Books to read to 6 year old

[user3274826]

I'm looking for simple classic book suggestions to read to my 6 year old, I like things that she wouldn't have the focus to read independently, but that is still relatively easy to follow. I like that classic books offer such rich vocabulary but I've found some to be just too dated to make sense of without over explaining (every single item in The Borrowers).

Any suggestions? She's easily scared, so probably not fantasy. She loved the Enchanted Wood, Pippi Longstocking, My Naughty Little Sister, Milly Molly Mandy, Charlotte's Web and some Roald Dahl.

I don't really want to read the really popular modern books like David Walliams, Tom Gates etc because I think they are better read independently. Currently she reads things like Holly Webb, Kes Gray, and Rainbow Fairy books on her own so I want more interesting books to read aloud rather than quick reads.

Wishing Chair series (v similar to Enchanted Wood/Faraway Tree)
Sheep Pig and anything else by Dick King Smith
Worst Witch

Both my DDs liked the Teddy Robinson stories at that age.

Maybe something like the animals of farthing wood? They do have a bit of jeopardy and death.
Any other dick king smith you could try? The sheep-pig I loved when I was younger. Years before it was made in to a terrible film.
Hmm. There was a really interesting book called I am David (or something very similar) our teacher read to the class when I was maybe a year or two older but it always stuck with me.
A book called the wind on the moon (?) was read to me. I re read it myself when I was older because I remember it being so weird.

Alice in wonderland. Find an illustrated edition.
Heidi?
Enid blyton. Opens up good discussions for why some words and attitudes are no longer about.
Also poetry? Cannot think of writers names but any good sized children poetry compilation will have all the good ones.
I don't know too many newer ones yet but you will be able to find them when you can next get to your library. They'll have great advice.
A bit rambling there sorry.

Firm favourites I've read to my six year old:
The children of noisy village series by Astrid Lindgren
A pony in the luggage by gunnel linde is absolutely hilarious.
The carbonel series
Five children and it (old fashioned so does need a bit of explaining but well worth it)
Stig of the dump (but skip over a small section where young children are smoking!)
Green smoke - about a girl who befriends a dragon
Winnie the Pooh

Here’s some more ideas

Stuart Little
Flat Stanley
Some books by Dianne Wynne Jones (choose carefully as some may be too old/scary though)
Some books by Lynne Reid Banks
Little House on the Prairie series
A Necklace of Raindrops /The Kingdom Under the Sea (fairy tales)
E Nesbit - 5 Children and It, The Railway Children etc
The Snow Spider (also on TV at the moment)
The Secret Garden
Ballet Shoes

The Family at One End Street
The Unlucky Family

Ok not classics but I have been reading my 7 year old the 'twisted tails' books. They are new and twisted takes on Disney movies. At the moment I am reading 'let it go' and its written as if Elsa and Anna have never met. Too difficult to read at that age but very engaging.

Oh and some books by Jill Tomlinson...the cat who wanted to go home etc. She will probably be able to read them as they're simple stories but for pacing and enjoyment they'll be better read by you.

My 6 year old loves The Secret Seven, they’re a bit old fashioned (sexism, class etc.) but he enjoys them and he’s old enough to have a discussion about it. We’ve read the two modern updates by Pamela Butchart too.

We’ve just finished the Mr Gum books which both of us loved. I think he will really enjoy reading these again himself as well when he is a little older.

Would she enjoy the original Winnie The Pooh Stories? I was dying to read them to my Son but he won’t entertain them.

The Worst Witch and Teddy Robinson as mentioned above.

Charlottes Web
The Sheep Pig
The diary of a Killer Cat

We dug through mine and my brothers old book and we found Johnny Briggs, the just William series, black beauty and some of my mums original Enid blytons. As a little girl I loved Mallory Towers and there’s a lovely new tv series on cbbc currently. I remember reading some Judy Blume books around then too. I had some really gruesome fairy tales also, like Snow White and rose Red, where the witch generally got eaten by a prince disguised as a bear or something.