Recommendations for 6 year olds?

[Ismeyes]

DD will be 6 next month and as she is a bookworm, I would like to get her a little variety of books as a present. She can read independently and is currently working her way through the joy that is rainbow magic at the rate of 1-2 books a day. I'd like to broaden her horizons alittle as I'm sick of Rachel and Kirsty, does any one have any recommendations for books (preferably not huge series like rainbow magic) that will appeal to a 6 year old without being too far over their heads or inappropriate?

Calvin & Hobbes, Asterix, Tintin.
I guess you're ruling out Magic Kitten/Puppy/pony...?
DD fell in love with Astrosaurs, Horrid Henry & Dirty Bertie about that age.

How good is her reading, really, if you don't mind saying? Has she reached "free reader" status? I find on these threads a lot of folk recommend books which are more advanced than most 6yos can read (eg Enid Blyton). Fine if your child can handle, but mine couldn't handle very wordy books at just 6, even if they were excellent readers, they lacked the stamina.

Ergh, I loathe those Rainbow Magic books! Painful.
My 6yr old daughter loves The Worst Witch series by Jill Murphy, I think there are four or five of them. They're entertaining, appropriate stories for little girls, yet there's still interesting vocab in them. She's been reading them over and over for about a year now (interspersed with other things) and doesn't seem to have got bored of them. Dick King-Smith is popular, she particularly liked The Sheep Pig. Haven't tried Stig of the Dump yet. She's just finished Michael Morpurgo's The Butterfly Lion, which she enjoyed but needed help with some of the words, particularly the Afrikaans ones - she talks about 'kopjes' at the moment! Oh and Alexander McCall Smith's first children's one went down really well. She loved the idea of a dectective story. What else, she does enjoy Horrid Henry, although she wouldn't want to read through the whole set. Will have a think. Would love to hear others' suggestions too, as I should probably steer her to some new things.

Yes, she is a free reader at school and has been for a couple of months now. DD has ruled out magic kitten/puppy/pony - they just don't seem to appeal to her. She has read all the Jill Tomlinson animal books and enjoyed those - she just asks if she doesn't understand a particular word, and a couple of younger animal ark.

I think you make a good point about stamina and I'm just trying to find books that are interesting enough, but aren't going to knock her confidence.

The more advanced Dr Seuss like Horton hears a hoo, still have pictures on every other page.
Paddington chapter books or Paddington in the garden has great illustrations.
Mudpuddle farm

Watch out for Tintin for such a young reader Capt Haddock hits the bottle in many of them.

EB White (Charlotte's Web & the Trumpeter Swan).

TinTin also waves guns around quite a bit, I did wonder if should mention it, but kids often love it, every page a cliffhanger. Haddock is much less of a lush in the later books, btw. In Asterix they never stop thumping each other.

Myth books, the sorts with lovely illustrations & retelling classic myths/fables/fairy tales.

Thank you for all of the suggestions so far, I have a nice wish list building on Amazon.

Thumping is ok, she adores Tom and Jerry and it doesn't seem to have any adverse effects so far!

If your DD like Jill Tomlinson books, she may enjoy the "Sophie" books by Dick King Smith.

i doubt very much she manages truelly to read two of those books a day. dd same age loves horid henry, rohl dahl, she also loves quintin blake mr gum, very funny. Classic fables etc. I would add variety if I where you some poetry, illuistrated big books of information information, dd loves guiness book of records just now any thing usborne. she is also in to reading about other countries and facts etc, so i have invested in a couple of atlases and encyclopedias. my dd does find some of those rainbow type books and similar painfully boring and switches off from them and I tend to agree with her. they are painfully, non expressive crap!! they do not really help with developing or nurturing and real skill or love for rewading IMHO.

Definitely Dick King Smith - not just the Sophie books, but all the various animal books (The Invisible Dog is particularly sweet IMO)

Also the Anna Hibiscus books by Atinuke - a series, but there are only 4 or so, not 000s

And what about the regular Animal Ark books? A gentle step up from Rainbow magic but still the comfort of familiar characters etc

Have just introduced DD who is 6.5 to the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. I loved rhem when I was younger and still do :) is lovely discussing them with her. And the rainbow magic books are gathering some dust .

I also love the Sophie books although DD nor as interested (more mummy reading yo her rather than her curled up in bed reading them iyswim).

I'm not sure I understand why you doubt she is reading them turnigitonitshead, that is a pretty unsubstantiated statement. She reads them to me most of the time, so I'm quite sure I'm not imagining it. We have plenty of poetry and non-fiction, I was just looking for some recommendations for reading books.

I've added the Sophie books, thanks Woodrose.

Ismeyes - dd was exactly the same at that stage, she'd get 2 or 3 Rainbow magic books out the library & just sit & read straight through them. If it helps it may feel like forever but they do grow out of them (comfortably away from that stage now and more at the is-there-too-much-sex-or-violence-in-it stage, at least you don't have to worry about that just yet )

My friend's daughter who's a similar age is currently enjoying the Enid Blyton Enchanted Wood/Faraway Tree series.

My DD (now 8) LOVED the winnie the witch box set at that age - and still re-reads them all now. Also the Delphie series (written by good old Darcy Bussel). Delphie seems a bit of a step up and less "glittery" than the rainbow books. I bought both box sets from either the book people or amazon at a really good price.

Anne Fine Jamie and Angus

Astrid Lindgren Lotta books

The "Daisy" chapter books

My dd is currently reading the tumtum and nutmeg books by emily bearne.

she loves them and there are 7 books in the series. there are lots of basic everyday words in there, with a smattering of higher level words.

you asked for recomendations for books!! sorry i took that as books in geneal yoir child could read.

I doubted it as it would take a while for a child to read two of those books a day at least a couple of hours and i would wonder how she would fit it in let alone how you could fit it in having 2 of those books read out loud to you. I also said it as, my dd, who is also an avid reader and may at a push read one of those books a day, I dont think she would have the concentration or interent to read any more than that, she often sits with a book and looks at it, supposidly reading it and I feel she is going through the motions of reading but is not activly engaged with the story, just reading the words. I would also be concerned about her interest and involvement of other cativities if she was reading 2 books a day. she is similar age to your dd. so although I belive you, I doubt she is activly reading and comprehending and engaged with it. but that is my opinion and does not take away the recomendations for you even though you have now decided they are not what you are looking for despite being what you have asked for.

Ooh I missed all the cross posts, I got distracted. Thanks Takver, I knew my DD couldn't be the only one who whizzes through the rainbow magic books! We have Anna Hibiscus, she enjoyed that, I didn't realise there were more, so will look those up. I remember Ramona too Miranda! Yes, will add some of those. I've tried her with Enid Blyton, but she is not keen yet.

You are quite right, turnigitonitshead, I didn't specify reading books, apologies.

Otherwise, yes we do have time to do that, she is actively engaged with the reading and comprehending, it doesn't take two hours and she enjoys her other activities. We are a very bookish family and it is quite usual for both myself and DH to get through a book every couple of days, so perhaps it is inherited!

Hmm my dd could read one in an hour at 6 so I'm sure the op's dd is reading them particularly considering how addicted they can get with them.My dd 7 is now on number 50!!!!

Sorry I don't get the snobbery they're just cute formulaic twee books .They kick started my dd into devouring paperbacks.Dd will read 1 a night then a few chapters of something heavier.She has an amazing imagination and devours all types of books.Soooooo some that my dd has enjoyed in no particular order:-

Ivy and Bean(the entire lot,bloody fantastic and funny)
The Trouble With daisy series
Judy Blume The Pain and The Great One series
Enid Blyton Amelia Jane
Bella Donna series
The Worst Witch series
Chris Riddel's Ottoline books
Lauren Child's Pippi Longstocking
Anna Hibiscus series
Mrs Pepperpot
the easier Jacqueline Wilson books
Tumtum and Nutmeg series
Felicity Wishes series
Flat Stanley series
Horrid Henry
Spiderwick Chronicals
easier Roald Dahl
easier Rummer godden
Sophie series
Wimpy Kid series
Judy Moody series
Humphrey series
Madam Pamplemousse books
the big fat Usborne collected stories books

Lots more I can't remember, don't forget the more heavy weight picture books like Katie Morag,Percy the Park Keeper etc.

For more lightweight stuff(which I think they need just as much to keep them addicted to reading)dd has loved:-

The Fairy House series
Lily's Dressing Up Dreams series
The Secret Mermaid series
Magic Pony series
The Pony Mad Princess series

We're just getting into the meatier paperbacks now,masses of Enid Blyton I think starting off with The Wishing Chair books,The Faraway Tree books,Secret Seven,Famous Five etc,rest of the Roald Dahl books etc,etc

My dd reads a good 2 hours a day to herself now so don't worry re Rainbow Fairies-it's reading and a reading child is a good thing.

Wow, thanks for the list Mrs Heffley. I'll be putting in a big Amazon order tonight thanks to all the fantastic recommendations on here.

I have to make a rainbow magic birthday cake too, so yes, she is pretty obsessed!

You might not want to buy her the 42 box set from TBP for her bday if they're driving you insane which is what I did-she will read every one.

DD is also in the Rainbow Magic stage (I get told off for calling them rainbow fairies apparently that's only the first 7...). Other stuff I've forced onto her she's enjoyed are:

Tumtum & Nutmeg series
Jeremy Strong
Wishing Chair
Faraway Tree
Usborne fairy tales set
Dr Seuss books
Flat Stanley
Magic Treehouse series
Horrid Henry

Do use your library,don't buy the lightweight stuff as they literally devour them.My dd gets through around 10 a week as they're quite thin.The books on the long list last longer.The Lotta books are good too.Don't be scared of Horrid Henry.

If I had time I'd order the long list but Amazon often has a look and see thing to click or look in the library.

The Ivy and Bean sets come with a secret notebook and a lovely paper doll set.They are American though so may need more explanation re vocab. The Daisy books might be good to start with. Reading books in a series helps with confidence and fluency at this age.

By order I meant in order of difficulty.