suggestions for books on tape for 9 year old boy

Don’t know about Farmer Boy, but Sign of the Beaver is a bit sober and there isn’t much action. (This book is totally unrecommended by my son. A lot of Newberry books deal with serious subjects rather than the adventure and humor most 9 year olds naturally gravitate to.) Does Talking Books provide commercial products where available? If so, try Cricket in Times Square—some great sound effects of the cricket performing in the commercial product that you wouldn’t get from a volunteer recording.

You might also try some short stories—tales from the Jungle Books, Arabian Nights, Sherlock Holmes, Greek myths and Iliad and the Odyssey in children’s versions, and Tolkein in the abridged children’s version. Other good candidates for abridged versions: Wind in the Willows (my kids loved this as it is very amusing, but the unabridged version is extremely difficult) and the Narnia books. You can also get abridged versions of the classics like Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe. (The old-fashioned English of the originals can be very challenging for today’s kids, but the appeal of the adventures is timeless.)

Most books kids love when they read to themselves will also sound good read aloud so we would be back to the usual favorites—anything by Louis Sachar (especially Holes), Gary Paulsen, Judy Blume’s Tale of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Fudge sequels, Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach and Matilda, A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, and of course Harry Potter, if your son can follow stories that long. On the magic theme, I am currently reading aloud Eva Ibbotson—Which Witch, Secret of Platform 13, and Island of the Aunts, all of which have been a big hit. For animals you might try Babe the Gallant Pig, Charlotte’s Web, and Stuart Little. (And if he’s seen the movies, he’ll be able to follow even better.)

My fourth grader loves the Wayside School series by Louis Sachar, Holes by Louis Sachar, the Lemony Snicket series—a Series of Unfortunate Events(all the rage,with a website, and a movie coming out), and the Boggart books. They are all imaginative fiction that will help with inference, and prediction. Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan is historical fiction about Norweigan children saving their country’s gold from the Natzis…it is a great book, 4th grade reading level, and has a great ending! Beware, Sign of the Beaver is a bit upsetting, although good boy-reading.

Farmer Boy is one of the little house books by Laura Wilder Ingalls. It is the one about Laura’s eventual husband growing up.

Thanks for the heads up on the :Beaver book. I think we’ll skip it, at least until I have him liking the technology. Then, if he doesn’t like a particular book, it won’t be a big deal. I didn’t realize that about Newberry books so that is useful information. We have been reading him Harry Potter but have promised to read him the second book. He is afraid, I think, that we will substitute tape for us reading to him!!

And thanks for the list of books. My daughter reads everything so am not always in on what most kids like.

Beth

Hi
My 9yr old son, loves Goosebumps series on tapes, Childrens Book of Heroes, America and Virtues on tape, (short stories, but he and my younger children have listened to them for years. We also have borrowed from our library George Washington’s Socks- a great historical story that had our entire family enthralled and Beverely Cleary- Runaway Ralph. Cricket in Times Square was also a great hit. My children listen to stories in the car, it is a great way to entertain them without missing out on Mom/Dad reading them stories before bed. Good Luck

Hi
My 9yr old son, loves Goosebumps series on tapes, Childrens Book of Heroes, America and Virtues on tape, (short stories, but he and my younger children have listened to them for years. We also have borrowed from our library George Washington’s Socks- a great historical story that had our entire family enthralled and Beverely Cleary- Runaway Ralph. Cricket in Times Square was also a great hit. My children listen to stories in the car, it is a great way to entertain them without missing out on Mom/Dad reading them stories before bed. Good Luck

Tonight we just got my son to actually look at a book (magic tree house) while listening to it on tape. Previously he’d look away, preferring to use his strong auditory skills over his very weak reading skills.

He did it, but said it “wasn’t working” because he couldn’t read along quickly enough with the author. I told him not to say each word to himself, just move his eyes along the words while she read.

Was this the right advise? How should I describe what he should be doing? I don’t want this to make him anxious!
Thanks!

Bunnicula by Deborah & James Howe
Hank the Cow Dog by John R. Erickson (this is a series)
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Cleary. The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Mr. Henshaw.
Rockwell. How to Eat Fried Worms.
Smith, R. Chocolate Fever.
Catling The Chocolate Touch.

Beth,

Check with the teacher and see if they have to pick a certain type of book for individual book reports or are they given fee reign

Helen

Thanks for the idea of checking with the teacher about book reports!! I had not actually thought of that. We are doing the books on tape because I have been told by the neurologist and a therapist he works with that we need to do this so that his development doesn’t fall behind. In other words, his reading isn’t grade level so he isn’t getting the other benefits that come with reading.

Beth

Thanks for all the great ideas. I am going to make a list for the librarian!!!

Beth

Karen, I am using tapes to develop auditory skills, so I don’t want my son reading along. You on the other hand are using it to develop reading skills. Have you thought about dropping the reading level down even further for the books on tapes until he gets used to it? That should help reduce the anxiety. (The tapes I have my son listen to are below his reading level because he has a hard time auditorily following at that level.) As I recall your son is in third grade. Nate the Great might be a better level to start with or even,further down, the Frog and Toad stories. I know these books are available in tape/book sets (not sure about Nate) and though the reading level is low they are so delightful I don’t think he would feel insulted.

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Just wanted to agree with “Wayside School” books, and anything by Louis Sachar. He’s really funny, and his characters are usually misfits and/or unlucky, something my son could really empathize with. “Holes” in particular is quite good (Newberry Honor or Winner, I think), and there are some rather astounding connections at the end that make it good practice for inference. (Things like a particular innocuous detail mentioned several times over several chapters that becomes important at the end.) The great thing is that the author doesn’t make the reader feel dumb for not figuring it out, just surprised and delighted.

I just had to add a comment here. I do think books on tape can possibly be beneficial for auditory skills. Even better — it’s easy! And all it has cost me is an inexpensive tape player along with trips to the library! :-)

I’ve had my son listening to books on tape every night at bedtime for a couple of years now. I turn on a tape and turn off his light! I always try to choose good literature, or stories with historical significance. I find them at the library and sometimes I purchase them at book stores.

He really has come to enjoy listening to a tape at night (after I read to him!). It’s a nice bedtime routine. Also, I think he may have improved his auditory skills. I don’t have the exact numbers at this point, but according to his most recent testing the scores were much higher.