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Original poster

Stunning reader getting bored of reading!

27 replies

pugsandseals · 03/12/2009 19:37

DD age 7 seems stuck on re-reading and re-reading her old favourites at the moment, she is driving me insane!

Can anyone suggest a really good book to get her enthused again please?

Has read (and re-read)......
All books by Linda Chapman
All Rainbow magics
All books by Steve Cole
All the age approporiate Dahl's
All books by Michael Broad
Most of the Young Puffin sets
All the Clarice Bean's
Most of the Gwyneth Rees collection
Some Worst Witch
Most Horrid Henry's
(and that's just off the top of my head )

OP posts:
mum2all · 03/12/2009 21:46

Hi there,
I know it's a pain that she wants to re-read the same books over and over again but from an education perspective (I'm a primary teacher) its actually a really good thing for a whole variety of reasons - too many to mention.
Also as a kid I used to do the same thing ( drove my mum potty too!) but each time I re-read them I discovered a bit I'd missed or I was able to make the characters/situations more vivid or I could understand the characters motivation better. Even as an adult I still return to a few of my real favourites and re-read them from a fresh perspective.
If she's enjoying it and is still reading then what harm is she doing? If you're really concerned perhaps you could encourage her to chat with you about what she really enjoys about her favourites and then go to the library together and ask the librarian to recommend some in a similar style?

Smithagain · 03/12/2009 21:51

DD1 (also 7) is stuck in a similar rut with the Animal Ark books. But they are at least a bit more substantial than Horrid Henry, Rainbow Fairies etc, so each one takes her longer .

She does seem to like Jeremy Strong and has read all the Roald Dahl children's books, including the longer ones like Danny the Champion of the World, which gripped her and took a LOOOONG time to read.

thisisyesterday · 03/12/2009 21:53

oh i used to do that too!
i read mine hundreds of times and i never, ever got bored of them

but i would suggest going to the library and helping her to pick out some new ones maybe?

otherwise, how about some classics like swallows and amazons, the little princess, secret garden

thisisyesterday · 03/12/2009 21:54

and how about what katy did?

choosyfloosy · 03/12/2009 21:58

THE RESCUERS, she is just the right age I think. My favourite is Miss Bianca and the Salt Mines but I loved them all.

SofaQueen · 03/12/2009 21:58

Try the Ottoline series by Chris Riddell - good story and brilliant illustrations.

I'd also agree with the Francis Hodgson Burnett books, and also what about Noel Streatfield?

fishie · 03/12/2009 22:06

family from one end street
noel streatfeild
olga da polga

heartofgold · 03/12/2009 22:07

swallows and amazons? mary poppins? asterix/tintin? narnia?

TheFoosa · 03/12/2009 22:08

let her loose in the library so she can choose something herself

but I would let her reread her favourites, my dd does this and so do I

LilyBolero · 03/12/2009 22:10

My 6 year old has recently enjoyed reading;
Ballet Shoes (Noel Streatfeild)
Rainbow fairies...
Princess Mirrorbelle (Julia Donaldson) - this is particularly good for this age if they're good readers
Alice in Wonderland
and the Darcey Bussell books.

SofaQueen · 03/12/2009 22:16

I forgot one of my favourite books at that age - From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. The book fell apart because I read it so many times!

IlanaK · 03/12/2009 22:17

My 8 year old (also a very very advanced reader) did this at 7. He still does it to some extent. Taking him to the library made no difference as he would just choose things he already knew.

What did make a difference was talking to him about some of the favourite classics I read as a child. Things like the Secret Garden. Then when I got him a bit interested, I started reading it to him a chapter at a time at bedtime. We have now read though some great classics (Anne of Green Gables, Secret Garden, Railway Children, Flambards) and also the Swallows and Amazons series.

He still reads and rereads the same books again and again, but I at least don't have to read them to him and I also feel like I expand his horizons a bit.

IlanaK · 03/12/2009 22:19

Sofaqueen - I LOVE LOVE LOVE that book! I had forgotten all about it! I am off to order it now for ds1 so i can read it !

seeker · 03/12/2009 22:21

Why shouldn't she re-read? She knows how to do it now, so she doesn't need to practice! She's a reader now, let her do what she wants!

How about the first two Harry Potters? My ds enjoyed them at 7/8ish.

Don't go for the 'classics' like Swallows and Amazons or What Katy Did at this stage - they are offputtingly difficult for modern children. Too many words - too long sentences.

Doodleydoo · 03/12/2009 22:22

Got to be Ballet Shoes (Noel Streatfield - brilliant book and love it still!)
The little princess/Secret Garden
All Narnia books
If she is a good reader - Little Women by Louisa M Alcott (i think) I read that loads and loads and loved it

If she is loving her books let her read them, I still reread books now and I am a voracious reader (even with a toddler!) and will read anything put in front of me, and I am sure I only read the above books when I was young!

ReneRusso · 03/12/2009 22:26

My 7 yr old DD likes all the Mr Gum, Mr Majeika and Sheltie books. Also agree with Ottoline suggestion - those books are very different, and lovely.

IlanaK · 03/12/2009 22:29

Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh was another fab book (which I am about to order too!)
And I disagree about the language of classics being off putting for modern children. My son absolutely relishes those sorts of books as I did as a child. And they are still incredibly popular.

CremeDeMenthe · 03/12/2009 22:39

Pippi Longstocking

SofaQueen · 03/12/2009 22:59

I forgot about Mrs. Frisby!

What about books by Beverly Cleary and some Judy Blume ones (Fudge, not Are you there God, It's Me Margaret!)?

Another fabulous, and very different book (part written book, part graphic novel) is "The Invention of Hugo Cabret". I got this as part of DS1's birthday present, and we both are having a delightful time reading it together.

heartofgold · 03/12/2009 23:03

"Don't go for the 'classics' like Swallows and Amazons or What Katy Did at this stage - they are offputtingly difficult for modern children. Too many words - too long sentences."

my 6 year old is fine with s&a, but she's had them as bedtime stories so already knows the story and characters.

heartofgold · 03/12/2009 23:05

btw does she say she's bored or do you just think she must be?

Kaloki · 03/12/2009 23:14

"Don't go for the 'classics' like Swallows and Amazons or What Katy Did at this stage - they are offputtingly difficult for modern children. Too many words - too long sentences"

really? I read them and loved them, I'm only 25. Maybe they aren't the easiest to read, but why not challenge a child that enjoys reading. If they decide they don't like them then fine, but you might find they are more accessible books than you think.

How about some Lemony Snicket books?

Kaloki · 03/12/2009 23:16

Edited ot add: should have made myself clear, I read them when I was a kid.

seeker · 03/12/2009 23:45

I think that Swallows and Amazons and the 'classics" are better as read alouds for most modern children.

But I forgot the mumsnet effect!!!!

CirrhosisByTheSea · 03/12/2009 23:57

I agree that it's probably a good thing. Kids need times of 'plateau' in my opinion as well as those times of learning. They need that feeling of things being totally familiar and easy and not a stretch in order for them to fuel up for all the learning they are doing in life every day at this age.

And, as the mother of a 7 year old who has reading problems and can't read any of the books mentioned here, would you allow me to say that maybe you would be driven less mad by it if you remember that she is doing really well, and that there is no (forgive me) real problem here.

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