Suggestions - Years 3 - 6

[Leeds2]

I volunteer in a primary school library, and we are about to come into some money due to commission earned from book fair sales. Our library is reasonably well stocked, but looking for suggestions as to what your Year 3 - 6 DC enjoy. Old favourites are very welcome, but I am particularly interested in relatively new books, which we probably don't have.

[sleepismysuperpower1]

the Flat Stanley series, if you haven't already got them
the Narwhal and Jelly series

[MsAwesomeDragon]

Holly Webb does a lot of animal stories, but you may well have those.
My secret unicorn series is popular among dd's friends.
Stacey Gregg does pony books, which are dd's favourite at the minute. There's pony club secrets, pony club rivals, and done more challenging books like The thunderbolt pony, The Princess and the foal, or the Fire Stallion. DD is in year 4 and a good reader for her age and is finding these quite challenging so they'd be perfect for year 5&6 really, which I wish I'd known before I bought them.

Those are all fairly obviously aimed at girls by the covers (although the stories can be enjoyed by either sex, they're pretty good), but I'm struggling to think of any we've read that are aimed more towards boys.
My form at school are year 7 and most of the boys are still keen on the wimpy kid books. I'm trying to encourage them to branch out a bit.
I assume you've got the beast quest series, they seem quite popular.
What about more books by the author of the owl who was afraid of the dark. There's ones about a gorilla, or a cat, an otter, and I think we've read a penguin one too. They're nice for the younger end, although older kids could enjoy the story too.

[Leeds2]

Thank you for the suggestions.

We have Flat Stanley, but don't know the Narwhal and Jelly series so will have a look. Interestingly, I have been recommending Flat Stanly for years, but it never seems popular - I don't know why!

We have a lot of Holly Webb books (Animal Magic and others), and also My Secret Unicorn. All of these are popular, also My Magic Pony series if you are looking for something (very) similar! We also have some Stacey Gregg books, but they aren't popular at all - not sure why, the girls aren't. to the best of my knowledge, horse riders but I wasn't either and loved horse/pony books at that age. We have Beast Quest and the Jill Tomlinson books - the latter are popular because they are on a recommended reading list provided by the school so they get house points for reading them! Wimpy Kid are also popular here - your Year 7 boys might also like the Middle School and Tom Gates books which are a very similar formula.

I am quite excited at having some money to spend!!

[BlueChampagne]

I have a Y4 and a Y7; here's the sort of stuff they like:

Chris Priestley's Maudlin Towers books are fun
Goth Girl series are beautiful books, and there's Ottoline too
Kevin Crossley-Holland's Arthur trilogy for the more able older ones
Asterix
Tintin
Caroline Lawrence's Roman Mysteries
Murder Most Unladlylike
A Series of Unfortunate Events

[BlueChampagne]

Science books by Nicola Davies are good too.

[BlueChampagne]

And one for the younger end of the range, from the far West Highlands - The Adventures of Algy adventuresofalgy.com/books

[Lara53]

Cogheart series by Peter Bunzl

[LetItGoToRuin]

Jeremy Strong

[UrbaneSprawl]

“The Lost Words” is a fabulous book if you don’t already have it.

[NeverTwerkNaked]

Diary of a Wimpy Kid books? Big hit with my son and his friends

[Leeds2]

Thanks so much for these suggestions - I hope we get enough commission to buy lots of new additions!
I will definitely look for Murder Most Unladylike, because we don't have any of these books, and several children have asked after them. Maudlin Towers also sounds like they would be a hit. We have Roman Mysteries, some Goth Girl (very popular), Tintin and Unfortunate Events (mega popular!).
Will also look for the Algy, Cogheart and Lost Worlds books, which we don't have. We have lots of Jeremy Strong, and used to have all the Wimpy Kid books but most of these have either been lost or read to destruction, so they do need replacing.
If anyone is still reading, I would suggest that if your DC have any books they have outgrown/no longer read, do consider donating them to their school, or class, library rather than the charity shop as I am sure they will be well received!

[TeenTimesTwo]

Guy Bass - his 'Stitchhead' series really grabbed my reluctant reader. He gives great talks too.

[onemouseplace]

DS (7) loves the Captain Underpants and Dogman books by Dav Pilkey. Also I don't think David Walliams has been mentioned yet?

Recent books DD (9) has loved and not mentioned yet are the Ruby Redfort detective books, Sarah Driver's Huntress Books, The Uncommoners series, A Place called Perfect by Helena Duggan. How to Train Your Dragon and the new series by Cressida Cowell (The Wizards of Once) are also big favourites. The Worst Witch series?

[NeverTwerkNaked]

Remembered my son’s other favourite: the 13 storey treehouse series

[IggyAce]

Tamsin Cooke cat burglar and stunt double were popular with my dd when she was in years 5 & 6. Cogheart series is popular.
I listen to readers in year 5 and a lot of the free readers are choosing Tom Gates and David Walliams.
My year 3 ds is loving the time hunters series at the moment, I got the set from the book people.

[BroomstickOfLove]

My 9 year old and his friends are loving the Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan. Also Cakes in Space and other books by Reeves and McIntyre. For nonfiction, the royal society gives a price each year for the best children's science book - it's worth getting a few of the winners.

[BlueChampagne]

Leeds2 I have a devil of a job getting my kids to part with books, but the few they do relinquish go to school .

[PopGoesTheWeaz]

The amulet series and the airbender series are good age appropriate graphic novels. What about skulduggery pleasant? Jennifer bell has a series - first one is a crooked six pence - that mine reallyb enjoyed (me too) that is sort of Harry potter esq (mash up of magic on our world)

[PopGoesTheWeaz]

Rooftoppers is a beautiful book

[Infamy]

Tapper twins is popular with my DS, Y3

[LauraAshleySofa]

Would you consider getting the popular books as audio books for slower/ struggling readers. Our local library has such a small selection it would be great if school had these too.

[Leeds2]

I have tried with audio CDs, Laura. But I won't be buying anymore! If there is more than one disc in a box, this is inevitably left at home in the CD player, never to be seen again! I really thought they were a good idea, but it just hasn't worked out for us.

Thanks for all the suggestions - I am going to place my order on Sunday, so looking forward to it!

[pollyhemlock]

A few good recent authors writing for this age group: Katherine Rundell, Abi Elphinstone, Ally Sherrick, Ali Sparkes, Emma Carroll, Sam Gayton, Rob Lloyd Jones, Helen Peters. Check out the online magazine Books for Keeps booksforkeeps.co.uk. They have some good reviews/ suggestions. Also book lover jo.wordpress.com, which is a very informative blog.

[witherwings]

Can't remember authors for the following but they are all books my daughter likes but not too girly;
Wonder
Goldfish boy
Who let the Gods Out
Lemony snicker series
Harry Potter series (if you haven't already got them!)
The boy at the back of the class
The snow angel
Book of dust

Slightly more girl orientated;
Worst Witch Series
Anne of Green Gables series
Little house on the prairie
Murder most unladylike series
Polar bear explorers club series

Anything by David Walliams & David Baddiel
Books by Eva Ibbotson, Katherine Rundell, Michael Morpurgo, Emma Carroll.

What about classics like Swallows and Amazons, Heidi etc?

[witherwings]

My 8 year old also likes books by Matt Haig and Alesha Dixon