Books similar to Dick King Smith's Sophie series and Jill Tomlinson's series The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark?

[carrotsandcelery]

My ds has loved the Dick King Smith Sophie series. I think he may actually have it memorised.

He has now moved on to the book "The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark" and "The Otter Who Wanted to Know".

Once he has completed this series though, I have no idea where we will go next.

He is 7 but has a few anxiety and mental health problems which mean that the route I took with Dd (Roald Dahl, How To Train Your Dragon etc) are way too scary and dark for him.

He needs something well written and with some depth to it but with no peril or scary bits in it.

Anyone got any suggestions?

Have you tried any of the other Dick King Smith books? Like Daggie Dogfoot or Tumbleweed?

They do have a bit of peril in them though, the first has a flood and the second he has to fight a dragon, so maybe too scary? Perhaps you could flick through and see what you think.

You might find a couple of Roald Dahl ones that are all right, I think Esio Trot should be ok.

How about the Just So stories? I would think they're mostly fine too, although there might be a couple you'd want to miss out, like the crocodile biting the elephants nose to stretch it.

What about:
The Worst Witch series
Swallows and Amazons (loads of depth and no scary bits at all)
House at One End Street series

I presume he's read the other books by Dick King Smith - I don't recall any of the ones that dd read having any potentially traumatic bits. Can't remember titles, but one about a princess & a pig, another about a girl who teaches her chicken to talk, there are loads of them.

Much less depth, but for lighter reading might he like the Animal Ark books? I can imagine they might appeal if he liked the Sophie series. Have a flip through as some (the earlier ones out of the millions!) are better written than the later ones IMO.

Also (quick look at dd's shelves!)

Professor Branestawm books
Wombles books (full length ones not the picture books)
No. 1 Car Spotter series and Anna Hibiscus books by Atinuke
Paddington books and also Olga da Polga also by Michael Bond

Thanks everyone. Paddington is spot on Takver but unfortunately we have read them several times. We have pet guinea pigs and have tried the Olga da Polga books but they didn't grip him. That was quite a while ago mind you so I will try them again. Thank you.

We have tried a few other Dick King Smith books and he has enjoyed most of them. I will keep hunting them out.

I haven't come across the Animal Ark books so I will have a hunt in the library.

He has the Just So stories on CD, sent to us by a lovely Mumsnetter actually, and he likes it so we could look for the book to read together too.

Lots of ideas to work through here. Thank you.

Has he also read the other Michael Bond books about Thursday the mouse? I've got 'Here Comes Thursday' from my childhood, but we had a couple of others from the library. A Mouse Called Thursday is the first one I think.

Ah, and thinking of mice, what about the Church Mice books - I know they are picture books but they are so lovely, dd (now nearly 10) was very happy to get a new one at christmas.

And indeed the Ottoline books, has he read those?

Try the 'Fudge' series by Judy Bloom and even 'Mrs Pepperpot.' I also love the 'Troll Trouble' books by Alan Macdonald - very funny.

I didn't know about the other Michael Bond books. I will have a look for them.

I had forgotten about "Fudge" - they should go down well and it has also reminded me of "Ramona and Beezus" which dd loved and should be fine for him.

I have never heard of "Troll Trouble" but I will look that up too.

Thank you for lots of very useful ideas.

Other Dick King-Smith ones my kids enjoyed were Magnus Supermouse, and A Mouse Called Wolf, and best of all How Green Was My Mouse.

Mr Majeika series.

Pippi Longstocking.

The Borrowers.

Anything by Jeremy Strong, such as the One Hundred Mile An Hour Dog.

Thank you for the further suggestions. They all look good options. I love Pippi Longstocking and The Borrowers and have copies of them in the house.

I imagine that Dick King Smith would be easily found in the library.