Books to read to 5.5 year old

[Chocolatelover888]

We always read to our 5.5 DS every night. He’s learning to read in school and is doing great but we still want to read him books at night. Recently I’ve realised we’ve had the same books since he was much younger and are too young for him. Problem is, I can’t seem to identify good in between books, Harry Potter , Enid blyton etc seem a bit old but all the Julia Donaldson type books too young. Roald Dahl maybe but a bit scary ? Any recommendations for 5/6 year olds would be great. Thanks.

https://www.thereaderteacher.com/year1

Ronald Dahl (Giraffe, The Pelly and Me is a good one to start with)

https://shop.scholastic.co.uk/search/search?log=t&search%5Bquery%5D=%22%23reading-spine-year-1%22

Mine enjoyed Horrid Henry and the short David Walliams at that age (world's worst series - I'm not a fan but he enjoyed). Also Beast Quest which again are short chapter books.

Tom Fletcher's Christmasaurus" series might be good as although they're quite long books, the chapters are fairly short. Depends on attention span I guess.

Usbourne lift the flap were popular although fact not fiction.

The Claude series.

Daisy and the Trouble with... series

The little people big dreams series claim to be 4-7 and I enjoy them as much as my 3 yo.

I would always recommend a trip to the library to see test ride new authors

Another vote for Horrid Henry. Also the Enid Blyton books aimed at younger ones - my DC loved the Faraway Tree series.

Another vote (from DS) for Magic Faraway Tree. We’ve also enjoyed the short chapter books from Jill Tomlinson (the otter who wanted to know, etc) and some of the easier Dick King Smith (Sophie series, The Hodgepeg, the Sheep Pig)

Mine has just enjoyed the enormous crocodile! He also likes Matilda.

Burglar Bill and the other name/job books by the Ahlbergs. Harry the poisonous centipede. Roald Dahl's revolting rhymes and his retold fairy tales. If you've a library go and choose together.

Another vote for Claude. He's brilliant!

I was coming on to say i loved Roald Dahl at that age. The Twits and George’s Marvellous Medicine!

I think he'll enjoy anything by Johnny Duddle. There are some shorter books in the pirates series and some slightly longer chapter books still with some pictures. My kids love them.

Joe Todd-Stanton has done some beautiful slightly longer graphic stories that my son also loves.

The boy who grew dragons series is also well loved.

I personally don't love horrid Henry.

Thanks everyone this is so helpful 🙏

The Wigglebottom Primary books are very good.

Oi dog and oi frog were our favourites.

Isn't he just the right age for the Wishing Chair and the Faraway Tree - Enid Blyton?

Also, don't forget poetry. At that age I had The Christopher Robin Verses by A A Milne and A Child's Garden of Verse by R L Stevenson, but I think a small child can appreciate anthng ith a strong rythm, even if some of the words are unfamiliar. Night Mail by W H Auden, for example. Or Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats - T S Eliot.

We'd put in another vote for Claude - he's just brilliant!

DH's favourite is the knights in training series by Vivian French - he's been waiting since he finished the series with DS2 for DS3 to be old enough to enjoy them.

I'd also agree that the Jonny Duddle ones are good. They can make a good transition as well because you can get to know the characters in the picture books and then move on to the chapter books.

Other favourites are:
Rabbit and Bear
Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam
The boy who grew dragons
Mr Dog series

The 13-storey treehouse series are also really good

My 5yo DS enjoys Billy and the Mini Monsters books (boy has cute little monsters as friends who get him into trouble all the time) and also the Lottie Lipton series (she lives with her uncle in a cottage beside the British Library in the 30s I think? And solves mysteries in the British Library)

The Claude books are hilarious. I have had to stop reading to laugh at the completely absurd jokes.

Adventuremice

rabbit and bear series

polly and the puffin series

johnny duddle pirate series (chapter book ones)

zoey and sassafras

jill Tomlinson has lots of books about animals like the penguin who wanted to find out and the owl who was afraid of the dark (some have been shortened to picture book length so make sure it is the chapter book ones). I also like the otter one and the gorilla one.

the worst witch

christmasaurus

but if you ask in a library or a bookshop they will have lots of suggestions.

I’ve screen shotted all this as so useful - we’ve gone for the Christmasaurus (which he loves so far) and the faraway tree but will be consulting this list again once we are done! Thanks :)