Fantastic books for bright 5 y os...?

[Roseylea]

Could anyone recommend any great books for a bright 5 yo? My dd has just stated yr 1 and is beyond the pre-school stuff like the Gruffalo etc, but not quite up to the Famous Five yet. I have just ordered some of the Rainbow Fairy books from Scholastic, and she loved 'Flat Stanley' (but not 'Stanley in Space' - there were too many things she didn't 'get' and I had to explain, like who the President of the United States is). I have trawled around the bookshops and charity shops this morning, but still feel like there's either a bit of a gap in the market, or I'm just not seeing the best stuff for this age.

I adore books and am so excited about the stuff she'll be able to read soon, but don;t want to give her stuff that's too hard now in case it puts her off reading (I was force-fed Dickens far too young and it's ruined him for me for life - what a shame!)

Any ideas?

No...I didn't read those a child so they hadn't occured to me...thanks! (I shall start a list...)

There are lots of threads on this with great suggestions, if you do a search.

Sprinter books are often on offer by The Book People.

The shorter Dick King-Smith ones are good and the Colour Young Puffins/Young Puffins.

sprinters
book people website
pack of 20 for 15 quid

My dd loved these series - Animal Ark , the Rainbow Fairy, the Secret Unicorn and the Glitter Girls. All depressingly dull and formulaic, but she loved them and it kept her reading.

BTW, if you think it's difficult for girls - try finding books for a boy this age!

do you mean for her to read by herself or for you to read to her....

do a massive trawl in the library with a variety of stuff and see what she enjoys when at home?

Are you reading to her or is she reading these? [ds is 3 so haven't a clue [blush}].

If you are reading to her;

you could have a try with Littlenose - I loved reading him myself when younger, and dug them out to read to ds, I remember seeing they have reissued them. A bit sexist but fun!

Just So Stories - the simpler ones - Rikki Tikki Tavi is good, the Cat Who Walks by Himself etc

Thanks for those ideas! I am looking for books which I can read to her; she has to do reading practise every night but of course her "reading books" are deadly dull, so I want to find books which she really loves.

Boys of this age often like non-fiction, don't they? Things like books about pirates and cars and so on. We have got a lovely book called "Illustrated stories for Boys" which is published by Usborne. My ds is 3 so he's v. into the Mr Men and the little Thomas the Tank Engine books.

Pop into your library and ask to speak to the children's librarian. Give age of child and rough interests. Come out with 9 books to last up to a month.

Oh Lord, Rosey, if you're going to read them, then PLEASE for the sake of your sanity ignore my suggestions! You'll have to gnaw your own leg off to stop yourself dying of boredom if you read them!

My dd loved Noel Stretfield when she was about 6. Ballet Shoes was a favourite read-aloud. We had about half a chapter a night and it lasted ages!

sprinters would be for her to read herself - or for you both to share the reading

ds1 has enjoyed the following being read to him recently:
the 3 faraway tree books
fantastic mr fox
butterfly lion
gobbolino the witch's cat

the enormous crocodile

my ds is the same age as your dd. he likes roald dahl books, & horrid henry. dp also reads him harry potter & his dark materials. i would have thought they were too complicated, but he loves them.

Ah I had forgotten the Faraway Tree books! I loved those when I was little! {sigh...nostalgic moment}

Hoxtonchick, His Dark Materials? Really? Blimey!

My dd loves Roald Dahl - twits, Matlida, Fanstic Mr. Fos, Charlie.

The owl that was afraid of the dark

The little wooden horse

Goblino the witches cat

Milly Molly Mandy

my naughty little sister

Pippi Longstocking

she does still like picture books though too sometimes!

and various non-fiction books such as body ones.

I have just read The Butterfly Lion to ds aged 7 and he loved it.

What about the Percy the Park Keeper stories?

There's a big differene between 5 and 7 yos in terms of literacy though, isn't there Crocky? I love Michael Morpurgo (work in a secondary school library).

It seems to me that the oldies are probably the besties for this age range - I remember loving "The Naughtiest Girl in the School" / "Naughty Amelia Jane". I was raised on Enid Blyton anbd Anthony Buckeridge!

True but you stated a bright 5yo and mine is a not so bright 7yo so was thinking they might be fairly close developmentally

the thing ds1 loves the most ius when dh makes up a story..... they are dcurrently 'reading' jim and stinker chaper nine

True, Crocky. In the school where I work there are a few 11 yos with reading ages of about 8, and some with reading ages much higer than their real ages.

I may be missing something - but why would you read His Dark Materials to a 5 year old? I don''t care how clever the child is, they just don;t have the experience or emotional maturity for it at that age. They should be reading - and being read - age appropriate books. Why rush them ahead? Let them have the pleasure of reading Philip Pulman when they are old enough to discover it for themselves. What's wrong with Winnie the Pooh, for Heaven's sake!

I quite agree seeker. My dses think I'm a Big Bad Mummy because I won't let them read Harry Potter like all their friends. But at 7 and 5 they won't really 'get' them and I want them to really enjoy them when they can understand and get involved with the deeper themes without having the surprises already spoilt for them. Ditto HDM.

Arabel's Raven (Joan Aiken) and Esio Trot (Roald Dahl) are two vintage goodies
Mrs Pepperpot too