Stocking up: buying LOTS of books for 2-5 & 5-8 year olds

[caramelgirl]

So, we are moving to Singapore at the beginning of August and my friend has advised to stock up on kids' books asap. They are v expensive out there and library access is limited.
I have a two year old boy and a five year old girl. Planning on staying there for three years.
We have most Julia Donaldson, Mog the Forgetful Cat, Tony Mitton, Shirley Hughes, Ahlberg picture books.
Five year old is not yet reading confidently by herself. Likes to be read Famous Five, My Naughty Little Sister, Milly Molly Mandy, Gobbolino the Witch's Car, Carbonel. Tried to like Rainbow Fairies and the Secret Mermaid but we hid them as they are annoying. She isn't great at even mild peril.
Two year old likes Octonauts and Mr. Men books (also often mysteriously lost..), Tiger who came to tea, Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb, Tanka Tanka Skunk.
My ideas were to buy as many of Dianne Wynne Jones' books, Harry Potter set but I am feeling a bit blank.
So... I have a shiny new credit card ready to max out, what should I buy please? Thank you!

[MyGastIsFlabbered]

Mine love the Hairy McLairy books and 2 year old is obsessed with Thomas and Friends. What about some Dr Seuss?

[Leeds2]

Harry and His Bucketful of Dinosaurs series

Percy the Park Keeper series

Aliens Love Underpants series

Doing The Animal Bop

For the 5 year old, Mr Majeika series, Daisy and the Trouble With ...series, Paddington, Worst Witch series, Judy Moody series, Mr Gum series, The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark series, Spy Dog series. All very popular in the school library where I work.

[cariadlet]

go on the Book People website - you'll find loads of goodies at a decent price

[BreadmakerFan]

Mr Men
Little Miss
Mr Gum
Emily Bearn has written a lovely series
Roald Dahl

[BreadmakerFan]

The book people have a flash sale up to midnight. 80% off.

[BreadmakerFan]

Sorry, up to 85% saved.

[tumbletumble]

My DD is 7 and a half and I'd say she's not quite ready for Harry Potter or Diana Wynne Jones yet. Leeds2's suggestions are good.

[UniS]

Diana Wynne Jones and harry potter are probadly about 4_5 years ahead. Esp if she dislikes peril.
Katie morag , sheltie, various ballet stories may help tide her over. Pippi long stocking could be good.
Looking ahead a few years, the "How to train your dragon" series are very good.
Do you have a kindle, that may be useful in future, lots of kids books are kindle published.

[BreadmakerFan]

Mr Men at 50p a book.

DS is into beast quest and I've just spent £21! £4.99 each. I just paid 18p a book. Doesn't even matter I have two of them already.

[BlueChampagne]

Looking ahead for your DS
Dinosaur FC
Dinosaur Cove
Beastly Boys
Fireman Sam

For your DD, second Katie Morag and Worst Witch
Claude books
Goth Girl
Ottoline
Winnie the Witch

plus some factual books for sharing

[BlueChampagne]

Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf
The Giggler Treatment

[AtomicDog]

The Claude series by Alex Smith
Paddington
Wombles
How to train your dragon
The Dolls House by Rumer Godden

[TwelveLeggedWalk]

My nearly 4yo boy loves:
Thomas Tank engine books (Book People set is bagain but not original text, and large - are you taking stuff in a shipping container?)
The Pirates Next Door and The Pirate Cruncher
The penguin/star/rocket stories by Oliver Jeffers (get the ones with audio CDs if you can, they are really calming on long journeys)
Any of The Little Red Train series by Benedict Blaythwayt
There is also a set of animal fables by Mwenye Hadithi that both of mine love, you can see them in amazon, and feature some more exotic animals than you get in books with very British settings.

New Alfie set from The Book People is a hit this week.
Also Elmer, Paddington.

Older books they have enjoyed as well are Dick King Smith, Winnie the Pooh, and DD is just getting into Beatrix Potter. Roald Dahl soon I think.

[caramelgirl]

Ooh thank you, this is very helpful.
I have audio pippi longstocking but hadn't thoughy to buy hard copies.
Just thought: Noel Streatfield books, would they be about right for 7/8 year old?

[caramelgirl]

And yes, shipping container provided by work so am keen to fill it.
Forgotten the Dolls' House by Rumer Godden, thank you.

[UniS]

Noel stretfeild is more like 9 /10+ yr old reader.
Swallows and Amazon's ( about 9 books in series) work as read to books from about age 6/7 and read yourself age 8/9.
Horrid Henry, cone in easy reader or chapter book versions. Good from about 6+.
Harry and the dinosaurs, two sets, one for early readers or read aloud around school start age, then " roar to the rescue" etc, chapter books, harry is now a bit older and the dinosaurs are invisible except when they want to be seen.

I'm basing this on my child who is a good reader for age, but doesn't like peril or magic.

[AppleBarrel]

We live in a non-English speaking country too (though it is relatively easy to get books here).

I have an Amazon Kindle, and buy plenty of books to read to the DC on that (chapter books rather than picture books though). It's not always much cheaper (though it is usually a bit cheaper) but it has the bonus that we aren't acquiring quite so many physical books that we will one day have to ship back home again, and it is more flexible because you can buy a book and start reading straight away rather than waiting for them to be delivered. I might get DD her own Kindle for her 8th birthday coming up.

Audible is also good for audio books, I think I use it much more here than I would at home.

DD has been a bit unenthusiastic about Dick King Smith books - but I like them! She likes, or has liked Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, Little House in the Big Woods series, The Owl who was afraid of the dark, and the Cat who wanted to go home, lots of classics like Heidi, the Railway Children, the Secret Garden etc, Mrs Pepperpot, Arabelle and Mortimer, The Borrowers, Clever Polly and The Stupid Wolf, The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe, Charlotte's Web, Pippi Longstocking - we also like Lotta, and Emil, and the Children of noisy village by the same author.

[caramelgirl]

This is all brilliant. Thank you.
I do have a kindle but have been scared off electronic media by scary talk at her Montessori school. So kindles out atm, tho' may change mind if sourcing books becomes too onerous.

[Mrscog]

I'd put the credit card away and head to a car boot first - children's books are typically 20p each!

[AtomicDog]

Enid Blytons- Malory Towers
St Clares
Secret Seven
Famous Five
The Adventure series
all of these we've had in big boxed sets from The Book People

Do an advanced search on MN, because there's usually a 10% code around for Book People!

Roald Dahl (again, boxed set from TBP)
The Indian in the Cupboard series by Lynne Reid Banks (more for 6 or 7+)
Narnia Chronicles
Have you heard of Marcia Williams? She has done fantastic illustrated versions of:
tales from Shakespeare
Greek myths
Robin Hood
Canterbury Tales etc etc
Again... boxed set from TBP!

The Jolly Rogers and the Ghostly Galleon by Johnny Duddle (same series as Pirates Next Door, but for independent young readers)
Dixie O'Day series by Shirley Hughes and Claire Vuillamy (her DD!)

[AtomicDog]

For 2-5, don't you have the books from your 5yo?

Anyway-
Allen Ahlberg- Each Peach Pear Plum
Burglar Bill
Peepo
The Happy Families series (Mr Tick the Teacher etc - again TBP)

Dogger- Shirley Hughes
The Night Pirates (they have a gorgeous Pop-up version too now
The Oliver Jeffers books are gorgeous- How to Catch a Star
Lost and Found
The Way Back Home etc

Dr Seuss is fantastic - green eggs and ham
Cat in the Hat
Fox in Socks is my favourite

[Imperial]

Ramona series, magic faraway tree, wishing chair, horrid Henry, judy blume's fudge series, Roald Dahl for the 5 year old. Topsy and Tim, you choose, all the basic fairy tales, usborne noisy books, Jill Murphy for the 2 year old

[derektheladyhamster]

scary media talk? What have I missed about kindles whole family own one

[caramelgirl]

I wondered if I should buy extra for him (neglected second child guilt).
So.... We had a talk (from one of the many childless teachers) about how all blue light (eg iPad, TV, kindle) will rot their brains affect the quality of their sleep.
Also to mega limit TV and media access (nothing up to age 3, 30 minutes aged 3-7, 60 minutes 7-12 etc..
Tbh it chimed with stuff we had noticed in terms of impact on behaviour etc., but I am still reserving the right to megadose them on media for long flights or illness. I was v v anti any TV for kids before I had them... Really respect anyone who has managed to stick to that principle without cracking.

[TwelveLeggedWalk]

Most Kindles aren't blue light are they? Mine is an original one with no backlight at all, and the Paperwhite is a very mellow light as far as I know.

Mind you I have two confirmed TV addicts and book obsessives. They're just media sponges basically wonder where they get that from