DD's outgrown rainbow fairies etc - any recommendations for what's next?

[mimsum]

DD (6) has thankfully whizzed through the rainbow fairies stage in a matter of weeks (phew!) and is ready for something a bit more challenging. She doesn't like Horrid Henry (probably because both her brothers loved them ...), isn't wildly keen on Roald Dahl or the Worst Witch, has already read a lot of Dick King-Smith and I can't stand Enid Blyton. A lot of the books we have for this sort of stage are quite boy-ish - and she's a very girly girl. Any recommendations for books which will be an appropriate level of difficulty (free reader at school) and also appropriate in content for a (young - as in emotionally young) 6 year old?

thanks

[Wallace]

Was going to suggest Worst Witch or Roald Dahl!

[whiskersonkittens]

Have you tried things like magic kitten / puppy, animal ark, pet finder club, jeremy strong are very funny, owl who was afraid of the dark etc

PS if you can tell me which boyish books you have come across i would love to know for my 6 yr old ds who I struggle to find much for (apart from Horrid Henry / Captain Underpants)!

[yappybluedog]

my dd likes

daisy

captain underpants although not my choice

cute animals

[Yurtgirl]

I am looking forward to my dd being 6 cos then we can read

Milly Molly Mandy
Little House on the Prarie

[Takver]

Definitely Animal Ark. Totally harmless, and there's hundreds of them.

[cazzybabs]

dd1 is into Mirabelle (by Julia Donaldson of Gruffalo fame), glitterwings, unicorn school (dreadful dreadful books), Daisy books and Pippi Longstocking.

Oh and she likes the how to train your dragon series, secret seven (althogh is Blyton) and Mr. Gum

[lljkk]

Ask in your local library.

Get lots of the wordier picture books in the library, the sorts you'd I'd never read at home as bedtime stories because they are TOO LONG.

Unicorn School. Mermaid SOS, Angelina Ballerina, Felicity Wishes, Magic Kittten and Puppy. Books by Dick King-Smith or E.B.White.

[MichelleObama]

I second Unicorn School and also Magic by Moonlight, better written and more complex than the Rainbow Fairies.
I know you can't stand Enid Blyton but the Naughtiest Girl books are good for this age and only the first three or four are by her - Anne Digby continued the series.
My six year old also loves Mr Gum.

[Takver]

My dd (now just 7) also likes a lot of the classics - A Little Princess, the first 3 Little House on the Prairie books, Professor Branestawm, the easier Noel Streatfield books (particularly White Boots because of Strictly Come Dancing on Ice!), the Swallows & Amazons books (we read the latter first as bedtime stories, kept us going for ages very happily, they are very funny to listen to as an adult )

[MichelleObama]

We love White Boots too, Takver!

[mimsum]

Thanks for suggestions - we've already come across unicorn school - I had to read the first three to her last year before she could read, but if there are any more she can read them herself - yippee!

the Daisy books look fab - I'd not seen those before

animals always good - dd came home with an armful of Sheltie books from the library the other day

I think part of the problem is that she's a bit too advanced for the "young readers" section in the library (which houses all the fairy/kitten/puppy/general animal stuff), but there's quite a big jump from those kinds of books to the "proper" children's books, not so much in the reading ability required, more in the content - I think a lot of it would just go straight over her head

whiskersonkittens - I'll have a look on ds2's shelves later - I remember there were a lot of pirates, a few "agent" types of stories as well as horrid henry, jeremy strong and dozens and dozens of "information books" - dd's almost exclusively a fiction girl!

[cory]

Dd at this age also loved the Little House on the Prairie books, Professor Branestawm, Ballet Shoes and Animal Ark. Also the Moomin books.

[thedolly]

Enid Blyton' s Faraway Tree series is perfect for an emotionally young 6 year old girl - they honestly don't pick up on what's supposed to be bad about EB

[IwoulddoDrWho]

The Gwyneth Rees "Fairy Dust", "Fairy Gold" etc books are about the same age and better than the Rainbow Magic series. Second Princess Mirrorbelle. My DD also likes general myths, legends, fairy stories etc from round the world. All a bit easier than the full-on clasic chapter novels.

[sadiemcgrady]

Oh yes Princess Mirrorbelle is good. My DDs both liked them.

DD2 (7, but not such a keen reader) is currently enjoying Daisy and the Trouble with Giants.

[IwoulddoDrWho]

Also the Ottoline books by Chris Riddell - a bit like a young version of the Lemony Snicket books in that they look small and old, have lots of illustrations, and are nicely old-fashioned.

[MichelleObama]

Definitely Ottoline.
And if you want Gywneth Rees book people have a good offer.

[MichelleObama]

This is fantastic too.

[karise]

We have exactly the same problem!
DD age 6 has recently discovered the Stardust books by Linda Chapman (Michelle called them Magic by Moonlight), they are longer & just enough more complicated! (Anything by Linda Chapman seems safe)
Faraway Tree books (EB but better than most) have kept her occupied for ages with their reference to Fairies & Pixies. Other than that, the only others I can think of are Agent Amelia (Michael Broad), Ugenia Lavender (Geri Halliwell- yes the famous one! They're not as bad as they look)
It's this obsession with fairies they all seem to have which is doing me in! Why is there nothing else for this age range?

[mimsum]

A big thumbs-up from Dd for the Daisy books - she's devoured two already and is halfway through a third. She says they're very funny

I've also reserved the Ottoline books from the library as they look perfect for her - ds2 loved fergus crane etc so she can move onto them soon

thanks for recommendations!

[yappybluedog]

The Daisy books are fab

Daisy is a good role model actually, nothing fluffy about her

My dd has just read this which she said was the funniest one

[Pinktastic]

DD (7) has a set of these and really enjoyed reading them.

[Takver]

I've just remembered that Paddington Bear was a bit hit at that stage with my dd, she also likes Olga da Polga.

[iheartdusty]

DD (7) likes

Clarice Bean (by lauren child)
The World According to Humphrey and others in the series

Rita The Rescuer and other Rita books