Chapter books to read to six year olds

[JingleCells]

Can anyone recommend any books for my six year old (Year 1) girl/boy twins please, for me to read to them?

Some of the main ones they have already enjoyed:

Naughtiest Unicorn
Geromino Stilton
Mr Penguin
Claude
My Naughty Little Sister
Sophie books
Horrid Henry
World's Worst Children
Mummy Fairy and Me (I think that's the titles, the Sophie Kinsella ones)

Ideally I have a preference for books with female main characters as we've read quite a few with male ones/they seem to be more common. But happy to have ones with male main characters too.

My son has enjoyed all of these. My daughter is a much more reluctant reader, and often rejects things if she thinks they'll be scary. She loves unicorns, mermaids etc but refused to even contemplate the Rainbow Fairies ones, I don't really know why.

They're being read Roald Dahl at school so would prefer to avoid at home. I also really hated the David Walliams as reading it made me feel sick so would rather not read more of his! I think I'd generally prefer more modern stuff though, I was surprised at how old fashioned the Sophie books were in terms of lots of negative stuff about being fat etc.

The Raimbow Fairies are absolute dross, so I’d say she had excellent taste!

I’d really recommend the Hotel Flamingo series - female lead character and good stories. Great illustrations too.

Magic Faraway Tree series is still lovely in my opinion. There are two more recent versions I think written by Jacqueline Wilson - not as good as the originals, but still enjoyable, but the chapters are ridiculously long. Don’t make my mistake and commit to reading a chapter in one go!

My two loved being read the Mr Gum series at that age - years later we still call the dog Mrs Lovely at times

Mine liked the Dick King Smith animal books at that age.

The 'Kitty' books by Paula Harrison are lovely. She has cat super powers. Isadora Moon and all the related books are also great for this age. the Worst Witch? Hopefully done of them might appeal to your daughter.

Bear and Rabbit are quite funny too.

Astrid Lindgren has several for this age - the Emil, Lotta and Bullerby (Noisy Village) series.

At that age my DD loved The Naughtiest Girl in the School booked, Magic Faraway Tree and the Wishing Chair - we’re Blyton fans. Also the narnia books were popular. She didn’t like the rainbow fairy books either.

The Worst Witch?

Oh thanks, several I had read and loved when younger but forgotten about, like the Worst Witch and Magic Faraway Tree, and lots I hadn't heard of so will seek out. The Kitty books sound perfect as she also loves cats.

Is the Worst Witch scary? I really can't remember much about it other than I really enjoyed it. I can't remember if it was just about rivalry with other girls at the school etc or if there was anything else going on?

Daisy and the trouble with.. series

Enid Blyton all the way!!!

Milly Molly Mandy?

The Worst Witch isn't scary though I found it a bit slow and dull and she hasn't been interested in the sequels. The House That Sailed Away by Pat Hutchins is a great read for 6. Mine also liked the Royal Rabbits of London and Michael Morpurgo's animal stories.

I loved Milly Molly Mandy but I haven't tried it with mine yet!

Was thinking Magic Finger before I saw no RD

The Adventuremice series are great! Short chapters, fabulous illustrations, adventure but not scary. The main character is male but it’s an ensemble cast with the female mice being the engineer and flying a helicopter (not just making sandwiches or being “the clever ones”).

We also loved Mr Gum. They are hilarious and have a female lead.

They might be a bit young for Swallows and Amazons (it’s quite slow) but those are great too. DS is about that age and likes Enid Bylton’s … of Adventure series (Island of Adventure, Mountain of Adventure - there are hundreds)

My 6 year old has liked

13 storey tree house. (Not female characters)
Unicornia
Izzy the inventor

Then the author Harriet Muncaster has several different characters based on witches/vampires/mermaids

Mirabelle
Emerald
Isadora moon

She also liked the Ninja cat series by Dermot O'Leary

Daisy and the trouble with …….
guaranteed to be enjoyed .

Pamela Butchart Wrigglesbottom primary books are very funny

When I was younger, I liked some of the Enid Blyton (not necessarily the more popular ones like FF), Dahl and the Narnia books. I think they're meant to be making a new series for Netflix, if that affects whether you'd want to choose these (for some that would be a plus, for some a reason not to choose these). Some of the William books (Richmal Crompton) are chapter books and one of the teachers at school recommended these last year (warned they could be challenging for under 8, but that they're great for developing literacy).

You've just book back some lovely memories I have of reading my daughter her first chapter book - it was 32 years ago now and it was 'The Hodgeheg' by Dick King-Smith ❤️

The Beaver Towers trilogy by Nigel Hinton
Teddy Robinson (old-fashioned but if they like My Naughty Little Sister it might appeal to them)
The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark

• Heartwood Hotel series
• Ivy and Bean series
• Violet Mackerel series
• Moomintroll series
• Harold and Pigsticks series
• Harry Stevenson guinea pig series
• Zoey and Sassafras series

A friend bought my son the Magic Faraway tree for his seventh birthday. I read it to him every night and he loved it. When he was old enough he read it himself again and I definitely think this is where he got his inspiration passion for reading because from then on he devoured books and still does.