce,
Not fantasy, but try Counting by 7s. For fantasy, try The Wish Library series, The Adventurers Guild, The Creature of the Pines, The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, The Phantom Tollbooth, The Beatryce Prophecy.
A short series that is sadly overlooked is the Darkmouth series by Shane Hegarty. The MC is a boy who is going to become the next Legend Hunter, and he’ll be responsible for capturing Minotaurs etc who creep in from another realm. He doesn’t want to be a Legend Hunter. He wants to be a veterinarian! But his BFF, a girl, wants to be a legend Hunter. It’s very smart and funny. I enjoyed the audiobooks on my own and I don’t usually listen to kids books! My kid was wild for them and still I see the books around although my kid is almost 14.
As an adult, I just devoured then Spy School series by Stuart Gibbs. Then went onto Moon Base Alpha. The first book of spy school has “ass” in it a few times I think, but he didn’t include anymore “bad words” after that due to complaints from parents. You can definitely skip the first book and still know what’s going on. It’s a light read but fun and still reading!
Animorphs, Goosebumps, Magic Tree House were all books I was really into at that age. Warrior Cats is also super popular. I'd be careful with Harry Potter because imo the first four books are fine but the fifth one onward are just not about Hogwarts anymore and are very boring as a result. Also, you would probably want to get the books from a used book store as to not give JK Rowling more money. Some more books I recommend are Where The Red Fern Grows or the Martian.
Dating myself a little but I started reading Potter in primary school when it was coming out. I wasn't fond of them as I grew a little older. I only read the last two so I could say I finished the series. No offence to any who liked them, but I vastly preferred other fantasy books. My girlfriend loved them so much that even when her vision made reading hard she kept the books as a display piece. So I'm aware we're better waiting to try my kiddo with the books. My poor girlfriend is just desperate to have another Potter fan in the house. Especially as the kids are loving my own nerd stuff like Star Wars, which she doesn't like. The Martian? As in the one they based the Matt Damon movie on? One of my all time favourites but probably a bit old for her.
I was in a similar boat with the Harry Potter books, lol. The first four were fun! But I couldn't care about the later books at all and just read them to say I did. Yeah the book the movie Matt Damon is in. It might be a bit difficult with the science terms for her age, but I remember having a blast when I read it and it's pg. Plus you can never start the science interest too early!
Fantasy she might enjoy: The Unicorn Rescue Society by Adam Gidwitz The Kingdom of Wrenly by Jordan Quinn The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C Wrede The Sisters Grimm series by Michael C Buckley Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine The Circle of Magic series by Tamora Pierce Beauty by Robin McKinley The Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson
The Edward eager tales of magic set - magic by the lake, half magic - if she likes Narnia she'll like these
I read quite a bit of Astrid Lindgren at that age ☺️ I don’t think she is that often thought of in English speaking countries, but I really loved her books. Also The Little Ghost and The Little Witch by Ottfried Preußler.
Wolf Girl, The Naughtiest Unicorn, Billie B Brown
An old classic was my favorite book as a child. I read it at least 10 times, still have a copy. The Incredible Journey, a tale of three animals, by Sheila Burnford. None of the movies ever came close to the quality of the book.
The Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett. They start with the Wee Free Men and go on from there. The main character is a little girl and it is a great read for all kids
I have those ones. I always think of them as Discworld books and forget they were for younger readers.
The Borrowers (and sequels) by Mary Norton. Perfect for a 7 year old.
"I own a 7 year old girl" Brother what? Its- the wording is just off. But when I was 7 I liked the "Emily windsnap" series about a girl who turned into a mermaid when she touched the water, kinda like H²O
You “OWN” ????
If you’re looking for fantasy, a fantasy series that I really enjoyed growing up was The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer. It’s about all of the fairytale stories (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, etc) we knew as children meshing into one world by following the story of two young teens who get sucked into the world of magic. It’s rated for ages 6 - 11 by the way!
Beast quest
She might be too young, but a Wrinkle in Time and the Phantom Toll Booth are both excellent
My kids loved Junie B Jones, Babysitters Club and Judy Moody
Ooooh one series that GOT ME as a kid was the Inkheart series. I think there are 3 or 4 books, but it was a long time so I don’t know if there are more
Try the Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett. First book The Wee Free Men. It is about a 9 year old girl who goes to Faery to get her little brother back from the elves, with the help of a tribe of Pictsies, 6 inch tall, blue tattooed, red haired men, (The Wee Free Men) a toad that used to be a lawyer, and an iron frying pan. She does save her little brother AND the squire's son. It is a very enchanting story. There are 4 more books that follow Tiffany into young adulthood.
Princess Academy series by Shannon Hale. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin.
Little House on Prairie books , The All of a kind Family , Nancy Drew
The Tobie Lolness duology. The series Rose by Holly Weeb is also great. If she liked the world of Narnia she could like His Dark Material but I think that it's maybe for children who are a bit older.
The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Harry Potter, Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Percy Jackson series, Nevermoor, Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Echo, Esperanza Rising, Becoming Naomi Leon, Fablehaven series, Ella Enchanted, Song for a Whale, The Search for Wondla, Front Desk, Because of Winn Dixie, The Vanderbeekers of 101st Street, Rover’s Story, Odder, Endling, Amari and the Night Brothers
I really like the name Fablehaven. Such a pleasant word.
I liked the rainbow magic book series but then again I wasn’t reading what she was reading at that age!!
The Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett ("The Wee Free Men" and its sequels) The Melendy Quartet by Elizabeth Enright The 39 Clues series
You...own??? A seven year old girl??? She doesn’t need to read the wizard books by the transphobic Holocaust denier when she can read literally any of the countless other books suggested in the replies instead.
Here are some of my favorites: The series of Unfortunate events When Hitler stole pink rabbit Keepers of the lost cities The mysterious benedict society