I read the first two Anne books to my third grade classes when I was a teacher, and the boys LOVED them! There are enough hilarious moments and Gilbert stories that it held their interest.

My sons have also enjoyed Roald Dahl books, along with Beverly Cleary. Also, they got into the a set, which I can't remember the exact name--they are abridged versions of classic stories. My 8-year-old just told me that he also loved The Magic Treehouse books last year, and he also started on Harry Potter at seven.

Andrew is eating up the Magic Treehouse series. It's not as classic, say as the Great Brain, but they do a good job of putting history in context. They feature a brother and a sister on adventures together.

Someone will be getting a copy of "Volcanoes On Vacation" in his Easter basket.

Your article made me laugh! I've been intending to write you all week, asking about good chapter books for my 5-year old boy. I loved hearing you talk about books at Meredith's house, so I wanted to seek your advice. Then you post my very question!

We're only on our 3rd chapter book, but so far we've read Stuart Little, Charlotte's Web and we're currently reading The Family Under the Bridge.

I look forward to reading other people's comments!

My son has read all the Magic Treehouse books many times over. They are good ones, but not something I particularly enjoyed reading out loud. I try to keep the easier books for him to read to himself and more of the classics for me to read to him. Not that I stop him from reading them to himself and he will often reread to himself whatever book I read to him.

A wonderful read aloud book is Tal: His Marvelous Adventures with Noom-Zor-Noom by Paul Fenimore Cooper.

Wonderful book that was out of print for a while, but it is back and is just as good as I remembered.

My favorites back then were the Danny Dunn series by Jay Williams and Raymond Abrashkin, which were about science, and one called Alvin's Secret Code, by Clifford Hicks. Then there are always the Hardy Boys, but they weren't exactly fine literature back then, and I think the later editions have gone downhill.

A few that both my boys and girl have loved: The Classic Pooh books, the Narnia series, Charlotte's Web, Trumpet of the Swan, The Wind in the Willows.

Here are several that I liked that I don't think are too "girly":
The Indian in the Cupboard, Lynne Reid Banks
Sounder, William H. Armstrong
The Westing Game, Ellen Raskin
Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Superfudge, Judy Blume
and, of course, the Encyclopedia Brown series, Donald J. Sobol.
He might drive you crazy reading Encyclopedia Brown, but I bet he'd love them.

Lots of good ideas though some, of course, we have already read. I loved Encyclopedia Brown as a kid.

My older brother loved Danny Dunn!

For the younger crowd, the Carolyn Haywood books are delightful (Eddie and Gardenia, Betsy and Billy, etc.). If the 7 year old were your youngest, then the books might be too young, but he's not.

For the 7 year old: Albert Payson Terhune's dog books- marvelous for all ages, although if you aren't currently a dog owner brace yourself.

You mustn't forget Homer Price.

Then there's Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, but maybe those should wait a year or three.