Non Fiction books for beginner readers?

[fuzzpig]

DD is nearly 6 and is getting into non fiction a bit more now that she can read some herself, but I'm finding it difficult to find books that are her level (she is on green/orange at school).

I have just borrowed some from this series of art books as they seem about right and they've just finished a big art topic at school.

Also looking at the Cat in the Hat learning library as she likes all things Seuss :)

Do any teachers/parents have any recommendations for other non fiction please? :)

Usborne do a lot of beginner non fiction, as do Scholastic. There are some about the jobs people do, such as doctor, vet, fireman, which are popular with the Year 1s.

At 6, mine LOVED Joke books - really good for learning about subtleties of language too.
They had Child's encyclopeias too.

Annuals are often quite good - if they are interested in a children's TV prog or a sport.
When they got to about 8 or 9, then the Guiness Bk of World Records is your friend

the Usborne beginners ones are brilliant. They are officially generally book band 8 (they have a list on their website mapping all their books to NC book bands) but there is absolutely no reason why a level 5/6/7 reader wouldn't be able to have a very good attempt at them. Non fiction ones are generally classed as harder because of the sheer nature of the words used as they are so specific.

Kingfisher readers have non fiction too but my daughters have definitely preferred the Usborne. We had a few from Sainsburys as well as they now have their own reading scheme books.

we also have this set which we got from the Book People, not sure if they still do it.
www.amazon.co.uk/Dr-Seuss-Knows-Deserts-Safari/dp/0857511386/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369506258&sr=1-3&keywords=cat+in+the+hat+honey

worth looking at the Oxford Reading Tree website for their Fireflies books at different levels on the free ebooks page
www.oxfordowl.co.uk/Library/Index/?AgeGroup=1&BookType=Non-fiction

Thanks for replies :)

I never would have thought of joke books! Will definitely have a look (I do work in a library but don't get to spend much time in the children's section). Now I think about it I really loved joke books at that age.

Looked up usborne beginners, they look perfect for her (I used the preview bit on amazon) - I think I borrowed the monkeys one a year or so ago but she just wasn't interested - she never wanted to be read to from anything other than picture/story books until she could actually read herself.

Will have a look at other publishers/series now too thanks :)

what I love about the Usborne ones is the sheer range of different subjects. something to appeal to everyone and the font seems much more dyslexia friendly (great for my daughter) easier on the eyes. I have found them really interesting myself :o)

if she has been doing art she might like to try the Katie in the Art Gallery books by James Mayhew. they are beautiful. they are fictional but they introduce classic art and famous paintings and artists through story.

Oh that's funny you mentioned those - DD has mentioned some being read at school (particularly the van gogh one) so I am probably getting some from the book people for her birthday :)

they are lovely books, my mum got us the set from the Book People and we have bought various ones as presents for friends because they are just something different.

My DS has always preferred non-fiction.

I bought some books from the Rising Stars Download series for him at about this age mainly because he was big into formula one at the time.

They are aimed at teenage boys with low reading levels, but don't be put off by this. My DS preferred these to the Usborne Beginners books (which I think are lovely).

DK readers were also good and have some non-fiction but it was the Star Wars series that my DS liked.

Agree with BackforGood - Joke books and Guiness World Records when they get older. Also Ripley's Believe it or Not.

My year 2 class love the usbourne books. They promote amazing discussion!

I found a series of My Animal Kingdom in a charity shop. DS (7) re-reads them all the time....

It might be worth seeing if you can get some.

DD likes a series from the book people (thanks periwinkle!) called My Nature Year and another hit are the Great Events books (especially The Great Fire of London one)...

DCs are out so I am now looking up all these other suggestions :o I'll make a list so that I can get them from the library.

I realised last night that we actually do have one of the Usborne Beginner ones - Ancient Greece which I bought when DD's favourite film was Hercules. It got forgotten about but I will give that a go now that DD is an enthusiastic reader. It does seem a bit more difficult than her usual fiction readers but not too much harder and all the unfamiliar words will be great for decoding. :)