Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

Original poster

Roald Dahl too long.... Help!

35 replies

grey12 · 28/03/2023 05:05

Hi!
I need your advice :)

My daughter loves books but isn't too keen on reading them herself.....

I've bought her a couple of Roald Dahl books but she's finding them too long. After one chapter she's expecting the story to be somewhere more exciting and it isn't 🤷🏻‍♀️ So she's giving up..... I could read it for her but she needs the practice! Really needs it (UK system not really allowing children to defer a year doesn't work at all!! Broken!!)

I wasn't born in the UK, english isn't my first language so I'm not as familiar with books here.

I am looking for a inbetween book. Chapter book but small. Interesting, exciting. Anything comes to mind?

Thank you!

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
KingCharlesCoronation · 08/05/2023 20:42

Also Mr Men books are good for building confidence.

KingCharlesCoronation · 08/05/2023 10:08

The Big, Big, Big Book of Tashi by Anna and Barbara Fienberg is a good book for giving children the illusion of having read a lot, when actually the text is quite short with big pictures. My son didn't find it babyish and it gave him a sense of achievement to get through such a seemingly long book.

mogtheexcellent · 03/05/2023 09:19

My daughter hates roald dahl. Shes just not interested in them.

For a first chapter book she loved the princess in black series followed by worst witch.

Finchgold · 03/05/2023 09:07

There’s an early reader version of Roald Dahl books that might be worth trying. They are quite dated though so I’m not sure kids are as in to them as we were.

Graphic novels are good for early readers. Narwhal and Jelly, Bumble and Snug or slightly more factual A Day In The life of a Poo, a Gnu and You.

Moonlaserbearwolf · 02/05/2023 18:03

I recommend Horrid Henry and Winnie the Witch - they were the two series that my struggling reader loved. Winnie the Witch has picture books and chapter books, so you could start with picture books and move to the chapter books if she likes them.

Faraway Tree is another good one, but perhaps better if you read that to her. My daughter loved it (and it’s great for discreet chapters), but found it harder to engage with when she tried reading herself.

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 02/05/2023 17:55

@grey12 how is your DD now?

LittleBearPad · 22/04/2023 09:59

Echo posters asking which Roald Dahl’s. Some are much easier than others - Fantastic Mr Fox is a fantastic Wink early reader. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory not so much.

Faraway Trees are good for being episodic.

Sarahkxx · 22/04/2023 09:56

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 10/04/2023 17:43

Macaroni46 · 28/03/2023 22:26

Primary teacher here. There's a lot of value in you reading to her. I would suggest you take it in turns. You read a page, then her, etc
That way she gets to enjoy the books she's interested in and to partially read them.

That is really good advice, especially if you are reading to her before bed and she's tired.

DD found reading a little challenging at first. We went to the library and let her choose some books. Most libraries will have a few "early reader" type books.

EwwSprouts · 29/03/2023 22:30

Have you let her read shorter books but that come with more complex language? So she's learning but not put off by the length. You need you need to keep it fun. Used to work for a literacy charity and they advocate harder picture books up to the end of primary school.
Hairy McClary Rumpus at the Vets - look at the words so many will be new to her as a reader
Hubert Horatio Barton Bobton Trent
Geronimo Stilton
The incredible book eating boy

Talkwhilstyouwalk · 29/03/2023 13:27

My daughter is the same. I read a page then she reads a page - works a lot better for us as it means we make progress with the story at a better pace whilst she gets used to reading chapter books.

She quite liked the twits and George’s marvellous medicine but didn't want to read pages and pages of it herself so we took turns.

She is currently quite enjoying the Animal Ark books.

WhoHidTheCoffee · 29/03/2023 07:45

My DC is 7 and loves the 13 storey treehouse books. But we also started with The Twits by Roald Dahl and that worked really well - we’ve since read Matilda together.

stressbucket1 · 28/03/2023 22:37

13 storey treehouse books are great, not too much text and the kids get through the books faster so don't lose interest.
Sophie kinsella mummy fairy and me books are in between too, as are the rainbow fairy ones.

Tinybrother · 28/03/2023 22:35

The worst witch

flat stanley

also agree about looking for chapter books where each chapter is a complete story

Littlebummybums · 28/03/2023 22:32

Toto the ninja cat

Macaroni46 · 28/03/2023 22:26

Primary teacher here. There's a lot of value in you reading to her. I would suggest you take it in turns. You read a page, then her, etc
That way she gets to enjoy the books she's interested in and to partially read them.

yoshiblue · 28/03/2023 22:15

How old is she? The Usborne reading book sets are excellent, often condensed version of stories.

She may enjoy Tom Gates or Treehouse books. They were the first big books my DS felt comfortable to read.

OpposableThumbs2 · 28/03/2023 22:13

Isadora Moon / Mirabelle
Rescue Zoo series
Rainbow Fairies
Faraway Tree
Brownies stories
Lizzie & Lucky

These are all books my daughter enjoys.

Needmorelego · 28/03/2023 22:06

As someone said - which Roald Dahl's did you get and how old is she?
George's Marvelous Medicine
The Twits
The Enormous Crocodile
These are all 'starter' Roald Dahl books good for early readers.
I remember as a child reading The Witches, BFG, Matilda etc wasn't something most children did until they were about age 9. Have you got books that are just a bit too old for her?

stargirl1701 · 28/03/2023 22:03

Wigglesbottom Primary is younger Pamela Butchart series.

Drywhitefruitycidergin · 28/03/2023 21:57

Worst Witch
Sophie series by Dick King-Smith
Isadora Moon
Pamela Butchart school stories - there is a series aimed at younger readers but I can't remember which way round they are.

stargirl1701 · 28/03/2023 21:55

Kitty series by Paula Harrison

Isadora Moon series by Harriet Muncaster

Puppy Academy series by Gill Lewis

Dave the Pigeon series by Swapna Haddow

Barrington Stoke Little Gems

33goingon64 · 28/03/2023 21:52

Atticus Claw series

Talipesmum · 28/03/2023 21:50

How to train your dragon books are great

Hollytreenew · 28/03/2023 21:45

Dick King Smith.
Second lots of the suggestions mentioned by other posters too.

Swipe left for the next trending thread