Bedtime story books for a reception aged boy

[justthinkingitover]

I've just read James and the Giant peach ( over a couple of weeks) to DS, but I think it was a bit too much and he found it boring he said. He seems to have lost interest in all the Gruffalo type short stories. Only thing he likes is a short Robin Hood we have by Usborne at the moment. Any suggestions for me to read to him please ?

Also, the Little Princess series are hilarious. And Charlie and Lola books are fabulous. Kids love books they can relate to from TV as well. Olivia the Pig books are gorgeous.

@IHateCoronavirus - read the reviews on Audible. I promise it’s not just me. X

We still read a lot of the picture books to our Reception aged son. I have tried the Magic Far Away Tree, but he didn’t really engage. His teacher suggested picture books would be better for consolidating his language at this stage. I did the same with my now 8 year old (& he is an excellent reader with very strong understanding now).

I think at that age I'd be doing predominantly picture books with a chapter book every so often if they seem interested. The Day the Crayons Quit, Stuck, Juniper Jupiter, Izzy Gizmo, The Superhero Hotel are all good funny books for this age. I also love Jeannie Baker's books which are mainly wordless and provoke lots of interesting discussion - Mirror and Window are my favourites. The Happy Families series is fun, as are the You Choose books. My son also loves Asterix but that hasn't aged so well in terms of racism, so you may need to do a bit of talking around some of the images. Non-fiction-wise the Usborne See Inside series and Questions and Answers About... series are great.

The Enormous Crocodile has been a firm favourite for many years (it's collecting dust now, sadly).

Charlotte's Web was a hit with my kids.

The Day the Crayons Quit is wonderful!

I'd agree with any stories with plenty of pictures at this age.

We have these Ladybird Classic Tales As well as being great stories, we've continued to use them a lot in school work in Year 1/2. They will also be suitable books for your son to read independently down the line.

DD was given the Usborne Reading collection and absolutely loved them. They make a good bridge between picture books and chapter books.

A Squash and a Squeeze. My dgs used to laugh so hard at this.
Peace at Last

We've got one called who flung dung that my DC love

Winnie the witch series is good - there are illustrated large format colour illustrated ones, and easy chapter books to work on to.

@Doublechins - my kids loved Who Flung Dung! They also loved Stinky Bill... (There was a sequel, too!) Stinky Bill is about a dog whose nemesis - (a terrible great aunt) comes to stay and is determined to wash him. He manages to get up to all kinds of trouble evading her clutches. The illustrations are fabulous. My kids call their father Stinky Bill occasionally. 🤭🤣🤭

I think it's a tricky age. We are currently reading Harry Potter (a few pages a night) but honestly it's too old for him but he wanted it as he is obsessed with the lego game. Prior to that we have read Thomas the Tank Engine, Mr Men, Gobbolino the Witches Cat, Faraway Tree, the Little Prince etc. I am thinking Charlie and the Chocolate Factory next. However, I have noticed when he is tired (eg near end of term) we need to go right back to easy picture books for a few days.

My eldest liked monsters so wanted kids versions of Greek myths and Beast Quest and Magic Treehouse.

Thanks everyone, I've made a big list of all the suggestions to research !

@OppsUpsSide we literally have all the books you mentioned, plus poo in the zoo the sequel- the great poo mystery and Ds has become so meh about them. We used to do 3 books a night, but reduced to 2. We had a phase of 1 book and an short audio CD. Then we started on Paddington CD, which me & DH were loving ( read by Stephen Fry) but he lasted about 2 weeks before not wanting it. There's about 7 CDs. But to everything he says "I don't like that now" in whinging voice , "I'm boring" ( ha ha, bless him 😬 He means it's boring) I can sometimes say it's for his younger sister and he will sit and listen in protest.

@Weepingwillows12 could just be tiredness, but as some had given me James and the giant peach I thought I'd try it. We have just started on a Rupert annual that the Grandparents sent, my Dads favourite and it has two formats comic and then more text. He is keen on the comic with the pictures, but can't seem to focus to listen to the longer text.

I'm going to try to download some books from the library's app to try.

Ohh DS did ask me to read Paddington letters to him this morning ! 🙌 So I thought I'd mention he had been quite keen on the Paddington books pre Christmas and the tv show on C5.

My 5yr old is a bit bored of picture books but loses interest quickly in chapter books. We have a few 5 minute story books (mostly superhero themed!). The stories are a bit more grown up (no rhyming!) but still lots of pictures and short enough to keep his attention 5-Minute Marvel Stories (5-Minute Stories) www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1368026672/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_V9EFRG7SYGDXKVJD36Q6?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I came on to suggest Rupert...reading the couplets works well if you can cope with doggerel.

DS 4yo has (thankfully) progressed from a Mr Men obsession to a Winnie-The-Pooh phase. He absolutely loves WTP, and each chapter is more or less a standalone story, so he has one or two chapters per night. I really enjoy them too.

Btw, avoid the Captain Underpants books. They’re badly-written and will drive you bonkers. Boys like them for reading by themselves, though. (I’d rather stab myself in the eyeball with a fork than be subjected to one of those again!) Also, the David Walliams ones were a bit shit and a lot patronizing. Very much derivative of Roald Dahl and removed from the modern world.

At that age, I was bored stiff with Magic Treehouse and Dinosaur Cove. He also lived Dr Seuss. Moving on to Astrosaurs and Beast Quest. Mainly very formulaic but enjoyed by my youngest for ages. The older one move on more quickly to Roald Dahl and How to train your Dragon.

DD loved Mr Men at that age, then
moved on to the Rainbow Fairies books & the ones with animals (can’t remember the name!).

Roald Dahl she read herself (and loved) from about age 7?

My Naughty Little Sister
Milly, Molly, Mandy
Polly and the Wolf
Jonny Duddle series

All enjoyed by my DS4. He likes gentler books.

We just read the Twits - our first Roald Dahl - DD loved it.
Also the Worst Witch series - maybe more nostalgia for me and an intro before we go for Harry Potter?!
Lots of picture books here tho still, and lots of those books with small pictures around the edge of each page of things to find in the main picture.

The jolly postman mine loved it at that age

I have 5yo DTs and there are some great suggestions here, thank you!

I would add any Supertato books, which they love, and 'searching' books like the Little Bears series and ones like Pirates in the Supermarket. Mine also enjoy their personalised Librio and Beans & Sparks books that they got for Christmas

Any of the Alfie stories by Shirley Hughes