Book (novel) for 6 year old boy

[Dexterrocks]

I am trying to find the perfect book for my 6 year old DS stocking. He loves to be read to but is not yet able to read much more than a Biff, Chip Stage 4 reader from school. He likes funny things and animals. He is very easily upset by scary things, the merest mention of a ghost etc.
Can anyone recommend a fun novel which I could read to him that he would eventually enjoy reading to himself too?

Anything by Jeremy Strong. The Indoor Pirates was one of my DS's favourites. Also The Hundred Mile An Hour Dog. The books are light, humorous and ok for adults too.

Also how about some classics - the Wind in the Willows, Winnie the Pooh, Swallows and Amazons - all quite safe but good stories.

Enid Blyton (although dated) wrote some great adventures (Famous 5 etc).

Hope this helps.

If he doesn't like scary, at least you're spared Beast Quest for a while!

He might like: "How to train your Dragon" (some tense moments, but quickly dispelled). Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Astrosaurs? Humpfrey Hamster? Paddington Bear? Just So Stories? The Jungle Book? A version of Arthurian legends?

Horrid Henry? Maybe a bit advanced for a 6yo?

My DS, also 6 actually likes the secret seven books being read to him, they are mine from when I was a child.

Oh just realised go has suggested the same Maybe its not that wierd after all

Winnie the Witch books ... or the Magic Treehouse books. I would usually say Dinosaur Cove but they all have scary moments .. same goes for Beast Quest.

Flat Stanley

He sounds similar to my ds. He likes Dick King Smith animal books and Jill Tomlinson (owl who was afraid of the dark etc.) He liked Fantastic mr Fox which I thought might be a bit scary for him and Esio Trot (I wasn't keen on that) and the twits and The enormous crocodile (but no chapters in some roald dahls). He likes the Enid Blyton fantasy sort of books like wishing chair, Enchanted Wood (better than Wishing chair) and the o'clock tales (short stories) but I tried him with an adventure type one (secret of something, I forget) and it was too scary.

Mr. Gum is supposed to be very good and funny but I haven't read it.

The Mr.Majeika books are meant to be very good although we havn't tried them yet.
Also, he might like the Moomin books.

Captain Underpants

DS is 6 and loves his chapter books. His favs are:

Folk of the faraway tree (my fav as a child)

Any Enid blighton

Roald Dahl (charlie and the choc factory, goeorges marvellous medicine and the twits are ds's favourites at the moment)

Winnie the Pooh

Paddington bear

DS got a boxed set of Horrid Henry last year 5.5 and loves them.

He won a copy of Jungle Book this summer and loves it.

Is into Roald Dahl and Captain Underpants too.

Is getting The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe this Christmas.

Ds was given Tim the Tiny Horse by Harry Hill last Christmas when he had just turned 7 yo. He loves it and had re-read it several times. He also loves Mr Gum and has just got into Roald Dahl in the last 6 months or so - currently reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I have also bought him David Walliams Mr Stink and Billionaire Boy for Christmas. He doesn't love reading but if the book if the book has humour he'll give it a go.

Old, but Professor Branestawm books are very funny and totally non-scary.

Captain Underpants is also excellent (and funny as an adult - well at least to this adult - which helps if you are reading them to him!)

The How to train your Dragon books are fab! Ds7 and friends are really into them.

They are fab, and dd loves them now, but when she was (admittedly just) 6 & I tried out reading them too her she found them too scary, and didn't really 'get' the humour.

(She was extremely easily scared / upset by things in books at that point, mind you.)

Not quite what you asked for but just popping in to highly recommend the Roald Dahl CD collection if you can find it. It's about 20 discs and has HOURS and HOURS of brilliantly read stories. Read by the likes of Steven Fry. I got ours from the Bookpeople when my twins were 6 & it was one of the best things I ever bought for them.
Don't think bookpeople have it any more but I'm sure ebay would come up trumps.

spler, we have that cd collection and you are right, it is fantastic! Ours was also from the Book People and it also one of the best investments we have made. We all enjoy them on long journeys and they are very handy for when the kids can't get to sleep too.
Great ideas folks, keep them coming please!

Mr Gum is a huge favorite with my 7 yr old. If you like something different he can do himself the 'Where is Wally 'collection is great. My Ds had his for over 2 years and still uses it weekly.

Secret Seven - easier to read than Famous Five. Or a book of jokes, especially rude jokes.

Or perhaps an annual as they have lots to do in them as well as reading.

Teddy Robinson is fab, I've so enjoyed reading it again with my dd - so warm and funny.

There's a fab set of Puffin Modern Classics at the Book People at the moment - it features The Hodgeheg by Dick King Smith, The Worst Witch, a couple of Roald Dahls and others - a really good collection of first chapter books.

DS2 loved Bob the Man in the Moon when he started reading himself.