Chapter books for a first grader

oboy · 03-01-2010, 02:09 AM

Hello.

My son is looking for some easy to read chapter books, especially about spies or detectives.

He's in the first grade and is just learning to read. Since we live in China, we can't go to Barnes and Nobles or the local library to find something he might like, so I'm searching for something in txt, pdf, or lrf format. I have a non-upgraded Sony PRS-500, but am also willing to print books for him to read.

The main problem I have (besides not being in the States) is that I don't know any titles that would be available for free. He wants something like the Hardy Boys -- above his reading level, but he says it's not about reading every word -- or something along those lines.

Any suggestions and help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Stephen

dreams · 03-01-2010, 03:17 AM

Most of the free older books I can think of require a higher reading level.

You can look through:
Project Gutenberg on the Children's bookshelf
Young Reader section on feedbooks .
There is a children genre section on MR .

Starfall is an online site that has fun reading stories at your son's reading level.

I haven't used the below sites, but you could check them out..

A website of older books that can also be printed out.
http://www.childrensbooksonline.org/

This is a thread that was posted on MR earlier this month...
Hi, free animated picture books for kids and a request for feedback

Plus a storybooks for Children online
http://www.magickeys.com/books/

Hopefully, a member who is a parent (with younger kids learning to read) will jump in with some better suggestions for free txt, pdf, or lrf format books.

oboy · 03-01-2010, 03:20 AM

Dreams, thanks for the link suggestions. I didn't realize that Project Gutenberg had a Children's bookshelf.

For other parents, I'm still looking for some good book titles if you know them. Thanks.

dreams · 03-01-2010, 04:19 AM

You're welcome.

I forgot to mention Project Gutenberg in Australia for children. http://gutenberg.net.au/children.html

Katti's Cat · 03-01-2010, 04:46 AM

I used to love reading 'The Three Investigators' series by Alfred Hitchcok. Not sure if you consider them suitable for your son. Also don't know if they are available as eBooks - it has been a few years :-)

MelC · 03-01-2010, 09:57 AM

Bobbsey twins are the younger version of the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew franchise. Also Enid Blyton did chapter books for kids better than almost anyone else (short of possibly Roald Dahl). Secret Seven and Famous Five are both must read series for kids. Unfortunately I don't think they are out of copyright yet (a couple of more years to go in Canada I think). Still, if you can find them highly recommended.

Mel

guyanonymous · 03-01-2010, 10:57 AM

Hardy Boys, Tom Swift/Tom Swift Jr. were the series that - in Grade 1 - hooked me and got me reading non-stop.

ebook versions? I somehow doubt you'll find them legally, though they are around the darknet.

While also not likely found in ebook format, I see a lot of my grade 2 students reading Geronimo Stilton books.

seagull · 03-01-2010, 11:21 AM

Roald Dahl? Dick King Smith? I'm not sure about spies and detectives but they are great.

banjobama · 03-01-2010, 11:31 AM

The Boxcar Children!!

I loved these as a kid. They're easy to read, not gory or scary, and the kids go around solving mysteries. I'm not sure I was reading them in first grade but I know I read them at a very young age. Sounds perfect for your son.

guyanonymous · 03-01-2010, 11:46 AM

Definitely Roald Dahl! Choose Your Own Adventure books also caught my interest (and those of current students).

Most of my work is with G2+, and I see G2s reading all of the above.

BookCat · 03-01-2010, 09:11 PM

I believe that this site is legal,
http://www.vb-tech.co.za/ebooks.htm

you can download text versions of various children's novels, including some by Enid Byton. To get a better format, use Word, create a template the same size as the prs 500 screen, save as e-reader template in properties, then do a "save as" template.

Drop the text (copy and paste) into the template; edit the font size (it looks much larger on computer than it is on ereader, try pt18), justify margins, and "save as" name of book RTF.

I hope this is clear. If I could work out how to do it, I'd upload the RTF template I created for the prs 505, which is roughly the same size as the 500.

guyanonymous · 03-02-2010, 09:56 AM

Thanks for the site!

I also, at an early age, go into some of the 'exciting' classics (in kid's simpler versions)...The Three Musketeers, The Invisible Man, etc. I read a children's version of Swiss Family Robinson to a G2 class I was with last year and they enjoyed it (though I was surprised at how often the oldest boy kills things...ever time his name came up, one of the students was sure to say, "Uh oh...he's going to kill something now." ...and yep, I'd never read that one before).

oboy · 03-02-2010, 11:57 AM

Thanks for all of the suggestions. It's given me a few leads. It looks like some of the Bobbsey Twins and a lot of the Tom Swift are available at Project Gutenberg. It's a shame that the Hardy Boys are still copyrighted, even though the first story was written in 1927.

Thanks again!

03-01-2010, 02:09 AM	#1
oboy Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 24 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Florida Device: Sony Reader	Chapter books for a first grader Hello. My son is looking for some easy to read chapter books, especially about spies or detectives. He's in the first grade and is just learning to read. Since we live in China, we can't go to Barnes and Nobles or the local library to find something he might like, so I'm searching for something in txt, pdf, or lrf format. I have a non-upgraded Sony PRS-500, but am also willing to print books for him to read. The main problem I have (besides not being in the States) is that I don't know any titles that would be available for free. He wants something like the Hardy Boys -- above his reading level, but he says it's not about reading every word -- or something along those lines. Any suggestions and help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Stephen

03-01-2010, 11:31 AM	#9
banjobama Busy Read'n Posts: 980 Karma: 5039283 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Auburn, WA Device: Pocketbook Touch Lux 5	The Boxcar Children!! I loved these as a kid. They're easy to read, not gory or scary, and the kids go around solving mysteries. I'm not sure I was reading them in first grade but I know I read them at a very young age. Sounds perfect for your son. Last edited by banjobama; 03-01-2010 at 11:38 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
CBC: E-books: A new chapter begins	EricDP	News	5	09-21-2010 09:56 AM
Missing Chapter 3 of Emma From Preloaded Books	haitu	Kobo Reader	9	05-25-2010 10:13 PM
K2 v K1: Chapter-to-chapter missing from some books?	Starhawk	Amazon Kindle	4	03-10-2009 06:27 PM
Chapter books - what are they?	f00l	Lounge	1	05-26-2008 11:04 PM
Digital Books Start A New Chapter	Gatton	News	0	02-22-2006 07:32 AM

03-01-2010, 03:17 AM	#2
dreams It's about the umbrella Posts: 25,112 Karma: 56250158 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Sony 505\| K Fire \| KK 3G+Wi-Fi \| iPhone 3Gs \|Vista 32-bit Hm Prem w/FF	Most of the free older books I can think of require a higher reading level. You can look through: Project Gutenberg on the Children's bookshelf Young Reader section on feedbooks . There is a children genre section on MR . Starfall is an online site that has fun reading stories at your son's reading level. I haven't used the below sites, but you could check them out.. A website of older books that can also be printed out. http://www.childrensbooksonline.org/ This is a thread that was posted on MR earlier this month... Hi, free animated picture books for kids and a request for feedback Plus a storybooks for Children online http://www.magickeys.com/books/ Hopefully, a member who is a parent (with younger kids learning to read) will jump in with some better suggestions for free txt, pdf, or lrf format books.

03-01-2010, 03:20 AM	#3
oboy Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 24 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Florida Device: Sony Reader	Dreams, thanks for the link suggestions. I didn't realize that Project Gutenberg had a Children's bookshelf. For other parents, I'm still looking for some good book titles if you know them. Thanks.

03-01-2010, 04:19 AM	#4
dreams It's about the umbrella Posts: 25,112 Karma: 56250158 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Sony 505\| K Fire \| KK 3G+Wi-Fi \| iPhone 3Gs \|Vista 32-bit Hm Prem w/FF	You're welcome. I forgot to mention Project Gutenberg in Australia for children. http://gutenberg.net.au/children.html

03-01-2010, 04:46 AM	#5
Katti's Cat Wizard Posts: 2,259 Karma: 175640 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Brisbane Australia Device: Sony PRS-600	I used to love reading 'The Three Investigators' series by Alfred Hitchcok. Not sure if you consider them suitable for your son. Also don't know if they are available as eBooks - it has been a few years :-)

03-01-2010, 09:57 AM	#6
MelC Evangelist Posts: 410 Karma: 2081 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Toronto, Canada Device: Cybook Gen3, PRS600	Bobbsey twins are the younger version of the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew franchise. Also Enid Blyton did chapter books for kids better than almost anyone else (short of possibly Roald Dahl). Secret Seven and Famous Five are both must read series for kids. Unfortunately I don't think they are out of copyright yet (a couple of more years to go in Canada I think). Still, if you can find them highly recommended. Mel

03-01-2010, 10:57 AM	#7
guyanonymous Guru Posts: 692 Karma: 27532 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Ebookwise 1150 / 1200	Hardy Boys, Tom Swift/Tom Swift Jr. were the series that - in Grade 1 - hooked me and got me reading non-stop. ebook versions? I somehow doubt you'll find them legally, though they are around the darknet. While also not likely found in ebook format, I see a lot of my grade 2 students reading Geronimo Stilton books.

03-01-2010, 11:21 AM	#8
seagull Addict Posts: 247 Karma: 89950 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 2	Roald Dahl? Dick King Smith? I'm not sure about spies and detectives but they are great.

03-01-2010, 11:46 AM	#10
guyanonymous Guru Posts: 692 Karma: 27532 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Ebookwise 1150 / 1200	Definitely Roald Dahl! Choose Your Own Adventure books also caught my interest (and those of current students). Most of my work is with G2+, and I see G2s reading all of the above.

03-01-2010, 09:11 PM	#11
BookCat C L J Posts: 2,912 Karma: 21115458 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Birmingham UK Device: Sony e-reader 505, Kindle PW2, Kindle PW3, Kobo Libra2	I believe that this site is legal, http://www.vb-tech.co.za/ebooks.htm you can download text versions of various children's novels, including some by Enid Byton. To get a better format, use Word, create a template the same size as the prs 500 screen, save as e-reader template in properties, then do a "save as" template. Drop the text (copy and paste) into the template; edit the font size (it looks much larger on computer than it is on ereader, try pt18), justify margins, and "save as" name of book RTF. I hope this is clear. If I could work out how to do it, I'd upload the RTF template I created for the prs 505, which is roughly the same size as the 500.

03-02-2010, 09:56 AM	#12
guyanonymous Guru Posts: 692 Karma: 27532 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Ebookwise 1150 / 1200	Thanks for the site! I also, at an early age, go into some of the 'exciting' classics (in kid's simpler versions)...The Three Musketeers, The Invisible Man, etc. I read a children's version of Swiss Family Robinson to a G2 class I was with last year and they enjoyed it (though I was surprised at how often the oldest boy kills things...ever time his name came up, one of the students was sure to say, "Uh oh...he's going to kill something now." ...and yep, I'd never read that one before).

Advert

Advert

03-02-2010, 11:57 AM	#13
oboy Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 24 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Florida Device: Sony Reader	Thanks for all of the suggestions. It's given me a few leads. It looks like some of the Bobbsey Twins and a lot of the Tom Swift are available at Project Gutenberg. It's a shame that the Hardy Boys are still copyrighted, even though the first story was written in 1927. Thanks again!