Looking for book recommendations for dd age 6

[wilbur]

For dd's 6th b'day I want to get her a couple of new books. She has just really "got" reading and I want to try and find something lovely, with illustrations maybe, but longer than average picture book, for her to get her teeth into. And not the flipping Rainbow Fairies! Any ideas, old or new, classic or modern, I don't mind. She has The Naughtiest Girl books, and is starting to dip into them on her own, rather than being read to, so something similar to that? With pictures?

[LadyGlencoraPalliser]

Mr Gum
Junie B Jones
Miss Happiness and Miss Flower
Naughty Amelia Jane
My Naughty Little Sister
Josie Smith
The Sophie Books (Dick King-Smith)

[mascaraohara]

my dd also loves Mr Gum and the Sophie book + anything Roald Dahl.

also

Captain Underpants
The Giggler Tratement etc (by Roddy Doyle)
The stone Gobblins etc (by David Melling)

but they're not really picture-y books iykim

[wilbur]

Ds1 has a couple of the Mr Gum books, they are very cool. Will see if she likes them and buy more if she does.

Like the sound of Miss Happiness and Miss Flower - am off to google.

Any more?

[mascaraohara]

If you want classic my dd is working her way through a box of 8 'modern classics' it includes things like

milly molly mandy
the worst witch
Mr Majika
etc

have you tried The Giraffe The Pelly and Me by Raold Dahl and also The Twits.. both I found were particularly good also The Dirty Beasts poem collection..

will look on dd's book casewhen I nip upstairs next

[wilbur]

Thanks, mascara. I've been having a good surf on Amazon at all these suggestions, they're great. Will prob place an order tomorrow so any other ideas welcome. Might even get some Xmas books while I'm at it.

[yappybluedog]

Pippi Longstocking very good

Nothing wrong with The Rainbow Fairy books, you know, I wouldn't read them but I'm not 6

They are good books for that inbetween stage

[yappybluedog]

these are good early reader books but are all fairies strictly verboten?

[iheartdusty]

reminder about

red house books

and

the book people

for excellent bargains.

Some other particular suggestions -
'Rita the Rescuer' series by Hilda Offen;
Pippi Longstocking
Paddington Bear

other Rumer Godden books - actually I think 'Miss Happiness and Miss Flower' is quite long and tricky for a new reader, I would say it was for a child who had been reading chapter books for a year or so already.

[wilbur]

Oh no, yappy, I wasn't banning fairies per se, at all, and indeed we have many, many Rainbow Fairies strewn throughout the house, I'm just tired of reading them myself at the moment, and I know I will still be doing some reading with dd for these new books. It's a bit like the Thomas fatigue I got when ds1 was 4 - great stories, but not for the millionth time.

Will check out what the book people and red house have in at the moment.

[breadandroses]

Lotta says No

[Hulababy]

Some of the books DD enjoys, or had enjoyed previously) reading include books from these ranges/series:

Daisy and the Trouble with....Life/Giants/etc.
My Naughty Little Sister
Horrid Henry
The Magic Treehouse
The Worst Witch
Clarice Bean
Princess Mirrorbelle
Princess Poppy
Anima Arc
Charmseekers
Magical Pony
Poppy and Max
Titchy Witch
Tiara Club
Mudpuddle Farm
Ahlberg - The Woman who won things, etc (4 of thes in series, funny books)
Katie Morag

Other series to consider:

Blue Bananas - or increase difficulty through the colours
Colour Young Puffin
Colour Young Hippo
First Young Puffin
Corgi Pups
Usbourne Young Reading
Usbourne Puzzle booksOrchard Crunchies
Orchard Crackers
I am Reading

Dick King Smith and Jacqueline Wilson do books aimed at younger audiences aso.

[Latchley]

I loved Milly Molly Mandy at that age. I think you can still get them, but I haven't looked at them since so they they might be a bit old fashioned now!

Also, I loved Paddington stories, and I really enjoyed re-reading them with my son too.

i also loved all the writers like E. Nesbit, Nina Bawden, Helen Cresswell and whoever wrote the Borrowers.

[pointydog]

I seond that the Josie Smith series of books is lovely. Not sure if they are still in print, though.

[ElinorDashwood]

They are not in print pointydog, but you can pick up good-quality secondhand copies very easily on tinternet.

[pointydog]

ah ok. They are v v good for 6 yr olds

[pointydog]

well, 6 yr olds who like social drama as a genre

[Takver]

My dd really liked the 'My Secret Unicorn' books at that age. I would say they are about the same reading level as the Rainbow Magic books, and the same pattern of plenty of pictures scattered throughout the text.

They are less awful to read aloud, too IMO, although dd was fine reading them to herself.

[wilbur]

I'm going to have to print this thread out and keep it by my desk for the next few b'days and Xmas presents! Thank you for all the brill suggestions, I'm sure dd is going to be thrilled.

[yappybluedog]

oh yes, we did the Secret Unicorn series

my dd did start 'Lost in The Snow' about a poor stray kitten, but it was much too traumatic for her, that and Goodbye Mog

[Takver]

We had the same experience when Laura's dog dies in the Little House books.

(and I must confess that I cried too)

We have never read Goodbye Mog, not sure the two of us could cope . . .