Adventure Fantasy books for an almost 5 y/o and his 2 y/o little sister?

[RhiannonElward]

I need some advice about what book to buy next. I'm coming to the end of Enid Blyton's The Little Toy Engine and Other Stories, my boy is really enjoying having a collection of stories but they are quite dated and not quite adventurous enough. I'm looking for a collection of adventure or fantasy stories that will capture his imagination and make him laugh, but be short enough to read in one sitting without his little sister getting bored and talking over me.

I've seen Terry Pratchett's Dragon's at Crumbling Castle, has anyone read that? I'm worried the stories might be a little long or a bit old for them. Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated. I really want to make the most of bedtime stories and make a couple of bookworms out of my little monkeys.

Thanks in advance.

The 5yo would probably like the Beast Quest series. Not sure the 2yo would be up to them though. I'd read separate stories at that stage if I could. What mine enjoyed at 2yo and what they enjoyed at 5 yo were totally different.

Thanks for the reply, I'll look into the Beast Quest series. I read them separate stories until recently, though they both enjoy some books (like the Mr Men and Little Miss books, I do find it hard to amuse them both. The problem is that they share a room and we've got into a routine of snuggling into one bed together for our story and I want to keep it up, it's my favourite part of the day.

If you think of anything else, please let me know :)

I've just read Dragon's at Crumbling Castle, and I wouldn't particularly recommend it for a 5yo. The stories are okay, but TP says himself that he wasn't such a good writer then. And I think some of the humour would go over his head.

My 5yo really likes the Sir Charlie Stinky Socks stories - there aren't many stories, but the pictures are great and they bear rereading.

(Beast Quest? Really? My elder DS loved them but there is no way I would choose to read them.)

The How to Train Your Dragon books are very good and full of adventure (and the audiobooks read by David Tennant are fab!). Probably too much for a 2yo though.

How about My Naughty Little Sister stories? I know they're not really fantasy, but they are very engaging and funny, and the right sort of length. My 5yo really enjoys them.

Cornflakegirl once you've read some Rainbow fairies, then Beast Quest seems like classic literature.

I read them to ds at that age and he loved them enough to encourage him to read them to himself. Before that he wouldn't touch anything that wasn't factual.

I know a four year old who is being read How To Train Your Dragon, and who is loving it. My 12 year old still loves it.

When mine was much, much smaller, he used to have either three picture books, or three chapters of a chapter book read to him every night. When it was Beast Quest, there was more than one occasion when I fell asleep halfway through (I'd been working a hell of a lot), only to have Tiny!DS wake me about 10 pm as I snoozed beside him, and he'd just finished the whole damn book by himself! Beast Quest isn't War and Peace, true, but they are pretty compelling when you are 6.

At the picture-book end, have you gone through all of Maurice Sendack?

And I read mine Narnia pretty young - he loved it, but I'd not bother with The Last Battle.

The No. 1 Car Spotter isn't fantasy, but each chapter is a stand alone 'adventure' in which a young boy solves a problem - I reckon it might appeal.

The Winnie the Witch chapter books are nice to read out loud.

I know it's more Blyton but The Magic Faraway Tree seems to have stood the test of time reasonably well (and modern editions are somewhat updated).

Thanks for the responses, there are a lot of ideas here I hadn't thought of. It looks like I have a Christmas wishlist to make :)