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

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

Primary education

Reading book recommendations please for 5yr old DD...

56 replies

simpson · 09/05/2013 22:42

DD is 5 and a very able reader. She has read My Naughty Little Sister, Milly Molly Mandy, Roald Dahl, Flat Stanley, Frog and Toad, early reader chapter books, red bananas books, Secret Mermaid books and Horrid Henry etc....

Basically I need ideas of what she can read next. She is not yet ready for Enid Blyton or the dreaded Rainbow Fairy books.

She does read books at an alarming rate and can read a chapter book in about an hour (to herself) and seems to understand what she reads.

Any ideas?

Forgot to say she hates non fiction with a passion!

OP posts:

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hels71 · 10/05/2013 16:34

The Book People often have sets of books cheaply..worth keeping looking....

numbum · 10/05/2013 16:35

My DD enjoyed these this time last year when she was in reception.

and these although your DD might not 'get' the vocab if she isn't up to Rainbow Fairy books yet.

Periwinkle007 · 10/05/2013 19:06

I would definitely ask if you can order books through the mobile library coming to school. there ought to be some provision whilst the library is closed. Is it a long journey to the next nearest one? We don't go very often because we have ended up with so many books but we are very lucky and have 2 libraries within 15 minutes walk and another 3 within about a 15 minute drive. so different to where I grew up in the countryside

simpson · 10/05/2013 19:22

Thanks for all the book suggestions she loves books about animals so all of them look right up her street.

The next library is about a 20 min drive but I don't drive and its 2 buses....

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Periwinkle007 · 10/05/2013 19:27

yeah and 2 buses whilst carrying books... no that isn't practical. what a pain.

Wigeon · 10/05/2013 19:37

Will you join me in a boycott of Rainbow Fairies? Or is it inevitable? My DD is only 4.11yrs and not a fluent reader yet, and I am dreading the Rainbow Fairies stage!

piprabbit · 10/05/2013 19:53

My DD has long outgrown Rainbow Fairies and I'm looking to free up some shelf space by getting rid of her copies...but I'm having a terrible moral dilemma. Do I pass them on to another family or throw them away? I really hate to throw away a book, but I think it is unfair to inflict them on someone else.

Wigeon · 10/05/2013 19:57

Third option - give them to a charity shop. So although you are then imposing dreadful literature on a poor innocent child, at least a charity benefits!

Periwinkle007 · 10/05/2013 20:02

Rainbow fairies are fine so long as they read them to themselves. I don't have a problem with them unless i have to sit through them endlessly.

simpson · 10/05/2013 20:38

Peri - that will be my thinking on rainbow fairies too, fine as long as DD reads to herself. I also refuse to spend lots of ££ on them either so will get a couple from charity shops if I see any.

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Periwinkle007 · 10/05/2013 20:52

we got the fairies from the book people in a big set (or 2) cheaply. well grandma did actually. After my 2 have finished with them I will pass them to my niece.

simpson · 10/05/2013 21:32

I saw that peri but would rather the ££ went into something else...

You are lucky in that you have a younger DD to use them as well I guess to get your money's worth!

Although I am lucky as DS is 7 and I have kept all of his books for her to work through. But obviously he was not into girlie books about mermaids/fairies/princesses/animals etc...

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RhinestoneCowgirl · 10/05/2013 21:40

Don't know if he's already been mentioned, but... Dick King Smith? Good for animal stories - DS started with Hodgeheg.

rhetorician · 10/05/2013 21:43

Moomins?

numbum · 10/05/2013 22:18

I am more than happy to send a few Rainbow Fairy books to anybody who wants them! DD never really took to them but my sister bought her 3 set (21 books) for Christmas.

They really are badly written, although the 7 stories are good for comprehension as they all link together.

If anybody would like some then feel free to PM me!

simpson · 10/05/2013 22:36

Numbum - I would love them for DD if that's ok...

Dick king smith is good, I had forgotten about him. DD has read Connie and Rollo and Poppet.

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simpson · 10/05/2013 22:37

Going to look up Moomins

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numbum · 10/05/2013 22:42

that's fine simpson. I'll ask DD to send them with a letter for your DD if you PM me your address

Your DD does sound very like my DD, a year on and my DD is reading C S Lewis (expressively, with intonation and comprehension). It is hard trying to find books to interest them

simpson · 10/05/2013 22:54

Wow at CS Lewis in yr1!!!

If you want to put your address in DD will write back

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simpson · 10/05/2013 22:57

Numbum - have PMed you

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EskSmith · 10/05/2013 22:57

Some good suggestions here, I'm bookmarking for ideas for dd1.

Suggestions from me, Dd1 is currently loving working her way through my old Teddy Robinson books which are fab. She also loved the magic ballerina books (not great writing but better than rainbow fairies!)

carriedawayannie · 10/05/2013 23:05

Is it normal for a 5yo to be able to read like this? How does she manage it? There are some complicated words in dome of the books mentioned and my 5yo dd could only manage words that fitted in with her phonics reading.

And she is doing really well compared to her class.

How does she manage the bigger words?

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Periwinkle007 · 11/05/2013 08:01

annie don't panic. no it is not 'normal' to be reading this well in reception. it isn't abnormal obviously but the vast majority of children won't reach this sort of level for another year or two. my daughter missed being the youngest in yr1 by a matter of hours so last year when she was still at home but ready to do more we taught her to read. most of it she picked up herself but we did lots of phonics books and covered ie ai ight etc. i missed some stuff but managed to include most things and now she is confident with them. she also has a good memory so has actually learnt most of the words. if she reaches one she doesn't know then it is a case of sounding it out and trying to use the right sounds if it is a word she has never heard of and may not be obvious. we then would correct pronunciation if needed and discuss what it means. i am sure when she reads to herself she just skips some words or guesses but she either reads easier books to herself or she usually comes and checks words with me. i also still check she has understood the chapter she has read to herself. my daughter is the only one at her level i think out of 30 in her class but there are another 2 close behind. they just aren't quite ready for chapter books yet. there really is a huge spread of ability at this age so dont't worry

christinarossetti · 11/05/2013 08:56

*carriedawayannie", this level of reading is within normal range for a 5 year old but not typical iyswim.

There's a huge range at this are, but this chart suggests levels 1, 2 or 3 in the ORT are expected (pink, red or yellow).

www.oxfordreadingtree.com/chart/

My daughter learnt to read very quickly and ably in reception although lots of other children didn't take off until they were in Y1 or so.

lostintoys · 11/05/2013 10:28

The Sophie books by Dick King Smith were extremely popular here at that age.

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