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.

Thanks for the princesses recommendation, PastSellByDate, but we have most of the M&S early reader stories and a collection of fairy tales so I'm princessed out! Although DD isn't but I'm trying to get her to branch out a bit. Some fairy tales can be quite disturbing for a 5yo, I never really realised but DD is a very sensitive soul, so I had to stop reading the Roald Dahl books to her.

The Gaskitt books and solos books look good. I am trying to avoid the Rainbow Magic books for as long as possible, mainly because I think that once DD has read one, she won't want to read anything else except those books, which isn't really what I want to do as she is so hungry to read at the moment.

I need to check what series are in her school library actually, but am planning to go to the public library more regularly. I'm so excited for her, discovering the joy of reading,

Thanks everyone!

To simpson, you can still go to the library after school and the weekend, although I know it's not quite the same as rolling up with little person at your leisure during the week . That's fab you've found a series at her level, I really struggled with finding books at that stage and resorted to ORT Magic Key, groan...... which DS loved but I was pleased to pass that stage and move on!

My DS is the same age and loves the Famous Five books, I got a cheap box set of of the first 10 on Amazon. We home ed so I have no idea at all about reading levels, they were a bit complicated for DS when we first got them but he reads them on his own now very happily.

DD (5yo and in Yr1) loves the Gaskitt books and she has just read the The Man who Wore all his Clothes. I noticed you mentioned Julia Donaldson, she has a chapter story out called The Giant and the Joneses; DD has read that, some of it on her own and some with DH and both of them thoroughly enjoyed the story. Anne Fine is another author to look out for, DD loves her stories too and she's just started reading The Killer Cat's Birthday Bash.

Oh and Tgger, my DD also loves the ORT Magic Key stories. She has brought 3 home from school since the term started and a little bit of me has died each time. The children choose their own reading book to read; they are separated into book bands and they each choose from the correct, colour coded, book box. Her teacher said, and I'm sure she took evil pleasure in telling me, she is actively hunting out the Magic Key stories at the moment - tonight's delight was The Bully!

DD's favourite when younger was Sophie's snail - Dick King Smith. Its the first of a set of six.

Oliver moon is great, also secret mermaid series by the same author. My DD was given a set of Titchy Witch books when she was at that level which she loved.

Titchy witch £8.99 at book people

My DD2 really enjoyed the Anne Fine series, diary of a killer cat, but we do have a killer cat so she could relate.

She also seems to borrow mostly horrible history books from the library, with the odd chapter book to read. She is just 6 but in Y2.

DD loved the Titchy witch books when she did the storylab thing at the library in the summer. She also enjoyed a set about Poppy and Max

We had a book from the library Septimouse Supermouse- that was great fun, and easy going for a new-to-chapter books child.

The Three Little Pirates is good- but beware on amazon there's a 'early readers' version which is the original cut-down. Dont get that one, get the original, as it's not too onerous in any case.

Lotta books by Astrid Lindgren are great, and the version we have has nice largish print.

My Naughty Little Sister for when she's a tiny bit bigger- though you could read them to her yourself first.

Thanks everyone - I have so many book suggestions to work through now! Mudpuddle Farm arrived today, and looks very good, so will be starting that tomorrow. Very excited!

My dd is in Year 3 now, but I remember she loved Mudpuddle Farm.

Have you looked at the Little Animal Ark books, similar to the more advanced Animal Ark ones, but easier to read with line drawings. DD would take it in turns to read a page with me, then one morning, like your dd, I found her finishing it on her own.