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Children's books

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Original poster

'Happy' books for clever 8 year old girl

43 replies

Domino1 · 28/02/2015 22:37

My DD has just turned 8, loves to read & is bright but is being put off by seemingly appropriate books that become too scary e.g. Sisters Grimm book 2 & Madame Pamplemousse & the Sweet Shop. She has done & now bored by Enid B, has read Roald Dahl & adored Land of Stories by Chris Colfer. She said tonight she wants happy & non-scary books but pls no more a Rainbow Fairies(!) Any help pls?

OP posts:
MoonlightandMusic · 28/02/2015 22:42

The Little House on the Prairie series perhaps? Or the What Katy Did ones?

InkleWinkle · 28/02/2015 22:43

Second Little House on The Prairie.

Also any David Walliams books?

Roseformeplease · 28/02/2015 22:46

What about the Molly Moon books - Georgia Byng. DD loved them.

Delphine31 · 28/02/2015 22:48

I'm a bit stumped with this as most books I can think of have peril of some sort.

I had a phase of reading the 'Babysitters little sister' books around that age which are a spin off of the better known Babysitters Club books which might be a bit old for her just at the moment.

I think these are generally happy books.

I'll keep thinking. I seemed to read for hours every night at that age but my mind has gone blank as to what I was reading.

Worst Witch books? I adored those.

traviata · 28/02/2015 22:48

Clever Polly & the Stupid Wolf
Professor Branestawm
My Friend Mr Leakey
Fattipuffs & Thinifers (some conflict but not scary)
The Indian in the Cupboard
How to Train your Dragon

EmpressOfJurisfiction · 28/02/2015 22:54

Jeremy Strong's My Brother's Famous Bottom series, starting with My Dad's got an Alligator. Pure comedy heaven.

Delphine31 · 28/02/2015 22:56

Ooh just remembered 'George Speaks'. Very funny light hearted book.

wickedlazy · 28/02/2015 22:59

You could take her to the library and let her take her time looking through and picking a few books?

CliveCussler · 28/02/2015 22:59

The Mr Gum series. Not particularly challenging or literary, but very very funny.

Ruby Redfort series (Lauren Child)

Eva Ibbotson books.

will think of some more

NakedFamilyFightClub · 28/02/2015 23:00

How about Arthur Ramson's Swallows and Amazons? Or the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer?

Tokelau · 28/02/2015 23:03

Ballet Shoes, White Boots, and the four Gemma books, all written by Noel Streatfeild.

beatricequimby · 28/02/2015 23:03

How about some classics? Ballet Shoes and White Boots by Noel Streatfeild. Five Children and it and the sequels by E nesbit. The Ramona series by Beverly Cleary. The Melendy books by Elizabeth Enright. I also have an 8 year old dd and she enjoys all of these.

northender · 28/02/2015 23:04

Can't remember the authors name (Gill Lewis maybe) but dd loved a series of books which includes Scarlet Ibis.

Tokelau · 28/02/2015 23:04

And another one, The Swish of the Curtain by Pamela Brown, one of my favourites at that age, and my DD loved it too.

northender · 28/02/2015 23:05

Should've said, dd read them at age 9

vdbfamily · 28/02/2015 23:11

My 8 year old read the Narnia collection over half term and loved them.Also likes Roman mysteries.

goneanonymous · 28/02/2015 23:17

In our school when I am in doing reading with years 3 and 4 the more able readers are really enjoying the Anna Hibiscus books by Atinuke I love them too.

PigeonPie · 28/02/2015 23:27

Has she read the Nellie the Monster Sitter series by Kes Gray? DS1 really enjoyed them. Quite gentle, but with inevitable or amusing disasters happening to the monsters which she goes to sit on, but which are always resolved. The only book I thought DS1 couldn't cope with was the last one which was possibly aimed at a slightly older audience.

PelvicFloorClenchReminder · 28/02/2015 23:29

Judy Moody?

MmeMorrible · 28/02/2015 23:42

Books my DD loved at this age were:

Ballet shoes /white boots / theatre shoes - any of the Noel Stretfields
Pony Club Rivals series by Stacey Greig
Alice-Miranda series by Jacqueline Harvey
Any Eva Ibbotson esp Journey to the River Sea
Princess Mirror-Belle by Julia Donaldson for laugh out loud funny
Dream of Sadlers Wells, Veronica at the Wells etc by Lorna Hill

Will have a look at her bookcases in the AM and post again if I have any more suggestions.

FrChewieLouie · 28/02/2015 23:47

My bright 8 year old loved Pippi Longstocking and Olga da Polga. Princess Mirror-Belle was popular with both her and her sister.

pookamoo · 28/02/2015 23:50

Has she read Milly Molly Mandy? dd1 is 6 and just into them.

RandomFriend · 28/02/2015 23:50

DD enjoyed the first three Harry Potter at this age.

She also liked Pippi Longstocking and Finn Family Moomintrol.

meandjulio · 28/02/2015 23:54

A Necklace of Raindrops by Joan Aiken
Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
Miss Bianca by Margery Sharp
Miss Happiness and Miss Flower by Rumer Godden
Green Smoke by Rosemary Manning
A Little Princess and Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Maybe Little Women?
Betsy by Dorothy Canfield

Original poster
Domino1 · 01/03/2015 08:26

Such wonderful ideas - thanks for buying in to my dilemma. Hate to think I'm putting her off with wrong book choices though & she's so sensitive about things. Amazing how many bad things happen in children's books!

OP posts: