Longer/chapter books for early readers

[FairyPenguin]

My DD has just started Year 1 and started reading simple chapter books over the summer holidays. She is really enjoying them, and is reading when she wakes up in the morning as she wants to find out what happens next.

Does anyone have any suggestions of good chapter/longer books that she could read? She has recently enjoyed 2 Julia Donaldson books called Follow the Swallow, and Spinderella. She has also read Claude in the City twice, and a Michael Morpugo book called Mairi's Mermaid. I'd like to stick with books of this level, which have a few sentences per page, and a picture on each page as she loves pictures.

A lot of the books she has read are part of the Blue Bananas series so thinking of buying some more of those, but does anyone know of anything else similar please?

I see a lot of short picture books that she can read in one go so she ends up memorising them after a couple of readings, or longer chapter books that don't have pictures and have a lot of text on one page which I think would put her off (but she is enjoying me reading these to her, eg. Dick King-Smith, Magic Faraway Tree, Worst Witch).

Just looking for longer books which will be more of a challenge than short books, but not too daunting!

Thanks.

Jeremy Strong Pirate School is good, lots of fab illustrations, short chapters and lively stories- hmmm, might appeal to boys more than girls? Usborne Young Reading Series One, good illustrations, short chapters. Jacqueline Wilson, Mr Cool- DS loved that one! Is your library any good? Our library has a whole section of these sort of books. You have to look carefully as they vary in standard a lot but there are some gems. I did find the Blue and then Red Bananas excellent for this level- has she read Flying Dog?

There are loads of blue banana books in my local library (but no green banana books which is DD's stage - boo hiss!!).

I have just bought a few chapter books on amazon about a dog called Biscuit. Not seen them yet as only ordered them yesterday so I don't know if they are on the right level for your DD.

One green banana book I did find in the library today is too challenging for my DD (but she will still give it a good old go) which is a Flat Stanley one.

Somebody else has recommended the frog and toad books which might be worth looking at.

I also noticed today that the basic Horrid Henry books only tend on have maybe 5 sentences on each page (but they did not float DD's boat!!)

My son loves the Magic Tree books.

Walker Books have a series called 'Sprinters' which are exactly this - pictures, chapters, bit of text on each page, sometimes a fair chunk, but nowhere near the Faraway Tree type books. My Y1 boy just brought home one called No Tights for George, which he loved, and looking on Amazon I can see they have loads..

www.redhouse.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_product_tbp?storeId=10151&catalogId=18201&langId=100&productId=185188

Hey simpson, can you do an online search of your library catalogue for the whole county and reserve them from neighbouring libraries? I learnt this trick, you are not charged and then the librarians are quite savvy and start stocking more of the same in your local library, at least that's what's happened for us .

I second the Magic Tree House series, my ds has also just started year one and has started to pick these up to read by himself (he had them read to him this time last year). They are by no means classics, but simple to read and there are loads in the series.

Magic Tree House has a lot more text than some of the others though, fairly easy text but more of it. Worth trying. Actually DS has read the first 3 and we find them rather tedious - he reads them to us. If he asks for any more I shall oblige, but I found Pirate school a lot more entertaining!

Wow, thanks for the quick responses. Got loads to look at now.

I know DD will definitely be interested in the Winnie the Witch stories, and all the other series sound good too. She's not really got into the boy/girl split yet (I did see collections of Blue Bananas books being sold for boys/girls even though I know she would read and probably enjoy all of them!).

Thanks very much and gives me a good starting point to try one from each series. Gives me a good starting point to look at in the library - ours is quite big and has a good children's section, but the librarians themselves haven't always been that helpful when asking this type of question (rather than the more straightforward "Do you have any books on dinosaurs?).

Oliver Moon and the Rainbow Fairies series.

It took me ages to find the right section in our rather small library !

Oh yes, Michael Morpugo Mudpuddle farm.

Oliver Moon looks great, and the first book is only £1.75 on Amazon with free delivery, so have just ordered it! Thanks!

The Frog and Toad stories by Arnold Lobel are great. My DD who is a similar age has loved them - they are very gentle, sweet, mildly funny stories.

I have just bought a Winnie the Witch book, a Mudpuddle Farm book, one Oliver Moon, the Frog and Toad collection, and a Pirate School book, as well as another Claude book. That should keep us going for a while, so thanks everyone.

Frog and Toad are very good, as are Mouse Tales, also by Arnold Lobel.
Cork and Fuzz books
Nate the Great (there are quite a few of these)
Usborne Young Readers

Have also bought DD some Cat Tales by Linda Newbery, which look good, and well-written (Rain Cat, Shop Cat, The Cat With Two Names etc.)

Actually I was going to post to ask if anyone could recommend something in between Nate the Great (which she's coasting through) and Cat Tales (which are still a bit long for her).

Tgger - I go to the library so much they know me by name yes I order online for the whole borough. Also if I buy a book for DD like a green banana one I hopefully won't need to buy another as they should haveThe rest of them in stock!! (I cheat and look in the back to get the titles/ authors etc...

Not checked online yet (on the green banana books) for other branches as we have recently discovered a series of books that seems to fit in the the NC levels and DD loves them as she get to chose them herself as they have loads...

It was my last trip to the library with DD today as she starts school on Friday

Fairy - hope you like the frog and toad books, DD is v impatient waiting for hers to arrive!! We only ordered them yesterday....

Also just ordered a series of books (the Gaskitt books) from the book people that look good...

My dd likes the blue bananas and Gaskitt books too. A recent set we've come across which are great are the {{http://www.amazon.co.uk/Smart-Dad-Solos-Amanda-Graham/dp/190320755X/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1347441842&sr=8-5 Solos}} range of books.

solos even..

Mr Majeika is also very good and at this kind of level - also Little Animal Ark and the Horrid Henry early readers.

Hi FairyPenguin:

If your DD's into princesses can I recommend Sally Gardner (Cinderella, Snow White, The Princess and the Pea, The Frog Princess and Sleeping Beauty). These are part of the Early Reader series and my DD adored them - illustrations are wonderful but still a proper chapter book!

The publisher Orion has a number of Early Reader books: webpage link here www.orionbooks.co.uk/promotions/early-readers

We found these a great help. Useful for DD2 who was desperate to be a 'big girl' like her friends and sister and read proper chapter books but really wasn't quite ready.

I'm just a Mum, but I'd say these are ideal for someone with a 5/6 reading age.

HTH

The Oliver Moon is £1.49 now on Amazon - just bought to try out the series!

Also bought the Pirate School book recommended.

We're struggling through Magic Tree House currently - OK but bit dull, so thanks for ideas.

Whilst patents hate them little girls love the rainbow magic books we have over 70 of them. They fired DD's love of reading and set her on the path to being the confident reader she is now in year 4. She loved that they followed a pattern meet the first fairy at the end of the first chapter first goblin at end of second chapter etc.

Ooh, thanks for the cheap Oliver Moon tip! Just ordered :)