Young free readers - what do they enjoy?

[PhoebeMcPeePee]

Actually I've no idea if 6 is young or not , but my post is about trying to find some decent books for a 6 year old boy who can read very fluently but struggling to find age-appropriate books. At school the 'library book' ie non-banded section is full of Michael morpurgo, Harry potter, Percy Jackson etc which I really think are too old for him & guessing they're more 8/9yrs+.

Any suggestions apart from famous five & Roald Dahl?

Tove Jansson's Moomin books.

Nancy Drew mysteries.

The 'Ramona' series by Beverly Cleary.

The 'Nicholas' series by Goscinny and Sempe.

Original versions of Hans Christian Anderson tales.

The 'Horse Diary' series by Catherine Hapka.

The American diary series 'My Name is America...' and 'My America..' have many titles featuring boys. They are pretty good historical fiction.

If you can find any books by Geoffrey Trease (more historical fiction) an advanced reader might lap them up. They may be out of print, sadly.

My daughter is not a free reader as most books in her school are banded but she is on Copper (reading level after lime, which I understand is the point many schools deem to be a free reader).

Amongst her school books she has had Enid Blyton (secret seven etc), Road Dahl (George's Marvellous medicine) Horrid Henry and various animal books like lost in the snow / storm etc. At DDs school, these books are not yet suitable for free readers, as there's still several levels to go, so whilst she is now reading proper children's novels as opposed to reading scheme books, I'm guessing these are deemed easier than some of the other novels.

Outside of school, my DD also likes Michael Morpurgo books too.

Non fiction surely? Aeroplanes, lego, history (although be careful with the history books as I was quite shocked at the tutors were pretty violent), rockets, the environment. We get loads of non fiction out of our public library.

My DS is 5. He really likes the Grubtown Tales books, very silly and full of characters with funny names.

Tom Gates series by Liz Pichon.
I think the early Harry Potters would be ok. My 7 yr old has read the whole series after a sustained campaign to be allowed to read past book 3, and was not worried in the slightest.
Magyk and the other Septimus Heap books.
Non-fiction especially the Usborne See Inside books.

My five year old is currently reading some of the classics ( Arthur Ransome, E. Nesbitt) and also enjoying (but racing through) Mr Gum series, the Adventure series of Enid Blyton.

I'm looking for someone modern books at about this level , though, as the classic stuff is making her use rather odd retro vocabulary.

Dinosaur Cove books are good. My 6 year old reads them and the 3 year old likes having them read to him. Good adventures without being too scary.

Sorry, didn't see that Corrie had already suggested these - and we haven't got to number 11 yet, so that's a good tip for us too!

Thanks Biblio reassuring to have our approach confirmed. There is no need to push if a love of reading story and literature is actively encouraged in all forms.

That's what I think - it shouldn't be about a child feeling he/she has to perform.

Rather impressed at your five-year-old reading Ransome and Nesbitt, Googley.

Don't forget to keep reading to them. I think it is the most important way to help children with enjoying books and reading. It's good for sharing the longer chapter books. I miss doing it now - mine are all teenagers but reading to them is a treasured memory for me (and them too). We did this almost daily until age 12ish.

I'm a big fan of carrying on with picture books at any age. The Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel are a fave of mine - Julia Donaldson chose one of his books as her cultural exchange for radio 4s Front Row programme. She rated Lobel as one of the best ever children's authors.

AA milne. Poems and pooh. I know people think the pooh stories are babyish, but the language is rich and imaginative and the stories are funny. I think there is a danger of giving books with too complicated/grown up themes to young good readers, which they can't properly get to grips with. I would think Roald dahl and harry potter inappropriate for a 6 yr old.

What about Dick King Smith books; Jill Murphy (owl who was afraid of the dark etc) Faraway tree?

And Astrid Lindgren books - not just Pippi, she was prolific!

Yes to Astrid Lindgren, the Emil books have been read and reread here.

Has anyone mentioned Captain Underpants? I find that the boys start to get in to it about seven. They think it is hilarious and really encourages them to read.

Lynn Reid Banks is great for this age. My DCs have enjoyed Bad Cat Good Cat and Harry the Poisonous Centipede.

Bel Mooney's Oh Kitty series.

Actually, I forgot but DD is also reading lots of Dr Seuss books - Fox in Socks, Oh The Places You'll Go, Horton Hears a Who etc. They're not particularly difficult vocab wise, but she likes reading them out loud - especially Fox in Socks, the nutter :o

DS1 is 7 this summer and in the last academic year has read the following (avoiding duplicating other suggestions):

Winnie the Witch
101 Dalmatians
Charlotte's Web
Green Smoke
Sophie and the Shadow Woods
The Sandman and the Turtles

Also how about:
Dino FC
The Dinosaur's Diary

Last year we read Pippi Longstocking together...I also agree it is nice to keep reading together...it was wonderful ( blush )

The amazing adventures of Chilly Billy is brilliant. Loved it as a kid, and have read it to my DCs who loved it too.

It was first published in the 80s but I believe was quite a small run, but left such a lasting impression that about a year ago when I looked, good copies on eBay were about £100! (Luckily I still have my childhood copy)

It's been reprinted since, I've just looked online and its available for less than £4 which is a bit easier to swallow.

I want to second the Arnold Lobel suggestion from Nickstmoritz. Frog and Toad is a lovely series, and Owl at Home is a very off the wall collection of stories. Other titles are Fables, Grasshopper on the Road, Mouse Tales, Mouse Soup, Ming Lo Moves the Mountain, Prince Bertram the Bad -- lots more..

My dd1 likes classic novels so much easier to found books for her. But my dd2 became free reader still only age 7. Dd2 is quite immature for her age so it is harder to find books to suit her taste as well as her level. We visit local library once a week so she borrow any children books she wants from the primary school section. Recently I bought the Disney novel Frozen (American though) and she loves it. Also she saw the film many times already so it is easier to explain some of the new words etc.

Mudpuddle farm series by Michale Morpurgo - easy/light in tone.
Paddington !

My nearly 6 y/o nephew has read all of the Harry Potter books, sorry to not have anything constructive to say, just wondering why they aren't age appropriate if explained whilst reading?

Oh yes DD was obsessed with Frog & Toad!

The Gaskitt books are fab (Alan Ahlberg) and DD also enjoyed Charlotte's Web, the SuperFudge series and My Naughty Little Sister.