Fiction suggestions for 6 year old please!

[Itshouldntmatter]

My DD is spending her summer on a reading marathon (not official, she is just devouring all things boarding school). We have St Clares coming next, but at the current rate I am assuming she will be through those in no more than 10 days. So, my hope is that you all might be able to suggest some other suitable books.

She tried Heidi, but didn't love it. She gave up and re-read her Malory towers. I think it might be because she prefers more escapist books and she found the emotional aspect of Heidi too real. Won't be pulling out the Jaqueline Wilson!

I wondered about the Chalet School books - they are out of print but you can get them on Kindle. My next question is anyone got thoughts on a kindle for a six year old? I would prefer her to read paper, but I am not sure if it is justified.

I also wondered about the Anne Digby Trebzion books. I haven't read them and wasn't sure if they were too old theme-wise.

She has read all of the Worst Witch, Judy Moody books and the Secret Unicorn, and the Darcey Bussell books (those were just after the end of the brief Rainbow Fairy phase). She also loves an old series of ballet school books I had as a child (Drina Ballerina), but they are too hard for her.

Any other suggestions would be very appreciated!!

Just to add, we tried the library, but sadly our local library is full of pink unicorns and kittens and has little else. My DD chooses the rainbow fairy books, and other trash, but then doesn't actually choose to read them!?!

[Lurkedforever1]

Naughtiest girl in the school? Dd will still re read them at 11. The what Katy did books? Dd wasn't into them but loved the at school one. She never got into chalet school, Heidi or Harry potter though. Loved my naughty little sister books too. Adele Geras and terry pratchetts kids books.
Noel streatfield perhaps, although due to the cost dds not read them and I can't remember so can't advise on how difficult or not they are.
Dd also loved the old pony stories, over the modern ones, but she understood the horsey lingo otherwise they might be hard going at that age.
And don't discount stuff like the owl who was afraid of the dark, Dr suess etc, even if they read them quicker than intended the content still appeals.
Roald Dahl and other Enid blyton?
Look in charity shops and at car boots etc, we've found more books there than the libraries selection.

[Lurkedforever1]

Meant to add, dd didn't try Trebizon as they're expensive, iirc they're not difficult reading but the content might not appeal to a 6yr old.
And if you can find them judy blumes books for younger kids.

[Sadik]

You can get loads of the chalet school books for a couple of pounds each on Abebooks, if that helps. (Including the first one, from a quick look.)

Other non boarding school books she might like (again many out of print so would need to be abebooks or the like, but most cost pennies)
Wombles chapter books
Professor Branestawm
The early Laura books (Little house in the Big woods specifically)
Edward Eager half magic series
Anna Hibiscus if she hasn't already read them

[teeththief]

Matilda, Pippi Longstocking, My Naughty Little Sister. My DD loved Mr Gum when she was 6 and also read the first two Chronicles of Narnia (Magicians Nephew and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe)

She didn't like any Enid Blyton though so your DD obviously has different tastes to mine!

[mrsmortis]

We've had the same issue with my DD. Recent hits have been James and the Giant Peach and Fantastic Mr Fox. While she could read Matilda she had issues with the content (she struggles with anything resembling threat)

She's currently reading The Phantom Tollbooth but keeps getting distracted by Kipper books in German (we're in Germany this year). And she seems to always have a book of poetry on the go, The night mail is her favourite.

The other thing that has kept her occupied for ages (but will only work if your DD is also obsessed by maths) are the Murderous Maths books. And the occasional retreat into Rainbow Magic (normally Sky the Blue Fairy for some unfathomable reason)

Sorry, no boarding schools in sight...

[Nicknamegrief]

The Ottoline books by Chris Riddell and the Unfortunate Events series?

[vestandknickers]

My DD loved the Pony Detective books by Belinda Rapley
Holly Webb is good - my DD particularly enjoyed The Chocolate Dog and A Car Called Penguin
Roald Dahl too.

[vestandknickers]

Oh yes, forgot about the Ottoline books, they're great!

[ppandj]

Eva Ibbotson. There are some fabulous ones for younger readers (the secret of platform 13) and then as she gets older there are others (the secret countess, a song for summer etc). My sister and I loved her books for years!
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_Ibbotson

We also loved my naughty little sister and Danny Fox series xxx

[ReallyTired]

My daughter is aged 6 and has a kindle. It's not too soon. She had enjoyed the worst witch stories and Mr majieka books. Other good books are My naughty little sister, Mrs pepperpot, faraway tree, wishing chair. It might be worth looking at young usbourne readers where they have abridged major classics.

[Itshouldntmatter]

Thank you for all the suggestions. She has read the Naughtiest Girl, and loved them, and the worst witch. I gave her the My Naughty Little Sister we had as a print book, and she did enjoy it, but she finished in a flash.

I ended up trying her with Ballet Shoes - I had sort of thought it might be a little old for her, but she is loving it. She has told me that she loves the Enid Blyton ones more, but she is very much enjoying it. So, that gives me a whole wealth of books (if I can get hold of them). I will look for some of the others - the Eva Ibbotson. I think she would be a little freaked out by some of the Roald Dahl. She has enjoyed some as audio books, but she won't read anything that involves parents dying. I will try Harry Potter though (at least the first one or two), and the Narnia ones.

It is so tricky, it seems so hard to find books for this age and reading ability/interest. If anyone else has any suggestions, please let me know

[mrsmortis]

Oh - if she can cope with Ballet Shoes, how about Swallows and Amazons? It's a nice gentle subject at least.

[iseenodust]

Proper chapter Paddington books.
Mudpuddle farm books by Michael Morpurgo - intended for younger readers, no death!
Sticking with boarding schools the Jennings series are age appropriate but they are longer than Enid Blyton etc.

[Devonicity]

My voracious 6yo reader loved Lemony Snicket, many Enid Blytons, all the Roald Dahl books except The Witches, Percy Jackson series, the How To Train Your Dragon series and the Narnia books.

[Wellthisisarubbishstart]

Mr Gumm

[Datschi]

Alexander McCall Smith's children's books are good. They have a slightly avuncular style that appeals to my DC.

We like the Akimbo series, haven't read the Precious Ramotswe as a young-girl-sleuth ones, (but thinking about them for Christmas).

There are also a few stand-alone ones DD has particularly enjoyed - Teacher Trouble was a good one.

[lostforinspiration]

The Atticus Claw series, anything by Sally Gardner, the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary, all Astrid Lindgren books, David Almond, the Famous Five. Also lots of non-fiction (DD6 particularly likes big cats!). She also doesn't like anything with threat in (so not harry potter, or some Enid Blyton). She goes back to Just So stories a lot, which I think are too hard, but she gets a lot out of revisiting them.
Oxfam books is where we do particularly well, and ordering stuff from the library. But it is a nightmare trying to keep up with her reading appetite and avoiding the "I've got nothing to read" wail...

[Itshouldntmatter]

Thanks all!! I have the first famous five in the hope that she will take to them. She has enjoyed Noel Steatfield but doesn't have the same 'I can't put it down' feeling she gets from her boarding school books (which she is now re-reading). I am hoping to pick up some f the Chalet School books from Ebay. If she likes those, then we'll be onto a winner. I am going to explore some of the other ideas for Christmas!

[RueDeWakening]

If she doesn't like parents dying, be very careful with the chalet school series! They have at least one near-fatal accident/adventure per term, and many of the pupils are orphans or the daughter of parents who don't care/ignore them/etc.

There's a long-running thread on the children's books board all about the chalet school, if you want to know which might be best avoided.

Fwiw, my DD is now 8 but at 6 was reading famous five, secret seven, Malory towers, naughtiest girl, wishing chair, faraway tree, the island series, the adventure series, Mr Galliano's circus (all Blyton), plus innumerable Rainbow Magic books.

Has she tried any Gwyneth Rees? The super sister books are excellent, also Princess Mirrorbelle by Julia Donaldson. It was hard to keep up though - at 8 she has matured a lot and her reading tastes have changed, she's reading some YA stuff (if I've read it in advance to vet it for content), and is looking forward to reading Harry Potter number 3 at the end of this school year (we are mean, she gets the next instalment every summer holiday as the content gets quite dark quite quickly and we didn't think she'd cope with just being let loose on them all at once).

[Itshouldntmatter]

Thank you so much for the chalet books info. I had assumed they would be harmless (although with some dubious politics). I will read them first, and check out which might be safe. I am working to get my DD onto the famous 5, but she isn't massively open to the adventure idea. Reading aloud is my sneaky way of getting her hooked