Book ideas to move onto from Horrid Henry

[whizzylala]

My DD is a great reader and luckily enjoys reading. She seems very very reluctant however to branch out and constantly reads the Horrid Henry books, again and again and again..... (she'll get through one in an evening) she is so much more capable and will occasionally read another book, ie last week she did read The Naughtiest Girl, said she loved it so I got the next one in the series but she won't go near it.....back to HH, yawn! I am not worried or pushing her as I am just glad she is reading but wondered if there are any books that are a step up from HH I could introduce her to to try and get her to broaden her horizons. Have got how to tame dragon/ be a pirate and captain underpants , both of which she showed no interest in. As you can tell she is not a girly reader!
Thanks in advance.
Whizz.

How old is she?

Roald Dahl The Twits - that's what we moved onto. Now we are working through Roald Dahl. Matilda is a favourite and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Hi, I've been reading my DC's the Mr Majeika books. I got a set from the bookpeople website, so they were pretty cheap. I'd say they were a step up from Horrid Henry and not girly.

My dd is not terribly girly either and has been reading and loving the Oliver Moon books (boy wizard, trolls, monsters etc).
They are small chapter books and there are quite a few of them but she really enjoys reading them. Hope that helps!

She is just 7.
Oh yes she has read some of the Oliver Moon from the library - I think they are about the same level, she is a very fast reader and I want to try and get her onto something that will last more than an evening, Oliver Moon is an evenings work for her too. She doesn't seem to get the idea of "gettting into a book" because the ones she chooses she gets through so quickly. Might try and revisit Roald Dahl though - I always forget those!

Mr Gum - one of the heroes is a not-girly girl
Beast Quest (although personally I cannot stand it)
Any Dick King Smith
Dirty Bertie
Flat Stanley
How to train your Dragon

The Worst Witch

I know its more Enid Blyton but how about The Enchanted Wood series? Maybe 'too girly' but Laura Ingalls Wilder books are not soppy like the tv series. The first 3 books- Little House in the big woods, Little house on the prairie and Little house on plum creek are probably ok for a good 7 year old reader. Good luck!

Does she like animals? My daughter loves anything by Michael Morpurgo e.g.the Butterfly Lion. She also devoured all the Famous Five books at your DD's age.

Was going to suggest Mr Gum too. DS is nearly 7 and is an avid Horrid Henry fan. He's just read the first Mr Gum book and it took him a little longer, I loved it too

I'd echo what the others have said about Michael Morpugo, Dahl and Mr Gum books. Some other suggestions - how about the Judy Moody series? Or Malorie Blackman's Operation Gadgetman? or books by Jeremy Strong or Anne Fine?

HTH

THE TRUTH IS A LEMON MERINGUE

My DD is about to turn 7, she loves the Judy Moody books, kitty books by bel moony and the daisy books by kes gray. These are about girls, but myschevious and tom boy girls which appealed to my DD.

my ds went from horrid henry to captain underpants and is loving those at the moment. I loved the worst witch and judy blume as a child.

Agree with above. Plus the Flood and Fang books (Marcus Sedgewick) are v gothic and fun. Astrosaurs?

Tum Tum and Nutmeg, Roald Dahl or maybe try Horrible Histories.

I'd keep with funny books for now. Jeremy Strong would be perfect.

Since she's only 7, take a relaxed approach, she's got years and years of reading pleasure ahead!

Horrid Henry must be addictive! My DD is exactly the same, she is 11 but still goes back to HH, they are so well read they are falling apart!

DD hates Michael Morpugo but loves Roald Dahl. She's never really gotten into Enid Blyton, but has read the Naughtiest Girl series. Jacqueline Wilson was a fav. for a while but she lost interest. At the moment DD reads a lot of horrible histories/science/geography

Our DD's might have similar tastes so I'd definitely recommend the Horrible Histories and Roald Dahl

Brilliant - thanks all for your ideas, I will go to library tomorrow and see what I can get my hands on. I think funny books are great from my point of view too, I love seeing her curled up with a book then bursting into laughter!

Spy dog and Spy pups..........I enjoy them too.. lol

No new suggestions, but I'd certainly go along with Roald Dahl, The Worst Witch (bit girly, but brilliant) Jacqueline Wilson (yuck, but popular) Flat Stanley, Judy Moody...

I think Morpurgo and Blackman might be a BIT of a jump, but maybe worth getting if she's strong and confident. If they are too old for her, she'll grow into them at some point.

PorkChop that book had me and DS in stitches [smile}

My 7 year old dd also likes non-girly books. eg. she loves Captain Underpants, Astrosaurs, Spy Dog and Famous Five books.

When my children are reluctant to try a new author, I tend to read the books to them as their bedtime story. More often than not, I do not get to finish their story because they grab the book off me and read it themselves.

Ds went from HH to Tangshen Tigers series by Dan Lee about a bunch of kids at a martial arts boarding school and travelling to competitions, he LOVED this series.

Then his favourite books ever 'Percy Jackson and the Lightning Seed' series. Also Stephen and Lucy Hawking's George books, excellent and full of science. He's also loving Louis Sachar 'holes'.

Old, and maybe old-fashioned, but an early classic of children's books before many of the authors already mentioned were even born!

(In my head I can still 'hear' my Mum reading it to me, and I return to it every few years.)

SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS - and all the other Arthur Ransome books.

COOT CLUB, on the Norfolk Broads, is amazing because the locations are real, and it conveys life and childhood around 1930 better than any history book.