Suggestions of longer books for 5 year olds

[BubbleAndSquark]

Has anyone got suggestions for books that take around half an hour to read that are suitable for 5 year olds?

We read lots of short ones instead at the moment and was thinking it would be nice to have just one longer one for bedtime rather than changing between stories.

i have just read DD (6) the minpins by roald dahl. now we have moved onto matilda and the witches, reading a chapter a night.

Watching with interest. We need something that is longer than Julia Donaldson or Shirley Hughes books etc, but not as complicated or long as Roald Dahl etc. We have had some success with Quentin Blake’s linger stories and the v short roahld Dahl. (Magic Finger, The Twits and George’s Mavelous Medicine). But need something a bit in between.

My DD(8) loves the rainbow magic fairy stories, and they do ones for early readers which my 2nd DD(5) reads, Waterstones is a good shop to browse in.

Have you thought about chapters of a book? We read a chapter a night (sometimes two if it's been a good day) of a book and my 6yr old loves it. She gets excited about what's going to happen next. We used to read naughty Amelia Jane because each chapter was a mini story, now we are reading the adventures of the faraway tree. The next books on our list are Matilda and the BFG.

The My Naughty Little Sister books are nice stories. Each chapter is a different story and they are fairly short. Also Enid Blyton's Amelia Jane stories are nice to read out loud. For more modern books Dirty Bertie series is hilarious, also the Daisy 'Trouble With' series by Kes Grey are good. There are books by Shirley Hughes (who does the Alfie books) that are picture books but longer stories. Allan Alhbergs 'Happy Families' books are good too - again 'picture books' but longer stories.

My son used to love the Dr Seuss collection, some are short, others a bit longer

Another vote for The Magic Faraway Tree. Although it's chapters, each chapters is it's own story so works well for us.

Claude books, Milly Molly Mandy, My Naughty little sister

Old fashioned fairy stories are often quite long, you could try the Red/Blue/green fairy books. Or the Necklace of Raindrops and rest of that series. The Beatrix Potter series are quite long too (they vary).

More modern - Winnie the Witch has various lengths of book, some are about what you describe. Dick King Smith has done quite a lot of stories around this length (animal based) as well as longer chapter books.

Flat Stanley goes down well in our house.

Chris Riddel's Ottaline series. Lots of illustrations but not as long as other chapter books.

Does she like pictures still?
Claude in the City etc are sweet. Jeremy Strong Pirate School felt a bit longer than normal picture books and have chapters but not sure if half an hour long. Captain Abdul's Little Treasure is the longest picture book we have, seems to take about 20 minutes on its own. Fox in Socks takes ages too. Then there are things like Tom Gates and Ottoline which are chapter books but still very picture-based.

Things with chapters that can work as standalone stories like Winnie the Pooh, Julia Donaldson's Princess Mirror-Belle, Pippi Longstocking, the Winnie the Witch chapter books by Laura Owens(?). You don't have to read the whole book.

Or easier actual chapter books. My 5 yr old loves anything by Jeremy Strong; Worst Witch; Joan Aiken Arabel and Mortimer books; the Owl who was afraid of the Dark series (sooo sweet! DS was obsessed with this for months at 5 or 6); gentler Roald Dahl. She had a phase of the rainbow magic books, though wouldn't recommend them for reading aloud, they're all identical and unbearably dull.

I agree Claude ones are good, Stuart Little is fantastic, Marge in charge by Isla Fisher, some Shirley Hughes Alfie ones are a bit longer, faraway tree also good. I agree a trip to local bookshop is a good way to find what you’re looking for, Waterstones staff always surprise me with their genuine knowledge of children’s books.

We are enjoying dds first Terry Pratchett experience-The witch's vacuum cleaner and other short stories
I hope it will lead on to a life long life

Try Alex T Smith's Claude books. They're full of beautiful colour illustrations and somewhere between a picture book and regular book.

Also the Dragonsitter series by Josh Lacey.

Isla Fisher's Marge in Charge books are great. My (nearly 6) YO DS loves them.
He's obsessed with the Captain Underpants books, but they're an acquired taste!
We've mostly been doing chapters of things at bedtime now. Some Roald Dahl went down well (Fantastic Mr Fox, The Twits, George's Marvellous Medicine) but not others (Matilda, The BFG).