Recommendations for 8 yr old

I'm wanting to get my 8 year old niece a book or two for Christmas. I'm told she's reading books for 9 year olds. I know she likes the Tracy Beeker series.

Can anyone recommend a good book for an 8 year old? You'd be helping me out big time.

There's always the classics (Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, The Trumpeter Swan, The Secret Garden), or From the Mixed up Files of Ms Basil E Frankweiler. (Awesome book if she also likes museums).  Also good are anything by Roald Dahl, the Wrinkle in Time series (maybe--that might be better in a year or two), Black Beauty, CS Lewis' Narnia. Dianne Wynne Jones or Susan Cooper's books are also excellent. Lemony Snicket is fun, fun, fun.
Let me know if you want more .

Clarice Bean books.  The novel ones.  My oldest is 7 and loves them.

I too am looking for book ideas for Christmas gifts.  My granddaughter is probably at age 7 reading level and she is crazy about horses.  I thought Black Beauty might be too difficult for her.  Any more recommendations?

I too am looking for book ideas for Christmas gifts.  My granddaughter is probably at age 7 reading level and she is crazy about horses.  I thought Black Beauty might be too difficult for her.  Any more recommendations?

Sophie in the Saddle by Dick King Smith

The other books in the Sophie series are also good for animal loving girls of that age and reading level.

I too am looking for book ideas for Christmas gifts.  My granddaughter is probably at age 7 reading level and she is crazy about horses.  I thought Black Beauty might be too difficult for her.  Any more recommendations?

How about "The Black Stallion"? It's a classic (oooooh! or "Man O War"!!! Easily one of my favourite horse books!! Get that one!). Neither should be too difficult, or the same level of sad, as Black Beauty. Also good, maybe, would an illustrated non-fiction book about horses? Or, anything by Marguerite Henry.Especially "Mustang" which tells the story of one of the first advocates against the BLM roundups for mustangs.

How about "The Black Stallion"? It's a classic (oooooh! or "Man O War"!!! Easily one of my favourite horse books!! Get that one!). Neither should be too difficult, or the same level of sad, as Black Beauty. Also good, maybe, would an illustrated non-fiction book about horses? Or, anything by Marguerite Henry.Especially "Mustang" which tells the story of one of the first advocates against the BLM roundups for mustangs.

While those are really good horse books, I think they would be beyond the reading level of most seven year olds, many of whom are just beginning to read chapter books.  Any of those books would be good for a parent to read aloud though. 

Hmm, well, maybe, but I was definitely reading them at seven, especially the Marguerite Henry books as those were often bigger type and had lots of illustrations (especially King of the Wind, which I read to pieces...)  I would never underestimate interest as a way to bump up a reading level, it can often work out that kids read a year (or two) above where they are generally, because they are interested in the topic.  Mustang would probably be better read aloud, but I am sure there are also edited/abridged versions if they wanted to read the two versions side by side.

I too am looking for book ideas for Christmas gifts.  My granddaughter is probably at age 7 reading level and she is crazy about horses.  I thought Black Beauty might be too difficult for her.  Any more recommendations?

I absolutely loved the Jinny series of books about a girl who's family moves to Scotland and she ends up adopting a wild ex-circus Arab horse. I think I was about 8 when I read them, there's 12 books in the series. As the main character is a young girl it makes the story much easier to relate to.

This is the first -

http://bookwizard.scholastic.com/tbw/viewCustomSearchForm.do?RowsPerPageOptions=10&RowsPerPageOptions=50
Scholastic Books has a good search engine to help you pick age appropriate books of pretty much any topic- this may help!

I would never underestimate interest as a way to bump up a reading level, it can often work out that kids read a year (or two) above where they are generally, because they are interested in the topic.

Totally agree.  

Scholastic Books has a good search engine to help you pick age appropriate books of pretty much any topic- this may help!

That's a great suggestion!

Thanks everyone for the recommendations. I ended up getting A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein. I hope she likes it. Jon had no idea who he was so I'm hoping it's not well known here and she doesn't have it already (because a lot of the recommended she already had! Hard to buy for a bookaholic)

Thank you everyone for the great suggestions!!   
I'm heading into town tomorrow and will take this list with me to the book store.

Shel Silverstein is great, my daughter loves him. Where the Sidewalk Ends (another collection) and The Giving Tree (a story book) are both good as well.   

My son and I loved The Giving Tree.