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Original poster

Book recommendations needed for 6 year old girl (Marina, Frogs??)

56 replies

marialuisa · 08/01/2007 11:43

DD is nearly 6 and is an exceptionally voracious reader,(sorry to sound so boastful but it is relevant!)I am struggling to find new material for her and would be really grateful for any ideas. Until now she has been happy with lots of "girly trash", e.g. Felicity Wishes, Rainbow Fairies, My Secret Unicorn but during the Christmas holidays she said that although she still enjoys the stories "the books are mostly the same story".

She has worked her way through most of the "usual suspects" for this age group, e.g. Mrs Pepperpot, Pippi Longstocking, Naughty Little Sister so I've more or less run out of steam from dredging my memory banks. DD is very girly and won't go near Roald Dahl and has surprised me by loathing some popular choices such as Clarice Bean and Olga da Polga.

She reads a lot of non-fiction and school are very helpful on this front, but she wants stories too and given she's expressed an interest in moving beyond the realms of the Tiara Club I'd like to help. Sadly our town doesn't have an independent bookshop so we can't go and search there.

TIA

OP posts:
Marina · 08/01/2007 12:54

Someone mentioned Usborne a while back - they do some very nice early readers and also some biographical books for more confident readers, eg Florence Nightingale. Ds loved the volumes on notable males at your dd's age MariaLuisa.
Agree with everyone who recommended the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, they are lovely. Also agree with those who said Animal Ark are ghastly - they are apparently written to a format by contract writers, yuck.
Charlotte's Web is a lovely story, and also Lotte and Lisa by Erich Kastner.
Also maybe a good volume of fairy tales - Berlie Doherty did a nice one with illustrations by Jane Ray.
And as well as her novels for children, Joan Aiken has done a beautiful collection of folk tales, A Necklace of Raindrops.

Original poster
marialuisa · 08/01/2007 12:53

Yes, but the orphan thing in Rumer Godden is all quite gentle and sufficiently set in the past to be unthreatening to my rather over-sensitive DD! 6 year olds don't get to go on trains on their own any more, for example.

I really need a proper bookshop so we can have a rifle through some of the suggestions...

OP posts:
Enid · 08/01/2007 12:44

Edward Tulane
Winn dixie such a gorgeous gorgeous book

Enid · 08/01/2007 12:42

dd1 loves Kate diCamillo books - Beacuse of Winn Dixie and The Miraculous Joureny of Edward Tulane - I read them to her but I would think an able reader could manage them fine

They are BRILLIANT btw

frogs · 08/01/2007 12:39

Hmm, sounds as though the usual suspects have either been read already or dismissed!

Have you checked out Eva Ibbotson as an author? The best-known one is probably Journey to the River Sea which is a fantastic book and probably not beyond the reach of an able 6yo reader.

If she liked Rumer Godden, has she read The Diddakoi and the books about Japanese dolls -- IIRC Miss Happiness & Miss Flower, and Little Plum. There's an orphan angle to those books as well (and Journey to the River Sea too, come to that) which always goes down well with a certain type of little girl.

Noel Streatfeild is another rich source of girly books -- Thursday's Child is another orphan adventure with a feisty heroine, and then there's Ballet Shoes, White Boots (essentially Ballet Shoes with skates on) and sundry others.

I think Laura Ingalls Wilder might be okay on a 6yo -- I suspect my dd1 was onto them by that age. Start with Little House in the Big Woods which is the 'youngest' of the series and see if she goes for it. And there's Frances Hodgson Burnett by way of classics, particularly A Little Princess and The Secret Garden. The language is possibly a bit advanced for 6, but you could start by getting her the audiobook version from the library which is a good way of easing them into harder reading matter.

hth

Enid · 08/01/2007 12:36

(JackieNo - I meant Michael murporgo and jW probably too young for a 5 year old, Animal Ark is fine if deathly )

fennel · 08/01/2007 12:36

My 6yo is reading Jacqueline Wilson Lizzie Zipmouth - a few Jacqueline Wilson's are for this age group. This one is about step families, they are mostly about "issues". dd1 is really enjoying it. We also enjoy some of the Anne Fines for younger children (again, she writes for teenagers, and adults, too, so you have to choose the right level).

E Nesbitt The treasure seekers is going down well with my 6 and 5 yo dds, also the Narnia books. Mine aren't particularly voracious readers though so some of these books we read to them, but a good reading 6 year old would be OK with reading them themself

bakedpotato · 08/01/2007 12:28

Holly and Ivy is about orphans/homelessness etc!
How could I have forgotten The Little Girl and the Tiny Doll (Ardizzone)?

Enid · 08/01/2007 12:26

the enchanted horse is great
the laura ingalls wilder series is very old -fashioned and not at all red in tooth and claw!
The little white horse by elizabeth goudge is good

harry potter as someone has suggested?

Original poster
marialuisa · 08/01/2007 12:22

I've noted down some suggestions. Part of the problem is that I think of some books (e.g. Laura Ingalls Wilder) and think they seem very "old" (i.e. I didn't read them until I was 9/10) and in many ways she's quite sheltered. I really can't imagine her getting into Jacqueline Wilson (or is that I don't want her getting into JW, she's not 6 yet and although I've never read any of her books I have a vague idea they are about orphans, drugs, divorce!)

We have loads of Usborne non-fiction but I'd like to avoid any more sparkly, stage school series if possible.

Sorry, I've been very demanding, but I have this idea in my head that there are loads of lovely kids' stories that I don't think about because the only bookshop we have is a Waterstones chock full of Rainbow Fairies and JW.

I'll keep an eye out for any new posts.

Thanks so much for all your help.

OP posts:
wheelsonthebus · 08/01/2007 12:06

anything by jacqueline wilson. my friend's 6 yr old loves dustbin baby...(warning:graphic themes!)

Tinkerbell109 · 08/01/2007 12:05

Just read your link and wondered whether you had looked at any of the girl fiction from Usborne? I sell Usborne books and have just glanced at their 'Fame School' (6+) and 'Totally Lucy' (10+) range...has your daughter read any of these?

bakedpotato · 08/01/2007 12:04

if she liked Holly and Ivy, what about
Helen Clare, Five Dolls In A House
Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House series
Enid Blyton, The Island of Adventure series (no boarding schools)

JackieNo · 08/01/2007 12:01
JackieNo · 08/01/2007 12:01

I'd echo Enid's recommendation of Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf - stories I loved when I was young.

How about Arabel's Raven (and others in the same series), by Joan Aiken? Some of the language might be a bit too much, though, not sure.

Original poster
marialuisa · 08/01/2007 12:00

Loads more suggestions thanks! I'm embarrassed to say that we've been through most of those! The only Dick King Smith book she liked was "The Queen's Nose", she couldn't relate to the Sophie books at all.

OP posts:
Sobernow · 08/01/2007 11:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Lucycat · 08/01/2007 11:57

Here we are again on the 6 year old reading thread Jackieno!!

Original poster
marialuisa · 08/01/2007 11:56

Thanks, she doesn't mind Horrid Henry but is not over-bothered IYSWIM. Same with Animal Ark (she's not that keen on ickle, fluffy things).

DD has a sight problem and I haven't been able to find an edition of Wishing Chair that doesn't have miniscule text. I have an irrational loathing of Malory Towers etc. as my parents used these to "soften me up" for boarding school at 8 ys old and given that DD is slightly paranoid we're going to do the same to her I daren't go there.

Jeremy Strong sounds familiar, will check that out.

I guess I'm half wondering if there are some "classics" out there I've forgotten. She really enjoyed Rumer Godden's "Story of Holly and Ivy" for example.

Thanks for the replies though.

OP posts:
Lucycat · 08/01/2007 11:56

I'd echo Enid Blyton - my dd(also 6) likes the Secret Seven, although they are so old fashioned that you may well have to explain stuff to her, like how Peter never lets the girls join in with the adventures, and their ideas are never quite as good as the boys!!

Have a look at the Book People as well, they do great sets and if dd doesn't like them, you can always pass them on!!

Sobernow · 08/01/2007 11:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JackieNo · 08/01/2007 11:53

(Enid - oh dear, are they? DD is just starting on them - oh well, better reading that sort of thing than not reading at all, I guess. Have found the Rainbow Magic stuff pretty dire).

Enid · 08/01/2007 11:51

oh sorry nearly 6 they might be a bit old

Dick King smith Sophie books are good

Enid · 08/01/2007 11:50

god animal ark are painful

Enid · 08/01/2007 11:50

Michael Morpurgo The Butterfly Lion
Madeleine mcnabb The Enchanted Horse

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