Terry Pratchett books for children

[MeanwhileTime]

What is the easiest starter Terry Practchett book for children? I have a 9 year old who I think would really enjoy his stories but has found the one we have a bit too “wordy”. It’s Dragons at Crumbling Castle & other stories.

Are there any other simpler ones I could start her off on to try and get her interested? I think if she reads one she likes that will encourage her to try more. If not then I’ll just leave it for now and revisit it with her at a later date.

The Tiffany Aching series

What a about Diggers and the rest of that series by him?

Try the Bromeliad Trilogy: "Truckers", "Diggers" and "Wings". It's about a race of tiny people living alongside humans. Rather like the Borrowers but with Terry Pratchett's inimitable humour.

In the first book, "Truckers", a group living off scraps at a motorway station encounter a tribe living off the fat of the land in a department store. One lot have learnt about foxes from Ladybird books and the others from being eaten by them. The contrast in views is delightfully funny.

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, which is loosely inspired by the tale of the Pied Piper. I would say it’s suitable for age 7-8 and up.

you could also try some non Pratchett, like the Castle of Tangled Magic or House with Chicken Legs (can't remember the author just now) or the Dragon Realm Trilogy (only first two are published yet). Fantasy but a bit easier than Pratchett. My 9/10 yo loves the Tiffany Aching series but I do have to think some of the more complex stuff through with her, like what is ACTUALLY going on with the magic. Wee Free Men are brilliant though - Crivens!!

diana wynn jones for the house with chicken legs I think. Also known as Howl's moving castle (great film too).

no other suggestions, just following for the recommendations

Oh brilliant, thank you all. Will check all those recommendations out

My son absolutely LOVED the Bromeliad trilogy at that age. Definitely a good place to start.

I'd have thought if she's struggling with Dragons at Crumbling Castle, then Tiffany, Maurice, Diggers and the Carpet People will also be a struggle, and you don't want to put her off Pratchett.

I loved Diana Wynne Jones's Chrestomanci series, which I think of as easier than Howl's Moving Castle, but haven't read any of them for years, so could be misremembering their reading level.

Pratchett's Johnny Maxwell series is good, too.

I would say the Chrestomanci books are the same or slightly more difficult than Truckers etc.

Thoroughly recommend Cressida Cowell's How to Train Your Dragon series and Jill Murphy's Worst Witch books if Terry Pratchett is still rather hard going.

Diana Wynne Jones is wonderful but wrote for quite a wide age range. Wild Robert, The Four Grannies, Earwig the Witch and Who Got Rid of Angus Flint are some of her younger titles to look out for.

You could always read the Pratchetts to your DC. It's a good way to introduce a child to books slightly above his or her weight, and Terry Pratchett is such fun to read aloud.