Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

Original poster

Short chapter book recommendations for me to read to very sensative dd

34 replies

tiredbutnotweary · 25/09/2013 14:32

Dd (age 5) loves being read to, and I have been reading her short chapter books (as well as books from her picture book collection) for a while now.

However I'd really appreciate recommendations of books that have no scary or people-being-mean-to-each-other content.

She has particularly enjoyed Little Nose (that was as scary as she can manage Smile), Ursula Bear series, Animal Ark, Rainbow Faries, which we're all tired of now thank god.

Her favourite all time book is "How Green Was My Mouse" by Dick King-Smith. This seems like the perfect story for her, all happy, with the couple getting married and having a baby at the end (which makes her grin and sigh like your wouldn't believe)!

I'm getting more of these short chapter books by Dick King-Smith, but just wondered if any of you had any other recommendations, that follow a similar vein, sort of happy real life stories?

Many thanks in advance Thanks

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Kipsy · 19/10/2013 13:25

My DD loved the
I am Reading Collection
on TheBookPeople. Lovely stories!

Colyngbourne · 11/10/2013 15:25

I don't think it's upsetting, nor did my kids but some children are extremely sensitive and hate stories/TV programmes where characters do naughty things and are going to get told off (doesn't she play with the precious princess doll in one chapter and ruin its clothes? of course the story ends up well but some might not like the "Mild Peril" of being found out for eating all the trifle or getting stuck in the workmen's pipe).

Clawdy · 06/10/2013 22:27

"My Naughty Little Sister" upsetting?? Now I've heard everything!

Foosyerdoos · 06/10/2013 14:39

Another really nice book is 'King of the Copper' mountain. There are some sad bits but there is a very happy ending.

Foosyerdoos · 06/10/2013 14:37

Try Olga da Polga by Michael Bond, it is about a guinea pig.

Colyngbourne · 06/10/2013 14:33

If she is very sensitive, I would be careful with My Naughty Little Sister: when the little sister does all kinds of naughty things, some children hearing the stories might be upset (she ate all the special cake, she got stuck in the workmen's pipe, etc).

Milly-Molly-Mandy and Teddy Robinson are very fair-weather stories.

PomBearWithAnOFRS · 04/10/2013 22:47

Mrs Pepperpot
The Mice of St. Goran's

Original poster
tiredbutnotweary · 04/10/2013 21:24

Thank you everyone for all the new suggestions Flowers.

Oddly whilst she seeks to avoid scary / conflict she doesn't avoid sad, even when she feels quite sad about a story. We have a CD of The Morning I Met A Whale and she loves it. I've only borrowed a few Michael Morpurgo books because many are aimed at much older readers of course. She's enjoyed the ones we've read though - particularly The Sandman and the Turtles (really challenging for me trying to do a Russian accent!!)

Thanks again

OP posts:
storyshacker · 03/10/2013 08:17

Tanya Landman's 'Flotsam and Jetsam' series if really lovely - a gentle read set on the beach.

EmpressOfTheSevenOceans · 02/10/2013 21:28

If she's very sensitive I might not go for Amelia Jane. She's a badly behaved doll who always gets her comeuppance but that can lead to situations like her being tied to a tree in a dark wood - I always ended up feeling very sorry for her at that age.

Milly-Molly-Mandy is great though Grin.

Periwinkle007 · 02/10/2013 21:16

oh yes something ALWAYS dies in Michael Morpurgo. Milly Molly Mandy's are lovely though. Wish they would print them with bigger font though so early readers could read them themselves. Or is it just my old copies which are small print?

I remember loving The Magic Faraway Tree at 5/6ish and also I remember Gobbolino and Ramona but I was more like 8 when I discovered Ramona although it is fine for younger ones I think.

bigTillyMint · 02/10/2013 20:32

Milly Molly Mandy and My Naughty Little Sister were favourites here!

Don't read Michael Morpurgo until she's toughened up!Wink

Periwinkle007 · 02/10/2013 20:28

ok the Sally Gardner ones I would leave for the moment. My mum got them for us and whilst we haven't read them I have lifted a few out of the set to put away. My children are lucky enough to live a sheltered life so I don't think they need to come across certain situations yet.

Clawdy · 01/10/2013 22:37

The "Kitty" books by Bel Mooney are good fun,with gentle humour.

fleacircus · 01/10/2013 12:59

Some of Holly Webb's are lovely - DD was given (I think) 'The Snow Bear' for Christmas and suddenly loads of her make believe games involved arcane references to Inuit customs. Had no idea where it had come from for a while!

Periwinkle007 · 01/10/2013 12:00

Amelia Jane
Sally Gardner has done some about children with magic powers or something, My mum has just got them for us from the Book People but I don't know what they are like yet as I haven't seen them. age 5plus so I would expect they are fine and Sally Gardner has written some of the Early Reader books (fairy tale ones)
Winnie the Witch Chapter books

Periwinkle007 · 01/10/2013 11:50

ok most are already listed but our favourites include
Paddington
Naughtiest Girl in the School (have just had to order some more of these as we only had 3 from me being little and there are some more that were written by someone else)
Iggy and Me
Dick King-Smith in general
Rainbow Fairies/mermaids/lucky star type stuff
Milly Molly Mandy

also have
Gobbolino the Witches Cat
Charlotte's Web
Magic Faraway Tree etc
Little Grey Rabbit
The Bullerby Children
Worst Witch
lots of Holly Web
Claude
Willow Valley
Bluebell Woods
Mammoth School

Original poster
tiredbutnotweary · 30/09/2013 18:08

Thank you again everyone!

Fleacircus - I couldn't agree more - I remember one book where a goblin gets to become a chef, it was refreshing to be honest!

Last night DD realised she can read these books herself (I obviously posted too soon when I said she was tired of them) - and today she discovered they have them at the school library too - arghh!

OP posts:
FariesDoExist · 30/09/2013 14:48

Pippi long stocking
Winnie the pooh

PeterParkerSays · 30/09/2013 11:17

These Little Bear stories, illustrated by Maurice Sendak, are fab.

They are gentle and lovely to read.

fleacircus · 30/09/2013 11:10

Problem with Rainbow Magic is that reel the kids in, the series never ends and I have actually met children in year 7 whose parents rave about how much they read, but it turns out they only read Rainbow Magic. And they're all ghost-written by a corporate conglomerate, just like Sweet Valley High. And the fairies are basically bullying Jack Frost by excluding him from everything, which is probably why he's always trying to ruin their gender stereotyped fun.

ArabellaBeaumaris · 26/09/2013 21:35

oh, Sophie stories by Dick King Smith

ArabellaBeaumaris · 26/09/2013 21:35

Think most of my suggestions have been mentioned already but can add

Anna Hibiscus
Sam Pig

We have several collections of "stories for 5 year olds" type things - often edited by Stephen & Sara Corrin, & there are some lovely stories in there. Also a collection ed. by Leila Berg called "tales for telling" (I think).

Original poster
tiredbutnotweary · 26/09/2013 21:30

Thank you so much for posting everyone - lots of great ideas for me to look into Smile!

I should have added that she does love silly (Winnie the Witch rather than Horrid Henry silly iyswim)!

Thanks again Flowers

OP posts:
PuzzledBear · 26/09/2013 11:16

Yes yes to My Naughty Little Sister, Teddy Robinson and Milly Molly Mandy. All completely unthreatening and lovely. Also try the Little Grey Rabbit stories by Alison Uttley.