Books like Rainbow Magic series?

[MrsYoung]

DD1's 5th birthday is in a couple of weeks. She got loads of the Rainbow Magic books for Christmas and we've been reading those before bed. She LOVES them but I'm slowly losing the will to live.
Any suggestions for similar books but well, a bit better really?!

Oh god, they're soul-destroying, aren't they? Don't know about similar things but, at a similar age, my DDs also liked the Faraway Tree and Wishing Chair. And the Magic Toyshop books are good (written by Jessie Little, who is not a single person but the same group of writers as Rainbow Magic). Oh and TumTum and Nutmeg are lovely too.

Little Animal Ark books are in a similar vein - especially if DD is reading them herself. If you are reading to her then there is a more difficult version just called Animal Ark - but involving the same characters - basically about a girl whose parents are vets.

dd liked the fairy house books

Jewel Princess series. Not necessarily better, just not fairies!

Iggy & Me series, by Jenny Valentine. A modern day version of the My Naughty Little Sister books, which your daughter might also like.

Amelia Jane books, by Enid Blyton.

The Battersea Dogs and Cats Home books, by Sarah White. Each book is a dog's name eg Coco, Max.

Magic Puppy, and Magic Kitten, books by Sue Bentley.

Sheltie books by Peter Clover (Sheltie is a Shetland pony).

If she likes animals my dd likes the dick king-smith books. And another fan of the magic faraway tree and enchanted wood here

Thank you so much everybody! Lots of stuff to have a look at. We finished another set of the fairy ones last night, not sure I can take anymore!

Darcy Bussell's magic ballerina series. They are better than the rainbow fairies but only marginally. But if she likes ballet she will love them,

(DH reckons he can read rainbow magic without actually listening to himself! But we learnt our lesson with DD1 and DD2 has been swiftly introduced to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. She can read fairy shit herself if she wants it)

The Beast quest are much better. Or maybe that's because I've just come new to them with ds after dd1 and dd2.

DD age 6 loves the Rescue Princesses series. They save animals and each have special skills. She also likes the Enchanted Palace series.We've read all Holly Webb books so far. I personally like those best for literary appreciation!

Sophie and the Shadow Woods (series of 6) is quite well written with a feisty heroine.

The worst Witch books.

well if you could face mermaids then the Book People have the mermaid series of 12 books for £9.99 at the moment. they are the same idea as the fairies but at least a slight change...

otherwise try Worst Witch, Naughtiest Girl in the School, Roald Dahl (not sure if you are reading them to her or her reading them - my 5 year old wouldn't tackle Roald Dahl yet), Some of the Early Reader series (The Kitten with No Name by Vivian French was very popular with my daughter), Winnie the Witch (they do chapter books now or the nice picture books), Katie Morag (book people do a set of 8 mini books of these too, very small print but nice pictures, pocket sized and I like the stories), Katie in the Art Gallery books by James Mayhew (beautiful pictures, introducing all the major authors like Monet etc with a little girl who climbs into the pictures and has little adventures, they are picture type books but there is a lot of text), Lighthouse Keeper's cat/picnic/lunch (again picture type books but lots of text) erm what else have we got. erm Dick King Smith, Rumer Godden, Ramona books, Mammoth Academy (another set I got cheap on Book People - am starting to think I keep them in business!), Humphrey the Hamster books (he is the class hamster who gets out of his cage and goes off on adventures) Magic Toyshop - Jessie Little wrote them I think.
can't think of any more at the moment

Anne Fine's Jamie and Angus series

DD's reading the My Naughty Little Puppy series by Holly Webb at school at the moment. I quite like this series. Nicely written, and not a goblin or fairy in sight :o

thats good to know about the Naughty Little Puppy ones. we have them on the bookcase.