5 year old with reading age of 10 - book recommendations please

[LeOrange]

Evening all. We received my daughters reception year report this evening, which was lovely. They have carried out a reading assessment and she has a 10 year old's reding age. The school is relatively new and her teacher (whilst brilliant) is relatively inexperienced and has been unable to guide us in the right direction, but has suggested that we provide books for my daughter that are age-appropriate yet set the appropriate level of challenge. We are both English teachers, so you would think well placed to deal with this, but we are secondary specialists and a bit stumped here. I am going to ask to speak with the Head tomorrow about appropriate challenge etc, but would really welcome any advice. Thanks.

[MegBusset]

My nearly 10yo enjoys :

Harry Potter
David Walliams
SWITCH series by Ali Sparkes
The Worst Witch
13 Storey Treehouse series
Michael Morpugo farm books
Captain Underpants...

...but can't you just take her to the library and let her choose whatever she likes?

[MangoIsTheNewApple]

Go old fashioned - more complex sentenc structure and harder vocabulary without themes that are too mature. Trying to remember what dd1 was reading then - Enid Blyton definitely, I remember trying Ballet Shoes but the first chapter is too sad, all the Roald Dahls except The Witches. Would stuff like The Worst Witch, Mammoth Academy etc be too easy?

[LeOrange]

The problem that we have is that the content of those books is not quite right for her - she loses interest. My son is 7 and will happily read those books, but is slightly more mature in a way which she isn't - death in HP for example. She cried when reading about Mr Stink's dead child.

[MangoIsTheNewApple]

Oh, the Young Puffin Modern Classics collection from The Book People was a big hit and led her on to other books by those authors.

[MegBusset]

Then in the nicest possible way, she does not have the reading age of a 10yo :) let her enjoy reading the books she enjoys and don't worry about pushing her into stuff she's not ready for just because a teacher says so!

[Frontstep]

The worst witch
Gobbolino the witch's cat
Carbonel
Stig of the dump
Five Children and It
The Naughtiest Girl in the School
Pollyanna
Mary Poppins

[LeOrange]

Thanks Meg, I am really not being pushy, just trying to find books that might appeal to her from others who may have been in a similar situation. I am very conscious of not bothering the school with this stuff because of my own teaching background and not wanting to appear pushy! She is at a bit of a loss as to what to read too.

[ChablisTyrant]

I agree that most of the books recommended are too scary or emotional for a 5yo. Going for older books with less familiar language is a great idea. My mother wouldn't let us read Enid Blyton as a child but I'm reading them with my 5yo and they are good for introducing new words that we don't use so much any more. Also my naughty little sister books. And Mr Majeika.

[ReallyTired]

Barking at print is not the same has having the reading age of a ten year old. A five year old does not have the emotional maturity or kniwledge if the world that a ten year old has.

I agree the worst witch is good, but only the first two Harry Potter books. Other fun books Mr Majeika, Young usbourne readers, far away tree books, books by dick King-smith, Winnie the witch are good or even Mr Men. A five year needs to expand their vocabulary to become a proficient reader.

[Dontlikethedailyfail21]

My 6 year old also has a very advanced reading age but I let him choose his own books and he tends to prefer ones with lots of colourful pictures that would be suitable for a 6 year old. Be guided by your child. Let her enjoy reading what she wishes - not things too old for her in order to advance even further ahead. Libraries are great for this.

[akdmummy]

My daughter is also 5 and also a good reader. I second Mango's recommendations. She has read all Enid Blyton's Secret Seven, Famous Five, Wishing Chair, Magic Faraway Tree etc... and all the Roald Dahl except the Witches. She has recently read some Shakespeare for Children books which she really enjoyed. Non fiction wise the 'My First book of' series is good and she also enjoys her subscription to National Geographic Kids Magazine. She has recently read The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe which she loved and wants us to get her other books in that series. She is about to start on the 'Little House on the Prairie' books. School sent home some books about Harry the Poisonous Centipede which she read quickly and enjoyed, but not as much as the others I have mentioned. Hope this helps.

[nilbyname]

My DS likes-
Sam Smith pirate books
Winnie the witch
The worst witch
Beast quest
Red nose readers sets
Some Dahl books
He also still lives potter books but just reads them aloud to me.

[nilbyname]

-*still loves picture books!

[StandoutMop]

Agree older, less modern books, tend to be harder to read and with less challenging themes.

Secret Seven and Faraway tree by Blyton.
Agree Dahl but not Witches
Dick King Smith

Modern (and terrible but enjoyed by my DD) was Mermaid Reef series.
Nicer are the Anna Hibiscus books, but not the more recent picture versions.

I just let DD go to the library and pick. If it is too grown up for her, she won't read it. It might at least give you some ideas of what's out there.

[mishmash1979]

My son is 5 (yr 1) and has exhausted all the Oxford learning tree books. I would concentrate on books she enjoys. When my son got to level 12 he got really bored of the stories as there were no/few pictures; in turn he stopped reading as it wasn't enjoyable. In the end I bought a boxset of older child style encyclopaedia 's and we haven't looked back. I would suggest no books designed for 10 yr olds either as Harry Potter is going to terrify her!!!

[Suzietwo]

Wind in the willows
Just so stories (proper ones)
Railway children
Anne of green gables
Lion witch wardrobe
Swallows and amazons
Toms midnight garden

[neolara]

Mr Gum, Horrid Henry, magic faraway tree, magic tree house series, Jeremy Strong, Mr Majeika, endless rainbow fairies.

Definitely not Harry Potter, David Walliams or Michael morepurgo. They are all fantastic books but totally inappropriate for a 5 yo. Not only would content be too grown up, your dd almost certainly wouldn't enjoy them as much as she would if she read them later. At 5, her life experiences are just so limited a lot of these books would go over her head even if she could decode and understand the words.

[MegBusset]

OK, how about the Narnia books - there are some lovely illustrated versions. Faraway Tree series by Enid Blyton. How about some Greek myths or other folk tales?

[LeOrange]

Thank you so mcin for the suggestions - have duly noted and will be exploring. I completely agree with you about reading ages not equating with ability to comprehend both literally and more emotionally (her comprehension is excellent, but that is by the by). She is a funny little thing - pretty solemn and able to use a wide range of complicated vocabulary with the jntended meaning. Anyway, you are all being very helpful. Our approach to supporting her is pitched differently and I need to be reminded to keep it age appropriate.

[noramum]

My friend had the problem. In the end they did a lot of shared reading so my friend could explain the difficult content while her DD read the book.

They loved all kind of Enid Blyton, lots of quite innocent stories. They did Dahl apart from The Witches and - after realising that her DD just didn't get the content - let her read what she wanted. A 5 year old is just not mature enough to get the problems/content behind the books designed for a 9-10 year old child.

DD loves Animal Ark, a bit of problem but easy enough to read without causing emotional distress you can easily explain.

Otherwise, factual books. She may be able to get into lots of factual books and learn while reading. Just check your library what they have on her favourite subject.

[MegBusset]

The Winnie the Witch chapter books are good too.

[CocktailQueen]

How about Helen Moss's Adventure Island series? More adult language but no peril or danger.
The Best Friends Bakery series?

[Notcontent]

These are all perfect for a five year old:

The Milly Molly Mandy books
My naughty little sister
The secret seven
The wishing chair
Pippi longstocking

I agree that just because she is a good reader does not mean she is ready for books aimed at 10 year olds.

[villainousbroodmare]

The SheepPig (the original story of Babe) and absolutely anything by Dick King-Smith. Lots by Joan Aiken. Harriet The Spy. Ramona Quimby. The Borrowers. Charlotte's Web is too sad.

[cheapandcheerful]

My 5yo is currently reading the Magic Faraway Tree and enjoying it a lot.