Recommendations for my 5 YO girl

[DaddyKev23]

I want to start reading longer books to my little girl (aged 5), ones we can read a few pages then pick up again the following night. It has to be something she'll look forward to reading again to find out what happens next. We started on the Velveteen Rabbit last night but I think we're going to have that finished in two sittings!

She's a typical little girl who likes princesses & fairies and loves books like the Gruffalo, The Troll and of course Cinderella.

Thanks in advance.

at that age, DD enjoyed me reading chapter books to her, so we could have a chapter a night. Some were individual stories, like My Naughty Little Sister and Paddington, some were more on going stories. She really liked some of the Enid Blyton stuff - Magic Faraway tree series, and The Naughtiest Girl in the School.

Thanks Seeline I'll look those ones up on Amazon

Roald Dahl is always great. I'm partial to The Twits as an opener but they're all good.

My son liked Horrid Henry but they're horrendous books.

Flat Stanley and Mr Majeika went down well too.

Sophie and the Shadow Woods

All good suggestions. Think I'll bookmark this thread. Thanks all

Stuart Little

The Worst Witch

Mine like the Magic treehouse books.

I personally avoid Enid Blyton for the sheer classism / racism / sexism embedded in to her writing.

And Roald Dahl can be a bit frightening.

My DD is 5 and 3/4 and has just started reading Roald Dahl. She loved Fantastic Mr Fox and George's Marvellous Medicine, but we've had to shelve The Witches because it was causing nightmares!!

OP there are lots and lots of really good books out there, you don't need to stick to the 'classics'. We get through them like they're going out of fashion so I use The Book People a look. I take inspiration from what they've got on offer, then research reviews and 'look inside' on amazon.

I found these good for this age group -

www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_product_tbp?storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=100&productId=548667&cm_mmc=Google%20Adwords--PLA--My+Funny+Family+Collection+-+5+books-_--MFFM&gclid=CLjViNWv7coCFesW0wodcMkDjA

Plenty of pictures, modern, style quite large font, fast moving and not too many words or pages.

If you don't want to move on to chapter books yet, perhaps Paddington Bear or Katie Morag?

It's chapter books I'm after. The Velveteen rabbit was an excellent read for her and she could relate to it with her having a leopard that she always takes to bed. Only downside was it was nowhere near as long as I expected it to be.

Polly and the Wolf.
Milly Molly Mandy

Don't Cook Cinderella by Francesca Simon

have you tried Sheila Helliwell's Short story book? It consists of five short stories: The Hippo in the Pantry; The Tree That Cried; The Leafless Fairy; Monty the Monster; & The Glass Snowman.
Try www.children's-stories.net

have you tried Sheila Helliwell's Short story book? It consists of five short stories: The Hippo in the Pantry; The Tree That Cried; The Leafless Fairy; Monty the Monster; & The Glass Snowman.
Try www.children's-stories.net

My 5yo absolutely adores these rainbow magic books
There are literally hundreds of them, each based on a fairy character. I don't think it will be long before she can read them independently either - she already enjoys trying :)

I was going to say Rainbow Magic too. The 'Early Reader' editions of these books have taken my 5yo DD from a very reluctant reader to hiding under the covers with a torch at night reading them.

The standard ones 'Ella the Emerald Fairy' etc can be read to the child as a chapter book. I really like them too!

We are reading famous five with our 3.5 yo DD and she loves it, we even have a dog called timothy now

Magic faraway tree and the wishing chair have also been enjoyed. Anne of green gable, the chalet school, Roald Dahl, the borrowers by Mary Norton. Tom's midnight garden.

Tonnes of good ideas folks. Will look some up and see what takes her fancy. Thanks

The owl who was afraid of the dark is a good one to read if you are starting on chapter books.

Also anything by Dick King Smith. I'd suggest the Sophie books as a place to begin.

Agree with the Rainbow Magic recommendation. I hate them but my DD has been absolutely addicted since discovering at age 4 in the school library. They have 6 chapters + 1 teaser chapter for the next book (sigh) thus making them last a week. Writing is dire and so are the illustrations. But a great way to move out of picture books onto chapter books. Enjoy! :)

Ahh, Rainbow Magic. Only marginally less painful than the My Little Pony books.

My 4 year old loves The Enormous Crocodile and Plop The Owl.