Recommendations for an emotional but advanced reader please

[PinkyU]

My lo is almost 9 with a reading/comprehension age of 13, but is an emotional child who can be easily scared or distressed.

We want to look at books series to challenge but not cause upset. All our recent books have been digested within 48-72 hours (250/300 pages but fairly easily concepts).

Any ideas please? TIA.

At that age DD liked the classics. They're challenging because of the language but emotionally safe. She read Little Women, Black Beauty, Tom Sawyer, The Secret Garden, Treasure Island and so on...

has she read the harry potter series? they may be worth a go.

also, mallory towers (an easy but fun read, and there are quite a few books in the series to get through, although each book is not thick)

similarly, the st claires books

Go for older books as they tend to have more complicated language but are less scary.

Noel Streatfield: Ballet Shoes, Tennis Shoes, White Boots etc (tend to have female leads)

Just William (Richmel Crompton or similar name)

Swallows and Amazons series (Arthur Ransome) 12 books in all. My favourite is Pigeon Post.

James Herriot books, we have a kids one that has picked out the nicer stories (less boozing down the local!)

Thank you, I don’t know how it didn’t occur to me to think more classic tales! I suppose we’ve not gotten into them incase they include troublesome language or stereotyping which was common in a lot of books I read growing up.

Sleepis - I am chomping at the bit to get into HP but I don’t think we’re there yet emotionally, lo’s so sensitive I think the first book would result in a gibbering mess (middle child as well, not even a PFB!!), plus I think I’d quite like to do the whole ‘growing up with Harry’ concept and not start till around 11/12.

The Borrowers (3 books: Original, Afield & Afloat) Mary Norton.

re Stereotyping
Ballet Shoes - Petrova wants to drive cards / fly planes
Swallows & Amazon - Nancy & Peggy are The Amazons
Good role models for girls.

Classics is a great idea, but avoid Black Beauty! At about your DD's age that traumatised me.

Ballet shoes, the Secret Garden, the Sword in the Stone would be great.

Archie Greene books might be worth a look - in the Potter vein but gentler, I think.
A Little White Horse
Children of Green Knowe series
What Katie Did

Second Swallows and Amazons. Waves at TeenTimesTwo I think my favourite is Swallowdale, then Picts & Martyrs. Used to love Pigeon Post too but re-reading recently it strained my credulity a bit.

We have the same issue in our house.

It's tricky because often the books that are at the right level are not appropriate either theme wise or they are scary.

We've done up to book 4 for Harry Potter, but not any further as they get darker and more frightening after that.

Mine liked some of the classics too - little women and secret garden and Alice in wonderland.

Have you asked her teacher? My dd's teacher gave me a list of challenging but appropriate books that we could try, and another friend went in to a book shop and got some good advice there too.

Try school or public librarian too.

I loved reading Ballet Shoes. Such a classic story book worth reading as well. I also suggest you buy the Chalet School books. My aunt gifted me a set of Malory Towers books one year for my birthday. Other good books included the St Clare's ones and any mystery books by the same author.
Ask her teacher for recommendations. Or visit the local library and speak with the children’s librarian. Classic storybooks are always recommended.

Joan Aiken - Wolves of Willoughby Chase is good one to start with.

Also E Nesbit - 5 Children and It, Phoenix and the Carpet etc.

Tom's Midnight Garden (Philippa Pearce I think...)

Another vote for Arthur Ransom. Also some of the Terry Pratchett books - the carpet people, Johnny and the Bomb egg. Diana Wynne Jones - Archers Goon, Charmed life series. She also wrote a few creepier books for teens and a few for adults so check carefully. Noel Stretfeild wrote a number of strong female leads.

The Wee Free Men series by Terry Pratchett, or the beyond the Deepwoods series (there's about 12 but they are in triplets within that based on the main character, beyond the Deepwoods is the first of a three and is my favourite)

I thought I'd responded to this before:
I'd recommend the Monica Edwards books, especially the Wrestling ones. The Punchbowl ones are good too, but not my favourites. A lot of them are easy t get for a couple of pounds on ebay.

The first book is Wish for a Pony. It's written for younger than the others, and isn't as good, but it does kind of set the scene if she likes that. It's the only one that really is a "pony" book rather than an adventure set with ponies as transport.

The second Summer of the Great Secret is better. A bit of adventure, but not to scare anyone.

My favourite is the White Riders. Perhaps a bit more scary, but I wouldn't think too much.

If she's happy to start in the middle of the series then the ones I'd recommend as easy to read without being scared are probably "Hidden in a Dream", "Dolphin Summer" or "No Entry".