books that are emotionally challenging

Please dont give your five year old goodnight mr tom.

It is a fabulous book and she should definitely read it one day but the chapter in which Tom finds William locked in a cupboard with his dead baby sister is not something any 5 year old should read.

Isabelle Allende also has a series of good books about a pair of preteen siblings who go in wild adventures in the jungle with their granny. Good strong final characters, excellent imagination and description.

Also recommend Wonder - DD was very taken with it in Y5 (also advanced reader!)
She is currently demolishing His Dark Materials.
Coraline went down well too.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr.

The Girls in the Velvet Frame by Adele Geras - family of Jewish sisters in Israel, their brother's gone to America to seek his fortune. Lovely book, all about emotions and relationships within a family.

The Missing Link series - genetic engineering etc.

I read Skellig a bit younger but that's definitely emotionally stretching. Feather Boy, Pig Heart Boy and maybe When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit?

Also Tunnels is pretty good - sort of an adventure story too, but lots of stuff about family and friendship.

And one that I just can't get the title for... It's about a boy who's given the job of remembering - all the colours and the past etc for his community, might be a bit post-apocalyptic.. I'll come back tomorrow if I can think of the name!

I also loved a series set in Northern Ireland during the troubles, of a couple of teenagers from across the divide, but can't recall titles / author

GOodnight Mr Tom is absolutely fantastic! Also Kensuke's kingdom by Michael Morpurgo is a book you can get a lot out of.

Should say, while I read them as a teenager, they'd be ideal for yr 5, I am just old so they weren't written until I was in secondary!

Diana Wynne Jones would be absolutely fine. Homeward Bounders is heartbreaking :( (At least, I found it so as a teenager, wept buckets.) The Power of Three is also lovely.

Ursula Le Guin books are fab. Also those by Dianna Wynn Jones, alth can't recall enough to be certain of age appropriateness

Good night Mr tom is emotionally challenging. Our school reads it in year 6.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0140348034/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1423694874&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40&keywords=earthsea&dpPl=1&dpID=51XYHANBB9L&ref=plSrch

The Earthsea books by Ursula Le Guin are wonderful - I really enjoyed them at a similar age

I'm truly amazed that no-one has recommended Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. Choose that [gavel]

The Bridge tomTerrabithia by K Paterson - content is fine for a year 5 and whilst it is not a diffickt read it it is very emotional and makes you think about friendship etc.

There's a Boy in the Girls Bathroom by Loiis Sachar - about bullying but it makes you look at the bully in a different light. Written with humour. It does make you think.

Wonder by RJ Palacio - about. Abou with a facial deformity and how he copes. Beautiful story. Heart rending in parts.

Once by Maurice Gleitzman - WW2 through thr eyes of a h young Jewsih boy trying to avoid the Nazis and find his family. Sad. Emotional. Beautifully written

Holes is brilliant - recommended by dd's y5 teacher.

Second the Anne books, no inappropriate content there but emotionally could stretch her if she can t round the language (very good for her vocabulary though)
Emily series by the same author
And the Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett was another great suggestion.
Can't remember what age I was but I used to love Tamora Pierce still waiting for them to come out on Kindle

Love, Aubrey

Beautiful book made me cry

Weirdstone of Brinsingamen by Alan Garner. Forced to read it in Year 5 and Year 8. Hated it!

Family From One End Street, which I loved.

Street Child by Berlie Doherty. About the reasons why Bernardo's was founded.

Anne of Green Gables series.

Swallows & Amazons.

Not 'emotionally challenging' as such, but Frances Hardinge's books might be worth checking out, for complex language and plot, whilst still being perfectly suitable for yr 5. I love the use of names in Fly by Night particularly (Eponymous Clent being my favourite).

Has she read The Sword in the Stone; lots of complex ideas and again beautiful use of language.

Also the lemony snickett series. Would be a brilliant bridge between her actual age and her reading age.

Narnia series

Alice in wonderland
Gullivers travels.

This is what I do. I seek out good books and proselytise about them.
I love these threads.
And young children you get excited by book suggestions

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making www.amazon.co.uk/dp/178033981X/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_4m82ub04CM583

I haven't read this but it comes up on my amazon suggestions and has a great review from Neil gaiman.

Also jonney and the bomb, truckers, diggers and wings all by pratchett

George's Secret Key to the Universe www.amazon.co.uk/dp/055255958X/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_nk82ub1BCV2NN
A joint enterprise between Stephen hawking and his daughter Lucy.
Really good kids book that normalises some high end science