Recommendations for very able year 3 reader?

[RueDeWakening]

I'm after ideas for books that DD might like. She's a voracious reader, has gone through Secret Seven, Famous Five, Wimpy Kid, Holly Webb series, Mr Gum, David Walliams, Roald Dahl & Gwyneth Rees to give you an idea of what she likes.

She's currently reading Horrible History, Gruesome Geography (or whatever it's called) and her home reader is Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - we've told her she can't read the next one till the next summer holidays as she's too young - not 8 till the summer term.

Thanks for any suggestions!

The Charlie Bone series is in the same vein as Harry Potter but much less dark - the author Jenny Nimmo has also written quite a few other books that dd liked tho can't remember the titles off hand.

Swallows and Amazons series are good for younger enthusiastic readers - lovely stories, 12 of them and they're very long

Other old favourites dd liked at that age - the Wombles chapter books, Professor Branestawm books, the earlier books in the Little House series, Olga da Polga (and of course Paddington if she hasn't read them already). Abebooks is great for old classics very cheaply if you can't find things in your library.

All the many many LHOP books are bril but not " unscary" if you are worried about that. REmember the Indians coming to see Ma?

Swallows and amazons- idyllic.

Buy everything the book people sell cheaply and re sell it on ebay/amazon after!

THese look bril!

www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_product_tbp?productId=477203&storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=100&topCatId=85207&categoryId=48107&filters=2a6&facetGroupName=Age&facetOptionName=9+years+%2b

Thanks Takver - not heard of Charlie Bone, I'll investigate that one! I'm sure we've got/read some Jenny Nimmo before and DD enjoyed them so they sound a good possibility.

I'd not thought of the Little House books, don't know if she'd have the patience for them yet but will have a go. We've done Olga da Polga etc, but not Swallows & Amazons - long has definite attractions :o

Theas - thanks, she's not great with scary or emotional stuff - feels things quite deeply and will sob all over books/films/etc, especially if she feels something is unfair or someone is being left out/treated badly so I'd rather avoid anything too tricky just yet. And yes, I'm one of the Book People's best customers. Thanks for the link, they look just the sort of thing :)

There are Horrible Science books by Nick Arnold, if she likes that sort of thing. Also Impossible (?) Maths, by Kjarten Poskett. I do not get why anyone reads those maths books, but your DD may like them!

Humphrey the Hamster books by Betty Birney.

The My Story historical books by a variety of authors. One is called Egyptian Princess, can't remember the others but they cover a huge historical period.

Middle School and Dork Diaries are very popular where I work. Maybe a bit old in content for a Y3, but I would link them with Wimpy Kid.

Worst Witch by Jill Murphy.

Street Child by Berlie Doherty is a modern day classic. Not too difficult to read.

Anything by Jeremy Strong.

Ah, yes - definitely stop before you get to the Little House book where Jack dies . . . dd was in tears for a very long time over that one.

Talking of sob-provoking stories (but in a better way), has she read A Little Princess?

And on a more cheerful note, but on a princess theme, I'm sure she'd like The Ordinary Princess if she's not read it already.

Also, what about the Wizard of Oz series?

Michael morpurgo does great stories. Mainly animal based, many, but not all, are also associated with war. Start with the butterfly lion and kensuke's kingdom

My DD (just turned 8 and just gone into Yr4) sounds very similar. I am casting my mind back over everything she has read this year and there are some overlaps with previous posts:

Swallows and Amazons - she LOVES them. She is on the the sixth, I think.
Famous Five - devoured the lot
The Ordinary Princess - M M Kaye
All of the Worst Witch series - Jill Murphy
The Railway Children
The Good Master - Kate Seredy (if you can track down a copy)
The Land of Green Ginger
The Clumsies

101 Dalmatians
Charlotte's Web
Black Beauty
Roddy Doyle
Green Smoke

The Children of Green Knowe by Lucy Boston - there is a series of about 5 books. Slightly scary but in a mysterious sort of way - there are ghosts, but they are children's ghosts and quite chummy!

Have a look at these newish ones;

Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy - great adventure style novel, beautifully written.

Waffle Hearts wonderfully written novel about friendship.

The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas - great fun from David Almond.

the Violet Mackerel series - very cute series, she may find these a little easy ... so check them out in the library first. They are very good.

Happy reading!!!

At 8yo dd1 read Roman Mysteries, Alex Rider series, Nancy Drew, Joan Aiken
Dd2 read lots of classics: Secret Garden, Little Princess, Swallows and Amazons, Anne Frank's Diary, Green Knowe series, Narnia, Little Women, What Katie Did, Mary Poppins, Wizard of Oz etc. Some Jacqueline Wilson and lots of my older GO fiction like the Chalet Schools and Gwendoline Courtney.

Ds (who's 7yo) loves the horrible science books, anything to do with WWII fact or fiction, is currently reading Cue for Treason which he is on the edge of his seat with... they've just met William Shakespeare, and he thinks because he is real that there is a chance the whole story is true and he's trying to prove it. . I await him reading The Eagle is Landed when he's older

Fairy Detective Agency

Ha, DeWee, you don't think I'm letting her near any of my CS books do you? :o

Thanks for all the suggestions, we're off to the library on Saturday so will have a browse and see what we come up with.

When mine were that age they loved the Ramona Quimby books by Beverley Clearly (sp?), and anything by Roald Dahl. Also anything by Gene Kemp, especially the Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler which is a lovely story set in a primary school, with an unexpected surprise at the end! DD2 liked Michael Morpurgo's books though DD1 wasn't that keen on them. Both were pretty avid readers, but they didn't get to the ones on DeWee's list till a year or two later (and not Anne Frank's diary until after that). Mary Poppins was a lot harder than I'd imagined it would be, and there's an entire series of them - mine read their way through all of them, probably in about Y4 or 5. Ditto Noel Streatfeild.

I remember reading the just William books around year 3. Also Heidi and the Katy books.

Has she read Glitterwings Academy? There is a set of 15 of them, quite nice boarding school for fairies stories, read in Yr 2 here but my daughter will re-read them even now at 8.

We did those, everything Enid Blyton including the mysteries series which is often forgotten about. Harry Potter, Swallows and Amazons, Ballet Shoes, again lots of classics and Horrible Histories, the Borrowers Omnibus is great too.

Didn't like Michael Morpugo at all here and I bought the boxed set.

There are some unusual books out there (recommended by our English Teacher) that are nice - look for The Moffats series (fun at this age), Emil books (Emil and the Detective, Emil and the Twins, etc.) are also very nice but written in the first person so slightly more difficult.

I buy all our books (probably 12-15 a month) because our local library is tiny and I have to pay 75p to order something in. I often buy used online really economically for instance the Borrowers Omnibus cost me £2.10, it has four stories in it and was much cheaper than fuel to the library and reservation fees. Of course if you don't live in the back of beyond you won't share my problem!

My DD is the same - am cribbing some ideas from this thread. Agree Swallows and Amazons is lovely. I've been enjoying lots classics that I didn't read as a child.

Anyone mentioned Mollie Moon books by Georgia Byng? DD liked at that age

At that age DS loved Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events (about 13 books I think), the Spiderwick Chronicles, and the Narnia books.

I'd not thought of the Little House books, don't know if she'd have the patience for them yet but will have a go.

We've read the first two to our DDs who are 5&6. They both loved LHITBW but DD1 got much more out of LHOTP, I would think a bright 7 year old would love it. We did read it with the ipad to look up things she didn't know and had long discussions about the Indians and who decided who owned the land. Really fabulous books for discussing difficult topics. And check out this Frontier Girl website with videos of her homes.

There's a good mix of books for average and more able readers on this Year 4 reading list.