Book recommendations wanted for advanced reader

[bonym]

Went to dd's parents evening last night and was a little taken aback to be told that she had a reading age of almost 11 (she is 6 1/2). We knew that she was a good reader but weren't really aware of how far ahead she is. Problem we have is that whilst we don't want to buy her books which are too easy, we are concerned that books for her "reading' age may not always be entirely appropriate/suitable for a rising 7 yr old. We have already 'done' Roald Dahl and some of the classics such as Alice in Wonderland and The Secret Garden. Does anyone have any other recommendations please?

That's a fantastic value offer from the Book People, isn't it Sue? So which is your favourite? And dd's?

DS1 likes Kensuke's Kingdom best.

Oh and anything(ish) by Rumer Godden or Nina Bawden is worth looking at.

Roisin, whaddya mean, usual suspects??? (I'm sure if frogs could find the threads we'd all be repeating ourselves like billy-o). That's funny about the cover. I've just finished an utterly, utterly marvellous book that looks as though it's going to be some kind of mild rustic romance from the cover. So, so wrong. It's here if anyone's interested- The Way the Crow Flies by Ann-Marie Macdonald.

All of the others are WAY to old - but I thought those two are quite 'young'(song/singer i mean)

(Frogs mentioned Enid Blyton......)

The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
Milly Molly Mandy will be too young
Something called 'The Cuckoo Clock' - about a little girl called Marigold....go on someone correct me (I have no memory)

He hasn't read Moonfleet, Frogs. I'm ignorant of it as well. When was it written?

We've been doing mainly contemporary stuff, since he had a bad experience with E Nesbitt: He read the Railway Children, but then gave up on the Phoenix and the Carpet. I was hoping he might want to read '5 Children and It' after seeing the film, but he hasn't shown any interest yet.

Maybe try the Treasure Seekers? I remember it vividly as the first book I ever read myself that was written in the first person. I just couldn't get used to it at first, but I enjoyed it a lot in the end.

Moonfleet must be 19th century? Shipwreck adventure type thing. Great book

I think you're right Katiemac, but I have about 18" of books of them on the shelves on the landing, so I know if he started on them I couldn't then call a halt! So I've just mentally written them off until he's older.

My DD loved Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech.
Do you all read everything before allowing your children to? Mine gets through so many books I'd have trouble keeping up with her. Lots of good ideas here though.

Rumer Godden, how could I forget? dd1 said (with inner-city kid cynicism) that she thought The Diddakoi was a bit wet -- I still haven't really forgiven her.

Moonfleet was written in 1898 -- it's in pretty much the same vein as Treasure Island. Probably one for reading out loud or on tape, rather than expecting a child to wade through it himself, but a cracking good story. The Puffin Classics (not Penguin, sorry!) has similar good stuff for older readers, like Conan Doyle's The Lost World and Anthony Hope The Prisoner of Zenda.

I used to sob my heart out over the Diddakoi as a child!

I only had about 30 (tatty) books as a child, my parents never bought books, and we didn't go to the library; so I just re-read them all over and over again. I guess that's why I'm so determined to make sure dss have access to a wide range of excellent literature.

Personally I think that as long as they are reading fluently the level isn't all that important so long as they enjoy what they read. You really want to encourage a love of reading, so that they continue to read and then the skills will continue to develop without really trying. Ds (now 10, but an early and prolific reader) is equally happy with the beano as Lord of the Rings. That said, if your dd is wanting to read and enjoying longer, meatier books I'd second all the suggestions below with the comment that the more classic childrens stories are generally a safer bet content-wise. Arthur Ransom: Swallows and Amazons series kept ds entertained for a while and anything else of that generation is virtually certain to be appropriate. Redwall books also went down well with ds. Don't forget to throw some non-fiction into the mix as well.

Bonym, dd1 has it (she is 12), and I asked her what she thought of it wrt to her sister reading it (who is almost 8). She said in her opinion it is suitable, as there are no rude bits.

Barbaloot - Swallow and Amazons (and the other books) are my absolute favourites - I re-read them even now. But I was so desparate for DD to read them - she refused

i asked a very simialr question on here about 12 months ago and got lots of lovely ideas. my dd sounds like yours and i thought Jacqueline Wilson too ols for her and inappropriate for her her expereinces (as Roisin says). big hits with us have been

*Sophie Stories - Dick King Smith
*Judy Blume - Super Fudge and Tales of 4th grade nothing
*Sheltie Stories - forgotten author
*Utterly Me Clarice Bean
*a simlpe version of Heidi
*Roald Dahl
*Ramona sories - Beverley Cleary
*Ms Wiz series - Terence Blacker
*Princess stories - Diana Kimpton

will let you know if i think of any more

no Lou there are no rude bits in JW but some of them deal with issues that i think would be better read about when the need arose.
dd was given one as her raeding book in Y" and i wrote and complained. it was 'Lizzy Zipmouth'...story began in woman's refuge where they were living having ran away from mum's violent boyfriend. mum then got new boyfriend who was very good to them all and the girl in the story got very friandly with his grandmohter THEN she had a stroke and the character was ery upset, visting her in hospital, combing her hair etc. it was a good story for those who needed it but not suitable for everyone

I was only referring to the book bonym asked about AQ, she asked me what I knew about it further down the thread..

Thanks for the comments Lou - I will let dd have the book back tomorrow . There are so many good suggestions here,and I lot of them I already knew but just hadn't remembered - however you've all got the old grey matter working again now so I'm sure if I try really hard I will recall some more that I used to love.

Just a word of caution - one of the Judy Blume Fudge books gives away the Santa Claus secret.

Katiemac - leave the swallows & amazons around the house - she might read them when she thinks you're not looking!

ds loves

miss wiz
horrid henry
tracey beaker by jw
dick king smith
harry potter

The top ones are really too young for him but he loves to read them again and again so I don't want to take them away.

He loves non-fiction too esp. about history. Greek myths, Charles I, Henry VIII and George III.

Richard Adams - Watership Down. I read this at 6 myself, still a favourite!

Definitely Noel Streatfeild, & maybe Antonia Forest in a year or so if you can find them.

& maybe some Dickens...? She might be up for 'Oliver Twist', say, if you read to her to start her off.

Message withdrawn

Yorkiegirl: Have you managed to get your hands on Wolf Brother yet?

DS1 has brought it home from the libary; but has also brought home Point Blanc (second in the Horowitz series - Alex Ryder), which he wants to read first.

But I haven't "checked out" the Alex Ryder (sp? Rider?) books yet. So should I read Wolf Brother first, or Stormbreaker [the first Alex Ryder book]?! or something grown-up?!

The Alex Rider books are fab. My DS1 devoured them. They are basically James Bond for kids. Well worth the read

Diane Wynne Jones? I have fond memories of the Chrestomancie series... drifts off in memories...

I think the Pern books got more "adult" as they went further through the series. I have them all tucked away in my loft awiting the day I get to have a room set aside a a library.