I get Frode Jensen's quarterly newsletter, and in it he gives very brief reviews about books he personally has read in the quarter. This time, he talked about some gift books for his grandkids. He doesn't mention ages they're appropriate for, but maybe you could look those up somewhere. Christmas and grandkids’ birthdays prompt me to read some kid books to give away. This season I read four books: Cabin at Trouble Creek by Jean Van Leeuwen, Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest by Matt Haig, The Lost Years of Merlin by T.A. Barrow, and Sir Kendrick & the Castle of Bel Lione by Chuck Black. The first book is based on a true story of a couple of boys left over the winter in Ohio when it was just getting settled. They and their dad came and built the cabin; he left to bring the rest of family from Pennsylvania but was delayed. It is a great boy story. The second is about Norway and has some fantasy in it. I liked it and thought my youngest grandson would as well since our shared middle name is in the book. The last two books each begin a series. Barrow’s series on Merlin is pure fantasy and fills in the childhood and early adult life of Merlin. Chuck Black’s series is The Knights of Arrethtrae. It is Christian allegory with questions for study and discussion included. The characters model qualities such as honor, loyalty, valor and the like. The books are fast paced and full of adventure; boys should like them.
I would detour from Red Fern until he was older. Its pretty rough. Treasure Island may be okay, if it interests him, it didn't my sons. My kids like the Animorphs books, they are a series, and of course Captain Underpants ( sounds worse than it is). There are a ton of books out there, one other series that he may want to read eventually is the City of Ember.
