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Children's books

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Original poster

What are you reading to your 7yo?

42 replies

MinnieMountain · 15/12/2020 19:32

I’ve run out of ideas for what to read to DS at bedtime.

He likes pretty much anything but particularly enjoys space, myths and adventures.

OP posts:
sleepismysuperpower1 · 15/12/2020 19:40

Have you read the Harry Potter books with him?

Original poster
MinnieMountain · 15/12/2020 19:54

Knew someone would suggest that Smile. I have an irrational dislike of Harry Potter. DS can discover that on his own time.

OP posts:
Pidgythe2nd · 15/12/2020 19:55

Faraway tree? Quite old fashioned, but my 6 year old likes them.

NoMoreDucksToGive · 15/12/2020 19:56

DS7 is enormously enjoying Beast Quest at the moment. And the Sam Silver pirate books. We've also worked through a lot of famous five in the past year or so.

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 15/12/2020 20:07

Enid Blyton's 'Barney' books went down very well with my two at that age - if you can find them! The series starts with the Rockingdown mystery - it's always puzzled me why they aren't better known

TenShortStories · 15/12/2020 20:10

Kid Normal
How to Train Your Dragon
Flat Stanley
Magic Treehouse
Narnia

MrsTumbletap · 15/12/2020 20:17

Currently reading 'James and the giant peach' with my 7 year old, but must admit I find all Dahl and Walliams books boring.

I don't think they are very interesting and so repetitive, with the 'Mr X said', then 'Mrs Y said' over and over, and far too bloody descriptive on boring minute detail too.

I have bought him three new books for Christmas that looked good, I got them from the book section from Tesco. I can't remember what they are called as I have wrapped them already. Actually one was about the human body but all the gory gross stuff, he likes that. And I think the other two are adventure gang sort of books, with a group of young boys on the front, they looked good.

(I'm not a Harry Potter fan either)

Last year I got him 'It can't be true' which is like a picture encyclopaedia type book, he liked that and we just did two facts a night and chatted about them.

justanotherneighinparadise · 15/12/2020 20:19

We bought the Treehouse series after millions of recommendations on here. They’re not great books to read to a child though, they’re better for the child to read to themselves. I am enjoying reading Horrid Henry to him 🤭. It reminds me an awful lot of some of the conversations in my house and I find them amusing.

OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea · 15/12/2020 20:23

The Boy Who Grew Dragons
Toto The Ninja Cat
Dragon Mountain
Julius Zebra
Amelia Fang
The Accidental Pirates
The Adventures of the Newcut Gang

sanityisamyth · 15/12/2020 20:23

Famous five and secret seven went down well with my 6 year old.

Hlh2020 · 15/12/2020 20:25

A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig is a good one for December.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 15/12/2020 20:26

Currently reading the Highland Falcon Thief with her. It's a crime mystery set on a train. First in a series.
We have the third Adventures of Mr Penguin lined up next.

WildCherryBlossom · 15/12/2020 20:27

None of mine have ever been into Harry Potter either.

How about Roald Dahl? Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has been a hit with all of mine. We have also just re-read the Revolting Rhymes which are a good quick bedtime story (useful for weeknights)

They love the Narnia books too.

Philip Reeve has done several books that appeal to that age too: Pugs of The Frozen North, The Legend of Kevin, Oliver and the Seawigs. When he's a bit older he might like his Mortal Engine series.

I like reading E Nesbit (Five Children and It, The Amulet, The Railway Children etc) but I admit I probably enjoy those more than the children do.

You could try the Hobbit. I liked it at that age.

EggNogPegg · 15/12/2020 20:32

DS2 (7) was obsessed with Beast Quest for a while. It's basically the same book 60 times. He liked it though.
At 7 DS1 enjoyed The Faraway Tree books.
The Treehouse series is good. Starts with the 13 Storey Treehouse and goes from there, each one adds 13, so next is the 26 Storey Treehouse, 39, 52 etc. Agree that they're a bit faffy to read, but DS1 enjoyed them immensely (I read them to him).
Both of mine also really like Dirty Bertie.
They also like Horrid Henry but DH and I don't like them.

DS1 and DS2 are currently listening to DH read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. They have been hooked since book 1. Would you consider them via audiobook so he can listen independently if you don't like them? That's what I do with David Walliams books.

HamSandwichKiller · 15/12/2020 20:34

The Eloise books by Kay Thompson are good

Lucked · 15/12/2020 20:34

I have an 8 year old.

The adventures series, a bit (very) ridiculous but like modern day famous 5. book 1

Adventures on trains. I am not sure how these are as DH is reading it but he just came in to ask me to order book two. book 1

Tobermory School ship books by Alexander Mcall Smith - it’s a boarding school on a boat

Swallows and Amazons

We read lots and lots of How to train your dragon but he asked me to stop about 6 months ago as one of the later books was scary and sad.

ClaireP20 · 15/12/2020 20:38

@MinnieMountain

I’ve run out of ideas for what to read to DS at bedtime.

He likes pretty much anything but particularly enjoys space, myths and adventures.

I'm reading teen titans go book set (he loves teen titans go..) and he likes reading the beano comics. He can't get into Harry Potter just yet. X
CountFosco · 15/12/2020 20:39

Our 8yo DS is loving Mrs Pepperpot at the moment. She is wonderfully anarchic. Pippi Longstocking might also be good (we've not tried him on it yet but his big sisters loved her at a similar age).

How much is he reading by himself? I like to read things that might be challenging for them to read by themselves but also by the age they can read a lot themselves I said they could read what they want and I got to choose the books I read out loud and that gave me a chance to reread some of my childhood favourites.

DH spent years reading HP to the DDs. Funnily enough he's now less keen to read them to DS. They aren't much fun to read out loud.

Idontgiveagriffindamn · 15/12/2020 20:40

If they like mythology then the hopeless heroes books are good. Based on Greek mythology

justanotherneighinparadise · 15/12/2020 20:43

He loved the two Christmasaurus books by Tom Fletcher. I also got him the Creakers but I loathed it. Made me feel nauseous.

Pascha · 15/12/2020 20:45

Ds is reading how to train your dragon right now for himself. His latest bedtime stories are a series of famous ancient adventures retold and shortened for younger readers - Robinson crusoe, Ali Baba etc.

OhTheTastyNuts · 15/12/2020 20:45

The Tom Gates books by Liz Pichon. My 7 year old is obsessed. He can read them to himself too, when I have had enough!

Knight in Training series by Vivien French is good fun.

DS also likes listening to Michael Morpurgo books (I'm reading the Nine Lives of Montezuma to him at the minute- he still finds these a bit tricky to read to himself).

He hasn't got the attention span for Harry Potter yet.

OhTheTastyNuts · 15/12/2020 20:46

Also if he likes space, try George's Secret Key to the Universe by Lucky Hawking.

OhTheTastyNuts · 15/12/2020 20:47

Lucy Hawking, obviously. Thanks autocorrect!

Tig33 · 15/12/2020 20:48

The Mr Gum books by Andy Stanton are hilarious. If you enjoy the absurd. My son and I loved them.

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