Suggestions to read to 6 year old boy

[swallowthree]

Aaaargh - I've had it with Beast Quest, Dinosaur Cove, Cows in Action, Ben 10, Star Wars and just about every other fighting based story my 6 year old boy seems to love. Is there anything out there that we can both enjoy together and that doesn't involve fighting, swords, guns or blowing up space ships ?(no wonder the world is in the mess it is in !)

Captain Underpants? They are very funny (honest) and they don't really involve fighting as such . . .

How to Tame Your Dragon - viking theme, but the hero is definitely not big & fierce (small, but always comes out on top because he - unlike the others - thinks!)

Mr Gum? DD didn't take to them, but lots of children (and adults) seem to love them.

Also maybe some Roald Dahl? Danny the Champion of the World is my favourite, but also Charlie & the Chocolate Factory et al

My ds loved faraway tree etc, fantastic Mr Fox and esp the twits oh and Georges Marvellous medicine (last 3 free with cheerios

The Littlenose books - Littlenose the Hunter, Littlenose the Hero - about a Neanderthal boy.

When he was 6 ds loved them and now reads them alone as well!

currently reading the narnia books with my 6 year old ds

he's also enjoyed the flat stanley books and several roald dahl, oh and the dreadful Horrid Henry

The Giggler Treatment by Roddy Doyle is brilliant - very funny.

Mr gum and Horrid Henry

roald dahl - enormous crocodile, revolting beasts, my ds who is 5 and a half loves the sophies adventures stories by Dick King Smith, oh and mr majeika (sp)

The Faraway Tree

Cressida Cowell's Viking books - great fun to read aloud

ooh, and Sir Gadabout series too

Magic Wishing Chair and The Faraway Tree - my DCs loved them

How about the Narnia books?

For example 'The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe' by C. S. Lewis

Here is an article about them

Lots of good suggestions, but also, a lot of what you mention sounds like it's not only about fighting but very formulaic/based on TV shows etc. I'd suggest trying to find things which have themes that interest him but started off as books. Even if they have fighting in, they're likely to be better written and less annoying to have to read aloud.

My cousin's 6 year old boy enjoyed a Naughty Little Sister book my mum gave him and his naughty little sister (apparently my brother enjoyed them too).

The Borrowers by Mary Norton?

I haven't read them myself and there may be space and fighting in them (I'm not sure!), but the Percy Jackson books are written by someone who writes great mystery fiction for adults so I'd hope the quality is decent.

Sorry that would be Rick Riordan who writes Percy Jackson books.

Elkidee, I don't think that any of the books mentioned above are either based on tv shows, or (with the possible exception of Horrid Henry) formulaic.

Several of them (particularly Cressida Cowell's Train your Dragon books and Cpt Underpants) I quite often sneakily read myself when dd has them out of the library. They certainly knock spots off plenty of adult books.

Takver, I was referring to the books the op mentioned in her original post, not to any of the suggestions including those you mention.

I second Roald Dahl and Captain Underpants. I've just started reading the first Harry Potter to my 6-year-old DS - he seems to be enjoying it so far.

Ds is 6 and loved the Sophie books mentioned above. I found 3 in 1 editions and we were all a bit when the last one finished.

Currently Reading the first Worst Witch book to him. Have read some Roald Dahl and had an attempt with Harry Potter but chapters a bit long and involved tbh.

I find that anythibg to do with television characters is generally pretty bad - not well written and makes me want to scream so I try to avoid . chapter books are good as it's nice to find out what happens next.

DS does like books with pictures in - he enjoys Noddy books with colourful pictures. I do occasionally alter some of the language used. As his Reading improves he wants to ve able to read a story as well so we have two types - a DS Reading one (which is quite often one I used to read to him) and a Mummy Reading one.

I will refer back to this thread whe n we need more inspiration

Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Janssen.

DS1 - 5 and a half- LOVES secret seven, faraway tree, wishing tree, the adventure series and the famous five. They are a bit old fashioned but are pitched perfectly for his age range and he can really follow the stories without getting bored (plus I get to venture down memory lane!)

Anything by Jeremy Strong - my DS (aged 5) got a set for Christmas and they're fab. The BookPeople are doing pack of 10 for £10 at the moment.

Roald Dahl definitely. Some are nice and simple for reading on his own when he is confident enough e.g. The Magic Finger, others are great stories to read a couple of chapters a night. They have gruesome bits but aren't just fighting and are beautifully written.

I don't like the Faraway Tree stuff but love the Famous Five. Although they seem old fashioned, DS likes the fact the kids in them get to go camping alone on an island so actually they seem really adventurous because nowadays noone would get away with this stuff.

Oh, and Littlenose series, can't remember the author.

Ds2 (7 today!) loved The King of the Copper Mountain by Paul Biegel if you're looking for something a bit different. Wonderful, magical tale as the animals come in night by night to tell the King a story until the Wonder Doctor makes it back through the snow with the herbs needed to keep the King's heart going. We just loved it.