Ideas for chapter books to read with my super-interested 5 year-old DS

[ejt1764]

DS loves his bedtime stories, and about 6 months ago, we started to introduce him to chapter books.

We've read our way through all the Roald Dahl books, and he has absolutely loved them, but now I'm a bit stuck on where to go next: I think he's too young for Harry Potter etc just yet, and all the books I see that would be the right level of story are very girly - there don't seem to be any boy-ish equivalents of the books you get for girls about princesses and ponies!

DS won't be reading them on his own - he's only 5, and besides is at Welsh-medium school, so won't learn to read in English officially until he's 7!

Help from those who've been there, please!

[Anchovy]

Flat Stanley is great - the whole "Stanly" series are good but that is the best.

We are just doing "Mrs Pepperpot" (DS is 6, DD is 4).

[geekgirl]

the Noisy Village stories are great for that age group and suitable for boys & girls

another one here

[Alambil]

My 5yr old DS loves the ones like "The owl who was afraid of the dark" "the otter who wanted to know" etc and Paddington Bear

[motherinferior]

The Gaskitt series by Allan Ahlberg. Simple yet fabulous.

[Miggsie]

Olga da Polga is good
And the Magic Treehouse series but they are a bit American with dodgy grammar
The Bagthorpe saga by Helen Cresswell is good too

Famous 5?
Sea of Adventure/Island of Adventure type stuff
Professor BRainstorm books
Diana Wynne Jones does some good stuff with generally more boy charcters than girl...
Wombles
Paddington Bear

[lucymack]

There is also the Books for Boys series that are popular. Also Oliver Moon and Jack Stalwart ones too.

[Anchovy]

OOh MI - we're just about to start on the Gaskitt series as well! Fantastic pictures as well.

[DualCycloneCod]

spy dog.
all teh jeeremy strong ones partic 100 mile an hour dog
also charlottes web

[Anchovy]

LOL Cod - I couldn't get my 2 beyond the father with the axe in the first chapter of Charlotte's Web - they were chuffing petrified

[ejt1764]

fabulous suggestions - thanks !

[RosaIsRed]

Loads of Jeremy Strong really cheap on Book People atm. What about the Secret Seven? Also you should find some Dick King-Smiths in the library which are great if he likes animals and and Anne Fine's Jamie and Angus stories are really good.

[slayerette]

I hate to tell you this but my ds, exactly same age and same situation (ie, just starting chapter books as bedtime stories) loves Horrid Henry. He had some for Christmas off a relative and I was all prepared to be disapproving but I'm enjoying them too!

What about Dick King-Smith (The Sheep Pig, among others)?

[slayerette]

x-posts, Rosa!

[TurkeyLurkey]

Charlottes Web
The Faraway Tree
The Wishing Chair

[RosaIsRed]

I agree with you about Horrid Henry Slayerette. DD3 likes them too, and actually so do I though I thinking admitting it on Mumsnet is on a par with fruit shoot and sausage roll consumption.
Oh, she also likes Paddington Bear, another one suitable for both sexes.

[slayerette]

Rosa.

We eat Gregg's sausage rolls and drink our fruit shoots while laughing uproariously at Horrid Henry.

[Hulababy]

Magic Faraway Tree stories
Horrid Henry
Flat Stanley

[robinpud]

Dirtie Bertie
Jeremy Strong

Don't discount challenging picture books; there are often some amazing ones in the junior section of the library. Some of the illustrated Michael Morpugo ones are fab.

[Bink]

Captain Pugwash
Littlenose
Just William

[Twiglett]

Captain Underpants series
Flat Stanley series
Seriously silly stories (not really chapter books)
The Mr Gum books

[slayerette]

But of course, Califrau. We wouldn't be without our crocs.

[ejt1764]

Right, so the following ar on my list:

Flat Stanley
Noisy Village stories
Gaskitt series
Olga de Polga
Famous 5 / Secret Seven
Sea of Adventure/Island of Adventure
Professor Brainstorm books
Diana Wynne Jones books
Wombles
Paddington Bear
Books for boys
Charlotte's Web
Spy Dog
Jeremy Strong
Dick King-Smith
Dirty Bertie
Captain Pugwash
Littlenose
Just William
Captain Underpants
Michael Morpugo
Mr Gum

We already have the Faraway tree - I loved that myself as a child, and we dip in and out of it.

Magic Treehouse would probably drive me mad if the grammar's a big dodgy!

Incidentally, why are people disapproving of Horrid Henry? (Am I going to get shot down here now?)

Thank you for all the suggestions!

[MorocconOil]

I second Dirtie Bertie, Michael Morpurgo's Little Foxes, and Mrs Pepperpot.

Pippi Longstocking
Little Wooden Horse, Ursula Moray Williams
Stig of the Dump
Lemony Snicket series