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Suggestions for 6 year old

9 replies

Nmeag · 23/10/2026 21:25

Hi, I am currently reading the 2nd Harry Potter to my 6 year old as a prebed activity for wind down. He also reads independently. I'm thinking the series may get a bit dark for him at this age as the books progress and may alternate with another series for the next few books. Would anyone have any suggestions for chapter style books for me to read to him? He enjoys most topics and has decent understanding of our current book but I do explain things and discuss the chapters with him. All suggestions welcome and appreciated 😊

OP posts:
PenguinofAntarctica · 24/10/2026 02:56

The Mr Penguin series. The Magic Treehouse series (if you like it and stick with it, it gets really interesting as you go along the series). The Magic Faraway Tree series.

Reader19 · 24/10/2026 12:17

Chrestomanci series.

24Dogcuddler · 24/10/2026 15:03

How about Roald Dahl? You could also ask his teacher or at the library. Love Reading for Kids has recommendations by age. Books2 Door have lots of box sets with age guides.

You are right to tread carefully with Harry Potter. Lots online about which age they are for in terms of content. Second book is recommended for 8 plus.
As they were being published young readers grew into adulthood with them. Temptation now is to read in order but the themes become too dark or not age appropriate.

MargotLeadbetterOBE · 24/10/2026 15:27

I would stop HP after this book at this age. Maybe something a bit lighter afterwards as suggested.

Nmeag · 24/10/2026 19:36

Thanks all for these helpful recommendations. Yes I feel HP is getting too dark so happy to pause for a while and will look into these suggestions ☺️

OP posts:
StayCoolLikeAPenguin · 24/10/2026 20:18

I have very fond memories of my dad reading 'Carbonel' aloud to my siblings and I. It's perfect for Halloween.

Catterthun · 29/10/2026 05:27

StayCoolLikeAPenguin · 24/10/2026 20:18

I have very fond memories of my dad reading 'Carbonel' aloud to my siblings and I. It's perfect for Halloween.

Yes, and if the little'un likes it, it has two sequels: Kingdom of Carbonel, and Carbonel and Calidor.

MargaretThursday · 31/10/2026 19:54

I started to read to ds at a bit younger than this. I chose books I enjoyed, but around what I knew were his interests - mostly history especially WWII! Animals were a good bet too, especially saving them.

He'd started wanting a story every night about his soft toys, so I was making them up along the lines of "One day Patch wanted to go to the seaside. So he bought his ticket for the train..." they never did anything much and I was bored silly by it and he unfortunately loved them. 🤣
So I would read the chapters and knew he was enjoying them if he wanted me to continue or even better when I found him reading them to himself.

So I think we started with
Cue for Treason (Geoffrey Trease)
Lone Pine Series (Malcolm Saville)
Narnia Series
Adventure series (Enid Blyton)
Children of Primrose Lane/Tennis Shoes/Curtain Up/House in Cornwall (Noel Streatfield)
Storm Ahead/White Riders/Dolphin Summer/Cargo of Horses/Punchbowl Midnight/The Nightbird/Operation Seagull (Monica Edwards)
The Player's Boy/The Players and the Rebels (Antonia Forest)
Black Riders/House of the Paladin/Emerald Crown (Violet Needham)
Marston Baines series (Malcolm Saville)
Alex Rider Series (Antony Horowich)
The Children who lived in a Barn
The Young Detectives
Fred and I series (John Pudney)
Kestrels Plot adventure
Bannermere Series (Geoffrey Trease)
Swish of the Curtain Series (Pamela Brown)
I am David/The Hostage (Anne Holm)
Various Biggles.

So for some I read all in a series. Sometimes I picked out the ones I thought he'd enjoy. He especially loved the Lone Pine Series, although this did involve me having to go in to school and explain why he'd written "you can tell he's gay by the wicked look in his eye" which was a direct quote from The Gay Dolphin Adventure with 'gay' used in the original way and totally innocent on his part.

He still quotes from some of these (he's 19 now) and it definitely effected his language - he used things like "it's a damn shame" or "chocks away" "gosh" etc. and still does to a certain extent - in fact he infected his friends rather than the other way round.

After these he was about 10/11 and he moved onto the Cherub Series/Henderson boys which I would definitely not recommend for any younger - and if reading on their own definitely older.

Raiderofthelostbattenburg · 01/11/2026 16:08

We also took a break after the second Harry Potter book, as they do get quite dark, quite quickly. Other books I loved reading out loud with my kids at around that age were -

The boy who grew dragons series by Andy Shepherd.
The Nothing to see here hotel series by Steven Butler.
Charlie Changes Into A Chicken by Sam Copeland
Who let the gods out by Maz Evans

Happy reading!

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