chapter books to read to a 5-year-old-girl.

[imaginaryfriend]

I'm seeking a bit of inspiration really as dd's only just got into me reading her bedtime stories which are not primarily picture books. I've had very few successes so far:

Hits:
Enid Blyton's Amelia Jane stories
The original story of Pinocchio

Misses:
Pippi Longstocking
All the Roald Dahl books I've tried so far
The Magic Faraway Tree
The Naughtiest Girl in School

Dd's not a terribly 'girly' girl although she loves 'magical' things like mermaids and Tinkerbell. I've looked at a few of the princess-type books in Waterstones and she'd hate all that pink, fluffy, friend / not-friend scenario stuff. She's mad on animals, especially rabbits.

Any / all suggestions really gratefully received.

horrid henry although i can't see it

At this age, my dd loved things that were too difficult for her and which she didn't understand but had musical sounding words. She loved going to sleep to me reading poetry in a depressingly sing song voice. Yeats was a favourite. She also loved, but was seriously baffled by Alice in Wonderland. She liked Swallows and Amazons - but we are a boaty family, so it made a bit of sense to her. She also loves The Famous Five - to my chagrin.

It is funny. She is a modern American five year old who gets into muddles and misunderstandings. My five and eight year olds both like her.

The Rumer Godden is in the basket, and thanks for the link to Red House, I wasn't aware of that site

I love Red House because it does free P&P. I spend too much there though.

ds likes 'A Dark and Stormy Night' by the Ahlbergs though it takes a bit of resolution to embark on it tbh...

and there are lots of retellings of the Just So Stories around - maybe just go for the originals! i loved them so much as a child and ds seems to like them too.

seeker, that's interesting. My dd is also drawn to the poetic. Well, she loves the poetic and she also loves things which have justice / retribution (which is why I think Amelia Jane appeals to her). I remember her being transfixed by a passage I read to her from a novel once about the sea. She kept asking for it over and over.

But my ds, who is 7 and much more grown up that dd was at the same age, and spends a lot of time being super-cool hasn't ever asked for a chapter book at bedtime, and still happily has The Gruffalo, Winnie the Witch - all the books he's had since he was a baby. even though he can - and does- read Harry Potter for himself. Bed time stories have lots of different functions!

Oh yes, the Just So Stories - dd loved those. i still read them to her if she 's tired or sad and she's 12!

don't seem to be able to add messages - here we go!

gosh though when you look at all the suggestions they are all mostly 20 years old or older.. I think harry Potter just does't compare with the old classics!

Chronicles of Narnia, I am reading these to my 5yo nephew and he loves them.

Really well written

imaginary friend - the CAT messages doesn't seem to have come through. You can email me on [email protected] if you like!

Ok, I'll email you now seeker. Thanks.

What a great thread imaginaryfriend - I'm also flipping back and forth to Amazon with all the ideas.

Out of interest which Roald Dahls did you try? My dd (5 1/2) has found some of them too old for her, e.g. BFG. But Fantastic Mr Fox was a massive hit some time ago. And some of the others e.g. Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory she is just getting into now. Also she received a CD set of 10 Dahl stories for Christmas and she now loves listening to those.

I think she's going to love the idea of "My naughty little sister", since she has one of those herself!!!

I tried Charlie & the Chocolate Factory first because she loves the movie so much. I've got the Fantastic Mr. Fox but she's not interested to hear it. I think one of her big problems is that she has very definite ideas and isn't terribly flexible as to what might be of interest. So if she doesn't like the look of the fox on the cover of the book she won't want to hear the story. I've also tried Matilda, BFG and James & the Giant Peach.

I think maybe the Just So stories might appeal.

moomin books

At the moment she's just insisting I repeat the Amelia Jane stories. She seems to love them!

Just realised we have the Dick King Smith Sophie books on our shelves, inherited from a neighbour. And we hit the library and acquired Mrs Pepperpot - I remember that from my childhood.

I have a big Amazon order on its way. And my friend lent me Mathilde.

I'd still, however, like to hear any further suggestions ...

I second the Moomin books!

Lucy Daniels' Animal Ark books are good, a few pictures per page as well.

Magic Tree House (Mary Pope Osborne) DD loves these.

Rainbow Fairies (Daisy Meadows) huge hit here with DD

Dick King Smith

Horrid Henry books

Blue Banana books- fun stories with colourful pictures

Wind in the Willows

Magic Kitten- I'm not a fan but DD is...grrr!

Sophie on her way, imaginaryfriend.

And, and this is the most important and serious advice I have EVER given on mumsnet - whatever you do, don't start reading the Animal Ark books aloud. The are SO VERY terrible you will have to gnaw your own leg off, and there are SOOO MANY of them that any brain cells you may have left after giving birth will atrophy and fall out through your ears.

Wait about a year or so, and your dd will be reading them for herself. They are brilliant for a girl's first "proper" reading by herself books.

Oh, and just in case anybody doesn't know Abebooks is the most fantastic online second hand bookshop. I have saved myself loads by looking there first. It's very rare that I haven't found a book I wanted for pence rather than pounds. Well, obviously I haven't saved any money at all because I've bought twice as much - but you see what I mean!

little house on the prairie

stuff by noel streatfield

have you tried The Twits? Fantastic Mr Fox?

I'm reading dd and ds the Famous Five atm, dd loves George!