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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Beast Quest Books

20 replies

Timetowaste · 07/05/2011 15:05

Does anyone know these books? What level of reading are they geared to and age of child?

They have been recommended by a friend for my yr 1 dd by a classmate's parent. But according to my dd her friend is on stage 15 ORT .

I've had a quick google and they do appear to be aimed at 10-12 year olds, so I'm assuming the content isn't suitable for an average yr 1 reader.

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meditrina · 07/05/2011 15:15

DS2 s in yr1 when these books came out, and he read them then. I think a 10 year old would find them a little babyish (though might still read them if a previous favourite). There's far too many of the dratted things now too.

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Timetowaste · 07/05/2011 15:21

Oh okay so they are geared for this age group.

Word wise rather than length wise would an average reader be able to read them?

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meditrina · 07/05/2011 15:29

I've just had a look at one: the cover gives (FWIW) a 7+ age guideline and it was 120 pages long. I don't remember the vocabulary being unduly challenging. But by the time you're up to book number 48, they all begin to blur into each other a bit.

mamalocco · 07/05/2011 15:31

They are one of the first chapter books my ds read - in year 2 going into year 3. Get them in a set of 6 from the book people - much cheaper. Think of them as the boys equivalent of rainbow fairies et.

lovecheese · 07/05/2011 15:31

They are in the 5-8 section at Waterstones.

Lindax · 07/05/2011 15:36

think beast quest is aimed at 7+. there is also the new chronicles of avantia from same author aimed at 9+

ds is 6 and in P2 (scotland) and loves beast quest we are on book 26 i think. I read a chapter each night, he reads a page of each chapter and manages to work most of the words apart from tough ones, chapter books are a bit much for him atm. He is on ORT level 7.

emy72 · 07/05/2011 15:46

My DS1, 5 in August, loves these books.

He is reading them with my DH, apparently he can read them well but with support (meaning struggles with some words, gets tired sometimes and a bit slow in parts). So I'd say 7 or an advanced 6 year old reader would be spot on.

PorkChopSter · 07/05/2011 15:58

I'd wait until you are sure your child can read them without any input from you because although the 5 & 7 year old in our house adore them, I would rather stab pins in my eye sockets and pluck my entire lady garden one by one than read another word from any of the 50+ books ever again

IndigoBell · 07/05/2011 16:38

They are often the first chapter books boys read. Y2 ish.....

JemimaMop · 07/05/2011 16:41

I think DS1 was in Year 2 and DS2 was in Year 1 when they first read these. I am rather glad though that they didn't like them that much and prefer Mr Gum. They would have been round about ORT level 10 at the time.

ChasingSquirrels · 07/05/2011 16:44

agree with another poster - they really are dire. DS loves them (now yr3, 8.5y) and has been reading them since reception/yr1 (could read when he started school) but I refuse to have anything to do with them.

fruitshootsandheaves · 07/05/2011 16:48

DS2 had these when he was about 7-8 he raved about them as all his friends were reading them. We got them and he read a couple but then got bored as the stories are all the same.
But then he hates reading and would be bored by a lottery win after 20 seconds, he has the attention span of a flea.

nickelbabe · 07/05/2011 16:51

I keep them in 6 upwards: confident readers.

they're good first chapter books for 6, 7 and 8year olds

(I wouldn't go any older than that, unless they're already reading them, because they are very simple and repetitive.)

they will be fine and good practice for your year 1 dd, if she's starting to be a confident reader.

FreudianSlipOnACrown · 07/05/2011 16:53

My neighbour is nearly 8, acts a bit younger in terms of speech but is quite a good reader, and he likes them, if that helps.

My 13yo DSD is reading one but she really struggles due to dyslexia so it's much too easy for her age I suppose. But at least she's readog something and enjoying it :)

FreudianSlipOnACrown · 07/05/2011 16:55

Btw are they like those rainbow fairy books etc where they're actually just written by any old person and not all by the same author?

nickelbabe · 07/05/2011 16:59

yes, that's exactly what they are Freud

lovecheese · 07/05/2011 17:10

Literary shite, but good for getting an emergent reader to achieve the eureka "I can read!" moment.

Clary · 07/05/2011 17:32

Yes they are for yr1-2-3 IME.

DS2 is in yr 3 and pretty keen. Certainly they are not for a 10-12 yo unl;ess they already liked them. I find them OK in terms of both language and length. It is tricky to find a "real" book that a yr1-2 reader can cope with which is why this sort of thing (and Rainbow Magic for girls) are popular.

Tiggles · 07/05/2011 21:19

DS1 adored Beast Quest when he first came across them in year 3 so aged 7.

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Timetowaste · 07/05/2011 21:33

Thanks for the comments - we are currently stage 9 and age 6 so sound the ideal level and age to enjoy these books.

I will see if I can find the first 6 with the book people. But I will only have them if they can read them alone - rainbow fairies are untouched on the bookshelf in this house!!

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