Books for Y1 free reader

[Enb76]

Hi.

Can anyone recommend well written books for a just turned 6 year old. We've gone through the age appropriate Morpurgo, Gaiman, Dick King-Smith. Much of what she brings home from school is very badly written, very clunky and unimaginative so although we read them it would be nice to find some new authors. I have great knowledge of pre 1990's children's authors but very little post 1990. I would prefer stuff that doesn't rely on Walliams type humour though we have read a couple.

Any suggestions? Is this the right place to ask?

My DD is just in year 2. Over the last year she has enjoyed The Worst Witch, Horrid Henry, My Naughty Little Sister, Milly-Milly-Mandy, The Secret 7, ...She also enjoys poetry books. However I expect you know of these!!! Oh and Pippi Longstocking!

Mine really likes poetry too. We haven't read any Milly-Molly-Mandy. Will give it a go.

She very much enjoys old fashioned books.....and is fascinated by details of life "in the olden days".. She also enjoys Polly and The Wolf.

Try the childrens books topics on here, then amazon for good reviews.

My DD is half way through lemony sknicket, loves Ottoline series ( stand out amazing books) fairy books, malory towers, faraway tree, worst witch, mr gum, mr majeka.

Dd2 likes the Claude books, Holly Webb, Betty Birney's Humphrey books, Penny Dreadful, Lotta and Pippi Lomgstocking, Barney the Boat Dog, Daisy books by Kes Grey, Little House in the Big Woods, and also a whole host of animal ones, WwF wild friends, Battersea cats and dogs, Animal ark.

Usborne Young Readers, Series 2 and 3 for smaller version of classics like Little Woman and Anne of Green Gables plus myths and legends.

"My Story" range are history books as fiction with a "real" core written in a diary form. It depends on her understanding though, the topics can be a bit heavy.

The Children of Noisy Road, also from Astrid Lindgren.

Worst Witch

Factual books about whatever topic she likes.

Laura's Star books

Rescue Princess series - not the best but a step up from Rainbow Magic

Animal Ark series

in Yr1 DD1 enjoyed the whole Worst Witch series, Usborne first readers, Milly Molly Mandy, Enid Blyton (Naughtiest Girl and Faraway Tree/Wishing Chair stuff), Laura's star chapter books, Rescue Princess, Secret Mermaid, Magic Molly, other Holly Webb stuff, now in Yr2 she is enjoying Maisie Hitchins which is a new discovery, erm what else in Yr1, My Super Sister, some Roald Dahl but I was quite selective as she wouldn't be interested in many of them yet, I think they are mostly older, Dick King-Smith, we did some Milly Molly Mandy but as they were my old copies the font is tiny and she has visual problems so that was us reading them to her because she couldn't see well enough to read them. anything animal related goes down well here as long as nothing dies (bit oversensitive). My Naughty Little Sister is on the bookcase too but she hasn't read any, Iggy and Me, My Naughty Little Puppy. Thats all I can think of for the moment. oh and Zoe's Rescue Zoo.

Roald Dahl

Roddy Doyle?
The Queen, Christopher and I [sic]
The Snake who came to stay

My DS loves the Roald Dahls at 5/6 especially Boy & Going Solo, although the latter raises some interesting questions and is a little gruesome in places. DS moved on to the Walliams ones and has enjoyed them immensely. As his favourites were the more factual books we've been reading books in the Horrible Histories series - he has just finished Deadly Diseases, these are great for getting him to ask questions about the content of the book.

BlueChampagne - Roddy Doyle?

I would agree with factual books on whatever subject s/he is interested in.

My 6yo free reader continues to plough through clunky school reading books but really engages with fact books at home. Again, Usborne do some good ones and we're also working through anything to do with Deadly 60

I also found that school provided a lot less support once we'd reached "free reader" status - it's almost like they tick the box and move on - so it's important to keep reading with them and developing their skills

My Y1 free reader was a boy, so possibly a slight difference in subject matter (though I don't really see why it should matter).

He loved the Dinosaur Cove series (has just moved on to Beastquest now he's is Y2).
Also loves the 'Peter's Railway' series for all the technical information as well as stories.
He liked having the Wizard of Oz read to him, and then read it himself afterwards.
He LOVES/LOVED the Secret Seven books. (Though I am a bit annoyed at how sexist they are - the girls just get to tidy the den and praise the boys' super sleuthing skills)

Hi EnB,

I started a thread last month about suggestions for DD over on the Children's Books board and got some great suggestions that yours might like - the thread is here :)

Oh and I meant to ask, has she tried any of the Animal Ark series? DD really likes those too, there are millions of them, and they don't involve fairies/magic/etc either :o