Summer Reading

I have been compiling a list of books for 8-year-old E. I'm not a homeschooler who has done a lot of research and I don't have a list of characteristics that make a book "good." Instead, I've been watching to see which picture books and chapter books seem to "feed her." If I could make any generalizations, it would be the books which feature loving families. When she pulls out a picture book for me to read, it's often "The Rainbabies", "Emma's Story" (about an adopted child), "The Quiltmaker's Gift" as well as many fairytales. The chapter books which she has adored include all the "Little House" books, "All of a Kind Family" books, and "B is for Betsy" books (we read every single Betsy book last summer).

In addition to looking for books which have similar qualities to the books above, I've been searching for chapter books featuring main characters who are her age and who have the sorts of adventures and childhoods I want my children to have. Here's my list. Most I've read, but some I haven't--I don't know how to get those neat little links to book covers at Amazon, so this is just a straight list:

Understood Betsy, by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Five Little Peppers and How they Grew by Margaret Sydney (H listened to this and loved it on tape)
Twig by Elizabeth Orton Jones
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
The Secret Language by Nordstrom
Baby Island by Carol Brink
Ballet Shoes by Streatfield
Thimble Summer by Enright
Poppy by Avi (and the others--H loved "Ereth's Birthday")
Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
Children of Noisy Village by Lindgren
The Golden Name Day, The Crystal Tree, the Little Silver House by Lindquest (I loved these as a child)
The Wind in the Willows
Rabbit HIll by Lawson--this is next

It's hard to find chapter books or easy readers with 8 or 9-year olds as main characters. So often, the characters are older and have emotions or situations that my child just doesn't relate to. For instance, she loves "The Pony Pals" books because of the horses. They are pretty easy to read, but the characters are 11 or 12 and have lots of girl relationship angst that my daughter is oblivious to. Why expose her to it?

Our favorite book this summer so far has been "No Flying in the House." I read her the first two chapters and stopped at the question as to whether the main character was a fairy. A few hours later, E came up to me and said "Mom, I've been really thinking about that book. I don't think she is a fairy because she can't fly." I loved it. We were so into the book that we ended up reading it all that afternoon--I even caught H and her very cool 12-year-old buddy around the corner listening :-). I just wish I could have restrained myself and doled it out over a couple of days. E would have had it living in her a little longer. This has made me realize that while I have a long list of potential books to read, slower and fewer is probably better.

Now, I have a confession. We are reading "Anne of Green Gables" at night right now. E loves it. I HATE IT!!! For some reason, I just can't stand the writing. But I am reading with energy and enthusiasm (and am relieved when it is DH's night to read to her).

I'm always up for other suggestions.