books: moving on from jacqueline wilson

[TeddTess]

please help! my yr5 DD has loved Enid Blyton Malory Towers and now has gone through all of Jacqueline Wilson
she really needs to pick it up a level but my older DD was into completely different books so i am at a loss.
What would you recommend for her to move onto next?
thanks

ps re Michael Morpugo she says "is too sad and someone always dies"

Harry Potter
The Hobbit
Skulduggery Pleasant Series
Spiderwick Chronicles
Terry Pratchett's younger stuff (Diggers, Truckers, Wee Free Men)
Artemis Fowl series (really anything by Eoin Colfer)
Horrible History/Science etc style things
Might be worth giving The Northern Lights (Philip Pullman) a go, but maybe from the library to see how she gets on, the other two get a bit heavy.
Roald Dahl is always good, just pick and choose based on her ability I loved James and the Giant Peach at her age.

You have had good suggestions already, and for older children I sometimes recommend what I call "Value Added" books, that is they have an aspect in addition to just reading a story.

The best one is Arthur Ransome's "Coot Club" set on the Norfolk Broads in 1930. All the places in the book are actual locations, and can be found on the Ordnance Survey 2-1/2inch map of the Broads. All the villages, rivers, lakes, pubs and windmill pumping stations can be seen on the map. Apart from some railways being closed, and there now being more main roads, little has changed. It also gives interesting insights to the social history of the '30s: the children want to contact friends in a nearby village, and say if they post a letter in the morning, it will get there by the second post in the afternoon! When they buy provisions at a riverside shop, the shop-boy carries the goods down to their boat for them.

Another book in a 'real' place, is "Watership Down". The rabbits' home threatened by development is actually on the outskirts of Newbury, in Berkshire. There are several web sites about the locations, and even guided tours sometimes to places featured in the book.

Also, non-fiction books on any topics that really interest her.

It seems that she enjoys 'real life' books so I would suggest expanding her genres whilst keeping the 'real life' aspect. For example try 'The Eleventh Orphan ' by Joan Lingard 'The Clockwork Sparrow' and 'Back Home ' for history, 'Journey to the River Sea' for adventure, 'The School for Good and Evil' and 'The Thirteen Treasures ' for fantasy, and 'Wonder ' and 'The Secret Hen House Theatre ' for 'real life '. I would also suggest 'The Family from One End Street ' and 'Ballet Shoes ' for a more classic read

It seems that she enjoys ' real life ' books so I would suggest expanding her genres whilst keeping the ' real life ' aspect. For example try ' The Eleventh Orphan ' by Joan Lingard ' The Clockwork Sparrow ' and ' Back Home ' for history, 'Journey to the River Sea ' for adventure ' The School for Good and Evil ' and ' The Thirteen Treasures ' for fantasy and The Secret Hen House Theatre ' and 'Wonder ' for real life. ' The Family from One End Street ' and ' Ballet Shoes ' are good for a more classic read

thank you for your suggestions

• we have lots of Antony Horowitz, Philip Pullman, Artemis Fowl, Lemony Snicket, etc books at home and she is just not interested in trying them. I pushed her to read Frank Cottrell Boyce Cosmic and she persevered but it didn't capture her attention. Will look at the others suggested, madamehooch yes she does enjoy real life books I guess. Some great suggestions thank you. Thinking about it i enjoy "value added" books so will look into those for her too. She really enjoyed a book they read at school about a lost African tribe which is interesting based on what's been said above.

If she liked Malory Towers and has grown out of them, try Chalet School? Bit old fashioned but lovely stories, and definitely a more challenging read than Enid Blyton.

fab idea, thanks!

You're welcome. I still have my collection....

If she enjoys stories about "real people" rather than mystery or fantasy, then she may also really enjoy some of the classics like Anne of Green Gables and sequels, also most of Noel Streatfield (White Boots was my favourite at that age) and the Frances Hodgson Burnett books like the Secret Garden, Little Lord Fauntleroy etc

fantastic, free on the kindle too :-)

Tom's Midnight Garden or Minnow on the Say
Roman Mysteries?

she's read Tom's Midnight Garden, will look at the others. thanks

What about the Little House on the Prarie books - there are about 7 to get through. Or 'What Katy Did"? I second Arthur Ransome - I remember particularly enjoying "Winter Holiday" and "Picts & Martyrs", both of which are set in the Lake District.

My DD is also in year 5 and loves Malory Towers and Jacqueline Wilson. She has read Eva Ibbotsen books - I've read one too and it was beautifully written. We have many chalet school books which I may set her loose on at some time. As people might guess from my username I love Antonia Forest's books although I want to wait for her to be a bit older for them I think to fully appreciate them.

My DD LOVED Little house on the Prarie series, plus they are value added, learn about American history.

One that hasn't been mentioned yet, David Walliam's books. Not exactly a step up but they weaned my DD off JW & she was more ready to try new authors and styles after reading them. Demon Dentist was a favourite.

Chalet school, just william, judy blume?

I would recommend the new "Murder Most Unladylike" series (3 books so far) about two girl detectives which my DD moved onto after Malory Towers..

www.amazon.co.uk/Murder-Most-Unladylike-Mystery/dp/0552570729

great suggestions, thanks all.

kippersmum she has read David Walliams, last year. the audio CDs were fab too.
mirandawest we have some Eva Ibbotsen books, tried reading them to her before but she didn't take to them. will perservere again.

Dianne Wynne Jones books. Not "real life", but a good read!

Also the My Story series of books, written by various authors. Historical diaries written by, say, a boy in the trenches or Anne Boleyn's maid.

madamehooch just wanted to say a big thank you. DD has just read "The Secret Hen House Theatre" in two days. She NEVER reads a book avidly like that. Thanks so much.

she also read Wonder very happily and really enjoyed it

i ordered a chalet school set on ebay, she quite liked it, read one but not picked up the others.
gave up on Noel Streatfield Theatre book after 50 pages

am working through the other suggestions!

Dick King Smith, original Paddington, Wombles, E Nesbit books, Charlotte's Web, Moondial, Charlotte Sometimes, A Traveller in Time, Noel Streatfield, Roald Dahl (he actually aimed his books at 9/10 year olds I believe and a lot of children read or listen to them too young to really "get" them so nothing wrong with rereading them with an older level of understanding. trying to think of other older books. oh Just William by Richmal Crompton (think it is Richmal Crompton).

Mine is year 5 and loving the ruby redfort books by lauren child at the moment

Lots of good books mentioned but I think she probably needs something more contemporary, based on the books she's enjoyed. I haven't read them yet but there's a series of books by Cathy Cassidy about a family of girls. Susie Day's Pea's Book of Friends is rather lovely and there are three more in the series.

Someone said Diana Wynne Jones not real world, I'd say that actually they mix lots of very real life stuff with the fantasy and magic.

The Book People sells cheap books for children, teenagers and adults. There's a website but if you can get a catalogue you could give it to her to look through. Take her to the library to choose books which appeal to her. If she likes something you can then buy it.

My dd loved 'Katy', so naturally read 'What Katy Did' in response to it. Which she loved. She's since read all the 'Katy' books (kindle's great for this, as they're all free).

She also read 'Five Children and It' following on from 'Four Children and It'.

If your dd likes Hetty Feather, what about Thursday's Child. Which will lead naturally to other Noel Streatfeild books