Moving on from Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl

[Ploughingthrough]

DD (a couple of months away from 8) has been loving these two authors for the last 6 months or so. She has read all the Roald Dahl books, and all the well-known EB series (Malory Towers, St. Clare's, Famous 5, the adventure series) and loved them all.
What could we try next? She quite likes the adventure aspect but doesn't especially like to be too scared.
We had a go at the first 'Series of Unfortunate Events' and she didn't enjoy that too much. She also doesn't want to read Harry Potter yet...

Any ideas? She reads fast and is a good little reader. I always loved reading as age but I can't remember what I was reading. In any case I"m sure there's some good modern stuff that I don't know about!

The Explorer by Katherine Rundell
Hetty Feather
The Penderwicks
Books by Megan Rix
What Katy Did
Heidi
Evie and the Animals by Matt Haig
Worst Witch
Emily Lime mysteries
Books by Lauren St John

Some of Diana Wynne Jones' books?

Helen Moss Adventure island series is good.

Cressida Cowell's books (How to Train Your Dragon and Wizards of Once) have been great for my DDs. David Tennant reads the audiobooks for Cowell's books and he's fab at doing different voices for each character. DD, who's 10, really likes Land of Stories as well.

How to train your dragon has my 7&8 year olds hooked.

Lion witch and wardrobe? I fecking hated them, but my DH loved them. Jacqueline Wilson was always popular with my DD

Shesapunkpunk which Jacqueline Wilson did your DD enjoy? I have heard that some of them have a bit more teenagery content.

Don’t know about modern stuff but I came to say Dianna Wynn Jones as well, maybe try Howl’s Moving Castle or the Chrestomanci series. I also loved the Green Knowe books by Lucy M Boston, and all the Farthing Wood books by Colin Dann.

How about The Chalet School?

Oh yes, Land of Stories just been a big hit with ds (8) - he raced through them.

Which reminds me, there’s a good Julia Donaldson aimed at this kind of age - the Giants & the Joneses.

Thanks for all these ideas - we will try a few out!

Goth Girl by Chris Riddell.
Great thread, also applies to my DD so placemarking.

A Necklace of Raindrops by Joan Aiken and The Last Slice of Rainbow also by her captivated me at that age.

Was looking for the same. Any other suggestions.

DD loved 13 story tree house and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. David Baddiels books went down really well too they are light reads and funny. For adventure Dd like Cressida Cowell books and Artemis Fowl.

Dd nearly 8 loved the Worst witch series,also Horrid Henry. She read Father Xmas and me by Matt haig and was completely hooked,she read all 3 books from the series . Currently reading the friendship fairies books but she finishes them in 3 days usually.

"Ollie Meadows and the Defiants" and "Ollie Meadows and the DreamSpinners" are the first two in a series that is just being published. Written and illustrated by V P Girling. Great fun, several 5star reviews on Waterstones.

@Pink13Flamingo do you work for the publisher or are you the author? It seems that there is some connection when you have recommended these on four quite different threads.

Ramona Quimby by Beverley Cleary(?)

I have written these books, but getting them noticed during lockdown is hard. I have worked in education all my life and have written these to help children read better and enjoy it. The reviews on Waterstones website are genuine. I hope you enjoy them.

Updating the thread; thanks for all the suggestions.
DD has enjoyed Pippi longstocking and is loving the Penderwicks series at the moment. She also enjoyed a mystery series called Wilma Tenderfoot which were really fun. Not sure what is next. She did read The Ramona Quimbys actually but found them a really fast read.

What about the Arthur Ransome books (Swallows and Amazon's series)?

After reading the recommendations on here, I bought my 7 year old "Ollie Meadows and the Defiants" and "Oliie Meadows and the Dream Spinners." He was really not keen. If anyone wants them, drop me a PM and I will pass them along, I don't mind paying postage once lock down is over.