Mumsnet Talk

Naughty Amelia Jane? Although you have to edit the racism.

Sorry, Fromheretomaternity, I didn't mean you requesting boys stories for your ds, I meant Usbourne doing 'girls stories' books and'boys stories' books

Esp as dd isn't very taken with the girls stuff and loves The Canterville Ghost story in one of them, Peter Pan and also the Moomin books

Right I have bought Astrosaurs too now. Should keep us going for a while!

DD is 5 and I have read The Owl who was afraid of the Dark, The Twits and we started Fantastic Mr Fox (but it wasn't for her and she got bored) so now we are 8 chapters into Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and she is loving it!!

Oh I forgot she also loved Enid Blyton's series about the boy who joined the circus (but got bored by the Magic Faraway Tree

I keep thinking of more she loved My Naughty Little Sister, Milly Molly Mandy ( although she said she was too good and would prefer it if she was naughty!!) and The Worst Witch.

Yes, the USborne story books are great..... not all of them are grouped into boys and girls (though we have quite a few as it happens......)

Allan Ahlberg's happy families series too

Oh and am a bit about asking for boys' books... I said I'd never be the type of parent to stereotype but there I go...

We went through George's Marvellous Medicine, The Twits and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. Also Alice in Wonderland and Wind in the Willows. Winnie the Pooh as well.

dS1 is 6 and we are working our way through the How To Train Your Dragon series - DS2 is 4 and also enjoying it, but as we have got on to the later books it is getting a bit scary.

Mine loved the Wishing Chair too. I think some of Roald Dahl's though great books might cause nightmares in a five year old. Bobby Brewster's are quite old but good.

Loving these ideas! Have ordered Flat Stanley and Mr Gum, and going to research some more. Keep 'em coming...

The DDs have loved Allan Ahlberg's Gaskitt Family stories, Flat Stanley, Horrid Henry, Vulgar the Viking. You could try Esio Trot as a first Roald Dahl that isn't so gruesome. But, FWIW, DD2 insists I read and reread the scary part of The Minpins, she loves being scared.

I agree with Colditz. Also Fantastic Mr Fox and, at a push, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We're on Horrid Henry as well now.

Flat Stanley? Ds loved these.

Matilda, Fantastic Mr Fox and The Twits all went down well with my sensitive DS. He also loves Horrid Henry, Faraway Tree, The Monster Crisp Guzzler (and other books by the same author - Malorie Blackman?)

The Mr Gum series by Andy Stanton are brilliant, although 5 might be a bit young to get all the jokes.

George's marvellous medicine

have just bought the astrosaurs books - thanks!

My 4 yr old loves the 'my naughty little sister' books, and pippi longstocking

I'm reading "The Owl who was afraid of the Dark" (the chapter book version, not the picture book one!) to DS at the moment. It's a lovely gentle story, perfect for bedtime. He's also got another one of the Jill Tomlinson chapter books, about a hen I think, but we've not read that yet.

We've also started "How to Train Your Dragon" but I think it might end up being a bit too old for him. He wanted to read it as he loves the film but I htink he might lose interest.

He loves Roald Dahl too but he's definitely not a senstive one!

My 5 yo children love Steve Cole's series:

Astrosaurs
Slime Squad
Cows In Action

They are quite entertaining and much preferable to any of the Rainbow Fairy repetitive drivel which we also enjoy.

We tried Roald Dahl last year but I didn't think they were quite ready for them yet. We are currently racing through the first Harry Potter though so we might give Matilda another go soon.

The astrosaurs books.

Same problem with Roald Dahl. We managed James and the Giant Peach but I did tone down the awful aunts..

He also liked Gobbolino the Witches' Cat.

Cornelia Funke - Ghosthunters series. My DS loved them at that age!

The Faraway Tree went down well with mine at this age. He also liked Bimbo and Topsy and Mr Pinkwhistle. I agree about the content of Roald Dahl. It was a nightmare trying to explain every little thing to my literal minded DS.

Mine are enjoying the Dick King Smith books, the Faraway Tree and a series brought home from school to read to himself called Wild Rescue which are very plot driven and exciting.