Okay he's read all these - what next?

[thirtypence]

Ds is 6 and has already chewed through all of;

Astrosaurs
Zac Power
Jack Stalwart
Beast Quest
Selby
Tang Shan Tigers
Secret Seven
Famous Five
Enid Blyton mystery books
Jeremy Strong
Judy Moody
Roald Dahl
Alice in Wonderland/Looking Glass
Winnie the Pooh
Complete original Thomas the Tank Engine

He is now reading Artemis Fowl - which I am not thrilled about as it is for older readers, but I do like the fact that he hasn't finished it in 20 minutes like he does with a Beast Quest.

So what's longer and more complex than Beast Quest, but suitable night time reading for a (little) six year old?

Series of Unfortunate Events. That'll last him until he's 12!

I'd say 'Holes' is a bit old for a 6 year old - teenagers in a detention centre in the Arizona (?) desert. DS1 read it at 9 and it was easy to read, but rather mature in tone and content.

I'd forgotten Paddington - the Olga da Polga books by Michael Bond are also good. Has he read the Moomin books? They're lovely, quite a solid read, but definitely good for a 6 year old - there are half a dozen or so.

goodness, not Holes for a 6 year old surely

Definitely Mr Gum series.

I agree about Lemony Snickett A Series of Unfortunate Events. My two were hooked on those and powered through all thirteen. They're very well written.

The Lemony Snicketts series always makes me laugh. It starts by telling you not to read it DS read that and wouldnt read any further because "the author told him not to!" LOL

Are the Lemony Snicketts what you would call some sort of deconstruction? (Just wondering.)

I would personally say that Holes is more appropriate than quite a few sections of the Harry Potter series. Just an opinion!

Lots of these seem a bit old to me.

Mr Gum is good, we like Cressida Crowell (sp?)'s viking books - How to Train a Dragon, that lot. Great fun.

Captain Underpants.

Cows in Action (same author as Astrosaurs)

Spiderwick?

If he's enjoying Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer's written two books for slightly younger readers - The Legend of Spud Murphy and The Legend of Captain Crow's Teeth

ds2 liked Anthony Horowitz's Diamond Brothers series - Raymond Chandler-esque but for younger readers

definitely Cressida Cowell's Viking books and another vote for Tintin - they get through them quickly but they do enjoy them

And how about Michael Morpurgo - the boys enjoyed Kensuke's Kingdom

Also Carbonel, and Kingdom of Carbonel and how about a collection of Greek/Roman/Norse/Arthurian myths?

Marina once recommended 'Atticus the Storyteller' which is a great collection of Greek myths - DS2 has read them many times, as well as many other versions of Greek myths.

The later Harry Potter books are a bit old and I think Lemony Snickett is too - but once they start a series they often want to finish.

Second the younger Eoin Colfer ones - both boys enjoyed those.

The Marcia Williams comic books of Greek myths, Arthurian legends etc are good for reading and re-reading; we have several, including Robin Hood and Shakespeare tales.

Wow! He's a great reader.

It's tricky really; IMO Harry Potter is rather complex and boring for a child younger than it's aimed at (ie under 8-9 or so) - my DD was certainly turned off by it. Also agree with others, Holes is for an older child. I am not going to let DD read it yet (she's 8 this month) tho I am sure she could in language terms.

OTOH if he's read Famous Five and Roald Dahl then he's way beyond anything like Horrid Henry.

Yes Faraway Tree, Humphrey, or how about some classics like Jungle Book and Treasure Island?

Oh yes for sure Michael Morpurgo.

Watch out tho as he writes for different ages and some of the themes might not suit.

I am avoiding Harry Potter because of the speed he would get through the first two and then want to complete the set. When they originally came out the readers aged with the characters so they were always suitable. So if I wait until he is 8 or so (or he brings it home from the school library!)then he should be okay to read through the set, given how long they become.

I have Faraway tree - have added it to the pile by his bed. Also put Jungle Book and Treasure Island.

I am reading him My Family and Other Animals -it's quite hard to find a book that is too hard for him to read (and therefore he will let me read it to him) but which has suitable content - maybe I need another thread.

thirtypence, do you have to read books which are 'too hard'? We just read out loud books that the whole family will enjoy (like the Lionboy books).

I find now that anything that is suitable for dd in terms of content, she can read perfectly well herself. But that doesn't mean that she doesn't enjoy being read to, I still like being read to myself (including by dd, come to think of it).

My DD1 was a precocious reader like your DS and we were constantly coming up against the problem of finding complex enough books with appropriate content. As recommended by others on here, Lionboy is a very good bet as is Lemony Snicket.
We also found E Nesbit really good - she read the Railway Children, Treasure seekers etc at six and they kept her going for several days at least!

I tend to read "too hard" books or one's that might require a lot of explaining, because otherwise I read chapter 1 and then the next minute the book is in his room and finished.

I'd like him to fondly remember me reading him whole books, not just starting them off all the time. I remember dad reading The Hobbit to me - and then hiding it so I couldn't read on! I used to wonder why he did that and now I know.

Now you have answered yourself as to what to do We have some suitably high up bookshelves and dd is rather short . . ..

Harry the Poisonous Centipede stories by Lynne Reid Banks
The Wombles - Elisabeth Beresford
Tumtum and Nutmeg - Emily Bearn
The Eighteenth Emergency - Betsy Byars
Max Flash series
some of Joan Aiken's books would be worth a try
Eyetooth - Frank Rodgers
Eva Ibbotson's younger books, like Which Witch or the Secret of Platform 13
Tom Trueheart - Ian Beck
The Robe of Skulls - Vivian French

I'd second E. Nesbit, Cressida Cowell, the Moomins etc. I wouldn't give Holes to a 6 yr old, but he might like Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar.

Hope this helps

What a great list snowwoman. Why didn't I think of the Wombles - I was obsessed with them as a child.

What about swallows and amazons and the rest of those. Old fashioned possibly but adventurous and more boy like

Also have the whole adventures for boys thing that they have just republished (though not sure what tricks he might learn that you don't want him to. Won't take any responsibility for that

So I got him Spy Dog, Mr Gum etc. from the library - he announced he was now reading another Artemis Fowl from the school library because he "goes back to the past and finds himself". He was very excited about this.

The school librarian had lent him a copy of Robo Runners book 1 - which he said was quite funny but not original as all the ideas were in the movie Robots.

Anything by Diana Wynne Jones, and when he's a bit older, the Wind On Fire trilogy (The Windsinger, Slaves of the Mastery, Firesong), which is a bit like Narnia.