‘Essential’ books to read with 5-6 year olds

[AmberLangslow]

My DS is 5 and is just getting into reading chapter books. Just wondering what are considered to be the ‘classic’/‘essential’ books to get for children that age. I’ve just bought him Captain Underpants and Charlotte’s Web which are the kind of things I mean, ones a proper classic and the other is a more modern essential sort of book.

Mine are 5.5 and love Dahl's Matilda, Fantastic Mr Fox, George's Marvellous Medicine, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Naughty Amelia Jane and Secret Seven by Enid Blyton.

The Wishing Chair series
The Enchanted Wood series
Milly Molly Mandy
Teddy Robinson
Paddington (12 chapter books now, I think)
Winnie the Pooh plus sequels
Gobbolino
Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse
Aesop's Fables
Ladybird Classic Tales
The Wind in the Willows
Just So Stories
How the Whale Became

Probably take a year to get through this.

The Little Prince
Hairy McLairy
The Sheeppig
Hodgeheg the Hedgehog
The Owl who was afraid of the dark
Flat Stanley
Mr Majeika
Professor Branestawm
Pongwiffy
Mrs Pepperpot
Dilly the Dinosaur
Dirty Bertie
Horrid Henry
Mr Gum
Geronimo Stilton

Milly Molly Mandy
My Naughty Little Sister
Secret Seven
Wishing Chair
Faraway Tree

I personally HATE Horrid Henry, I think they are vile and should be burned, and I have never said that about any other book ever! They are banned from our house, but that might be just me - read a couple and see what you think...

oo and Olga da Polga. Also second Mrs Pepperpot

Whatever they enjoy, with introductions to many of the ideas above, but not forcing them.
DS1 hated reading at that age. Got him into factual books about 6yrs old, and at 8 you cannot keep him out of a book- fact or fiction. He's read many of the Blyton/Dahl/KingSmith/Kipling mentioned. Not some of the others.
DS2(6) is currently enjoying beast quest (and sea quest) and the magic tree house. Not my first choice, but he's reading them!

Thank you all 😊 Plenty to keep us going! I’ve got a couple of the suggestions already but there are quite a few I’ve never heard of.