Books for 6-9 year old girls

[mumblesmum]

I have a couple of girls in my class (Y2) who are fairly good readers (2a-3c) and I have been asked for a reading list for them. I have plenty of ideas of what they may like, but would love to tap your ideas of what your dc are REALLY enjoying at school.

Has anyone got any suggestions of books suitable for them?

Definitely NO fairy books, puppy books ..... good solid literature!

Also, would prefer contemporary suggestions rather than The Famous Five.

The children in my class (year 3) read:

You're a bad man, Mr Gum!
Diary of a wimpy kid
Spy dogs

Author wise
Roald Dahl
Dick King-Smith
Jacqueline Wilson
Julia Donaldson (might find it a bit babyish)
Allan Ahlberg (not the flavour at present, but I love him!)
Anthony Brown

Depends on the type of girls they are. Diary of a wimpy kid seems to be popular with both genders.

The Judy Moody books by Megan McDonald
Both Michael Morpurgo and Dick King Smith do some easier stories for younger readers.
Roald Dahl - Magic Finger and Fantastic Mr Fox are easier than Charlie et al

Some "Oldies"
My Naughty Little Sister
Ramona the Pest series
Pippi Longstocking
Paddington

I'd second ANYTHING by Allan Ahlberg but particularly try the "Happy Families" and "Gaskitts" series

I bought my DD (6) The Dinosaur Diary for xmas, and she loves it. It's a short novel type of book, lots more word-y that the other Julia Donaldson books.

Can't think of much else right now.

DD liked the 'Daisy and the Trouble With . . .' series

I know you said contemporary, but my yr2 dd1 loves the Mallory Towers and St Clares boarding school Enid Blyton's as well as Jacqueline Wilson, Pippa Funnells book about horses etc. She was given an abridged set of classics such as Black Beauty/Heidi/Wizard of Oz, for her birthday at the weekend which she has had her nose stuck in ever since, as well as Michael Morpurgo's Butterfly Lion which looks good but she hasn't started it yet.

my 6-9 yos like:
cressida cowell series
lemony snicket series
harry potters (although y2 dd decided she would leave the last book until she was older as it was a bit too grown up)
percy jackson series

i have two girls and a boy. the favourite books are the completely unisex ones. fgs don't start them on the desperate boy meets girl pinkery that is rammed down girls throats ever earlier (think candy apple series etc etc)

we had a brief problem with school pushing jacqueline wilson. i like jw, but you need to check the books, some are def for older readers.

also, some of the oldie but goodies are still good reads - the younger judy blumes etc.

judy moody is good, but tbh if they are confident they will outgrow them really quickly. they are v short. so maybe if they are going down that route, suggest parents book swap or use the library. nothing so depressing as spedning a fortune in waterstones and them having finished all the books by lunchtime....

oh, goodness, yes, forgot michael morpurgo. 8yo dd wants to marry him.

What about David Walliams' children's books. My DD was given Billionaire Boy for her 8th birthday by a friend and loved it. I was a bit unsure but they are lovely books that me and DH enjoy too! She 's read all his books and couldn't wait for the last one to be published

Ones that have worked for us recently:

Ottoline and the Yellow Cat
Julia Donaldson - Princess MirrorBelle
Judy Blume: The Great One and the Pest (? something like that)
Kitty series + Bonnie series by Bel Mooney (yes the second has a dog in but it is not magic...)

I'd also say that of all the books with glittery covers, the 'Darcey Bussell' magic ballerina series are not bad; they are based on real ballet stories, which are explained, and tend to have a good message about how trying and practicing is important if you want to do well.

Rapunzel's Revenge Graphic novel
Clover twigg
Beswitched
Madame Pamplemousse
Incorrigible Children
Farthest Away Mountain-my favourite from childhood and now DD's favourite
Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Dragon Rider
Necklace of Raindrops

The Worst Witch books are good for that age range, also How To Tame Your Dragon and would second Ottoline.

I think DD was reading Percy Jackson at that age (they're like narrative crack) but she was a very advanced reader indeed.

DS (same age and level) has enjoyed the Anna Hibiscus books recently and The Gigglers (Roddy Doyle) and Mr Gum. I find although he is a very fluent reader he doesn't have much stamina, I like Anna Hibiscus as the context is so different to his normal experience so stretches him in a different way without going into content perhaps more suitable for older kids. He also recently read 'Meerkat Madness' which was a nice challenge as the meerkats use a different language which you need to work out to follow the story.

DD is in year 2, and has been levelled at a 3a. She reads incessantly, and I have hunted high and low for suitable reading material!

Not contemporary but my dd loves Noel streatfield books (ballet shoes etc) and Frances Hodgson-Burnett (secret garden/little princess). She also loves Malory towers and (sorry) famous five. Little House on the Prairie. Roald Dahl and Astrid Lindgren have also been mentioned. Charlotte's web is another good one.

Pollyanna has been another favourite, and what Katy did. I anticipate that she will enjoy the likes of little women/Anne of green gables etc in a year or two (she is six now, so still a bit young IMO).

More modern favourites include Michael Morpurgo and David walliams. She also likes Eva Ibbotsen (sp ?). She has shown no interest at all in Harry Potter so far. Tbh, though, she prefers the older ones, and she certainly learns a lot from them - the vocal in some is quite challenging!

Oh, another oldie but dd's favourite book ever is Heidi! Not sure how I forgot that one.

The Narnia books are another favourite I forgot to mention earlier.

DD (now 9) has spent the last year reading Michael Buckley's Sisters Grimm series and Angie Sage's Septimus Heap series - in Yr2 she was into Cressida Cowell's Hiccup Horrendous Haddock series, also the Lily Quench series and some Diana Wynne Jones.

Thanks everyone! I know that I've become a bit stale with my reading material in class over the years as well, so I'll give some of these a go myself as well!

I would definitely second the Anna Hibiscus books.