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Can you recommend some good reading books for dd - she is saying reading is boring...

48 replies

TrisMas · 16/12/2014 11:05

Dd is a summer born in y1 and has just been moved up to white band (level 10) at school. She reads with the top set in y2 and seems to enjoy the reading sessions and is doing well, but when I tried to get her to read her book at the weekend (boring book about rice) she said that she finds reading boring. I love reading and I know that dd loves books but I'm worried that the school books are putting her off.

I've bought a set of the rainbow fairy books from the book people for xmas for her, but can anyone recommend any others? I just don't want her to be bored...

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MrsFogi · 16/12/2014 11:10

Dd likes the Ivy and Bean series (some Americanisms but much more fun than all that fairly tosh).

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TheWanderingUterus · 16/12/2014 11:16

Igraine the brave
Clover twig
The wrestling princess and other stories
The necklace of raindrops and other stories

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TheWanderingUterus · 16/12/2014 11:19

Also the Sophie and the Shadow Woods series by Linda chapman.

DD is now 9 but still goes back to some of these.

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Tykeisagirl · 16/12/2014 11:19

My DD likes Holly Webb books, especially her "Masie Hitchens" series, Enid Blyton's Magic Faraway Tree and Wishing Chair books, some Jacquline Wilson ones although you need to check them as some are not sutable for younger children.
The Rainbow fairies are quite dull, once you've read one you've read them all.

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Tykeisagirl · 16/12/2014 11:20

And of course Roald Dahl.

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MillionairesShortbread · 16/12/2014 11:23

I've got a daughter in yr1 who is finding her level 9 books easy to read.. but boring. Part of the problem I'm finding is that they're often pitched for those slightly older (as its a higher level) and she simply wasnt interested in the ins and outs of the space race, or viking story. She could read it but it wasn't pitching it to her level.

We've similarly bought rainbow fairies for christmas. I'd really like to find some other picture ish books or "young" books for her but at a suitable level if that makes any sense!!

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MillionairesShortbread · 16/12/2014 11:24

Oh and similarly - for the last week or two school books are putting her off and she doesn't want to raed. BUt she will read her julia donaldson books to her lttle sister. There must be some more interesting fun books out there...

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mabelbabel · 16/12/2014 11:26

Horrid Henry is fun (ymmv).

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BertieBotts · 16/12/2014 11:29

If she likes animals try Animal Ark, and I think there is a series aimed at slightly younger children called Animal Ark Friends. I used to adore those books. Enid Blyton's Magic Wishing Tree are captivating too, and does she like Roald Dahl? Jeremy Strong writes very funny books. I've just got DS "The 100 mile an hour dog" for Christmas, he's 6. Continuing on the animal theme there is Dick King Smith who writes really funny books about animals who talk.

Do you visit your library? That can be a good idea because they can choose books which look interesting to them, then.

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BertieBotts · 16/12/2014 11:31

Oh and the "My Naughty Little Sister" books are funny and great for that age.

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Chocolateteacake · 16/12/2014 11:32

Fact books - oh yes, kids love a good book crammed with 'useful' facts.

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MarianneSolong · 16/12/2014 11:34

Second the idea of taking her to the library and let her choose some books. (I think Rainbow Fairy books are vile though I realise that they are popular.)

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iseenodust · 16/12/2014 11:39

Thea Stilton & the chocolate sabotage (there's a whole series)
Unbelievable top secret diary of pig

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Hooliesmoolies · 16/12/2014 11:44

Marking page. Have DD who is the same. She loves the hideous rainbow fairy books, but I would like to find her some other stuff because she must get bored of them at some point! She isn't massively interested in books about animals.

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TrisMas · 16/12/2014 11:52

Thank you all for your suggestions, lots to look at. Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton I am reading to her at the moment. She is a very young 5 and even though her reading is very good, she is still wanting books with some sort of illustrations in and I think opening a roald dahl or enid blyton book and seeing pages and pages of words with no pictures, she would find quite daunting...

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Chocolateteacake · 16/12/2014 11:53

The Moonins! How could I forget?

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TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 16/12/2014 11:54

I'm going to go against the grain here and say that I think at this time of year it's probably as much as anything that she's mentally exhausted, and I wouldn't worry about trying to get her to read at weekends. If she sees you enjoying books she'll catch the bug sooner or later.
I'd get her an annual or two for Christmas, and maybe some audiobooks (my dd loved Pippi Longstocking at that age) but otherwise, I'm sure she'll start taking the lead herself sooner or later. Libraries are good in that you can take her along but then if no books catch her eye you can let her come home with a dvd if she likes.

I'm saying that based on my experience with my dd at around that age - I spent an awful lot of time trying to find the perfect book that would spark her interest, but nothing I found her (except Pippi to some extent) ever really caught her imagination until she found Jacqueline Wilson for herself. But I think that was about it being the right time and I couldn't have made it happen sooner by giving her the books earlier. Now at 9 she's a total bookworm and gets her recommendations from schoolfriends (and JW autobiographies/articles) rather than me.

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GoogleyEyes · 16/12/2014 11:56

My dd1 was in Y1 last year, and enjoyed the Mr Gum books, most of the Jeremy Strong ones, Enid Blyton's Adventure series, various awful ballet ones by Darcey Bussell and (with me) some classics like the Narnia books and Arthur Ransome.

Tons more, but that's all I can remember right now. I took her to the library and got a big pile of books I thought she might like. She still won't browse the shelves - it's a bit overwhelming to have so much choice, I think, so it works better if I pre-select.

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TrisMas · 16/12/2014 11:56

For those of you with children the same, dd is very good at reading but isn't bothered about it... will this change? I love books and was always wanting to read, but she has whole shelves full of books but doesn't seem bothered about reading them herself, always wanting us to read them to her. Is she just lazy and will it change? She just prefers to play with her toys...

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BertieBotts · 16/12/2014 11:58

Mrs Pepperpot, The Worst Witch.

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TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 16/12/2014 11:58

How old is she, TrisMas?

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BertieBotts · 16/12/2014 12:02

Oh right sorry I didn't see the intervening post!

Try Dr. Seuss. DS loves them, they have lots of pictures too and though they have made up words they are phonically decodable and tend to rhyme so aren't too tricky.

And yes annuals are a good idea too.

I'm sure things will improve. The thing is that a lot of books aimed at her stage of reading are quite dull (the rice one a prime example, WTF, what five year old is interested in rice?!) and you have to get a bit better at reading to get those real "escape into your own little world" type stories. That's when it takes off, IME.

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TrisMas · 16/12/2014 12:14

Bertie, that's really reassuring thank you so much. Those books sound much better for her. Part of the issue is that she reads with the eldest children in year 2, so some of them are nearly 2 years older than her so the teacher has to choose books that appeal to all, which is tricky...

Thecountess, she was 5 in june.

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MrsCakesPrecognition · 16/12/2014 12:23

I'm going to suggest a totally different book. "You Choose" by Pippa Goodhart has almost no words but pages of hugely detailed pictures. The idea is that you choose where you would live, your transport, your friends, clothes and furniture, your hobbies and pets. You can make up stories about your imaginary life or just talk about why you've chosen certain options.
My DCs are 6 and 11 and still love this book.
It take the pressure of reading the words (it sounds like she gets enough of that with her school reading scheme and is doing well) and brings a bit of fun and joy back into opening a book.

www.amazon.co.uk/You-Choose-Pippa-Goodhart/dp/0552547085/ref=asap_B001HD2Y0S?ie=UTF8&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

There's another, similar book called "Just Imagine".

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noramum · 16/12/2014 12:26

Try Usborne Young Readers Series 3, short versions of the classics like Little Women and Anne of Green Gables. Also very good factual history ones.

Animal Ark is nice and a good step to longer stories. Rainbow Magic, DD has two sets of 6 books each and that's more then enough as they can get quite dull. She reads them now for a quick fix like others read comics.

Lego Friends has some nice books about the 5 girls, if she likes the sets she may like the stories as well.

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