Reading books for a competant 6 year old with colour pictures.

[perpetualworrier]

DS1, age 6, yr 2 is doing well at reading and has been bringing home the "Yellow Bananas" series from school.

He is able to read the words fluently, but the stories do not seem to be holding his interest and the subject matter seems a bit adult to me. e.g. we have had giggling at pin up girls, leaving home to live away from parents on a farm in India and quite graphic account of war in the Balkans.

I haven't been pushing the school books, but have been helping him choose a variety of books he does enjoy at the Library. Current favourites are some Usborne Encyclopedias and Horrid Henry. Problem is that he is very resistant to "grey" books and is only interested in a book if it has colour pictures. Does anyone know of any books at this kind of level that include pictures in colour? I have ordered several sets from the Book People, but they are all black and white and therefore, of no interest FTB.

Which books do your boys enjoy most?

He sounds about right for Tintin - obviously entirely colour visuals - but good, well-written (sometimes stretching) text too. And great stories - good enough to re-read and re-read. Lovely to discover at 6.

Ds1 is the same age and is into Asterix at present.

Thanks for those. Why didn't I think of Asterix? I think DH has practically the whole set!

I'll have a look for Tintin too - hasn't he been in trouble for being racist recently?

What do you think re the subjects covered in the scool books? Would your 6YO's be able to deal with it/ do you think they're appropriate?

DD has a few books with pictures - not sure which are colour or not. They range is difficulty but include Colour Young Puffin, Colour Young Hippo, Blue Banana, M&S's Read it Yourself range, Ladybird books, Usborne books (one on dolphins, one of another topic, etc.) Sprinters, etc.

Tintin in the Congo is not OK, I feel - the story is not so prejudiced but the drawing style is. But actually I'm not sure you can find that one being sold nowadays.

Others - Red Rackham's Treasure, Secret of the Unicorn, the moon flight ones, lots of others, no problem whatsoever. Actually I think Tintin in Tibet has a rather avant-gardely pro-multicultural feel.

I ought to get commission for the following....as I say it ALWAYS!!!

Sprinters series. Start with The Finger Eater.

The book people to a set of 20 for 15 quid.

Not colour pictures though
ds1 is 5 and in year 1 and similar to yor ds. He loves them

trying to think of some colour ones that ds1 enjoys....

ds1 has quite a few from book people
the usbourne range

one on pirates, one about knights and dragons, another BRILLAINT science one - pop up and lift the flaps...fab!

I did have words with the teacher when ds1 was given a book to read on a vet's life which covered artificial insemination, c/sections (albeit on a cow) and death. This was in Year 1. Admittedly the book was read over 2 nights so I didn't have to cope with all of the facts of conception and birth as well as death at the same time, but i think it has now been withdrawn from at least the Yr 1 reading scheme.

Other books that have been very well received are the Astrosaur set (I think Book People/Red House have this) and Jack Stalwart (stories about a 9yo spy).

ladymuch - ds1 has the astrosaur christmas one
he loves flat stanley too
though these books were read to him by us

I would say try sprinters if you have not already tried them

good step onto non-colour picture books

can lend you the finger eater to try if you like?

DD3 is like this re colour pictures but I cannot help you a great deal as the books I have got for her are very girl-oriented - Pippi Longstocking, lots myths, legends and fairytales etc.
However the First Greek myths books should be ideal for your DS - DD can read them by herself (she is five, but reading independently). I got a box set cheap from the Book People or Red House, I don't know if they are still doing them.
Also what about the Tim books by Edward Ardizzone good if you don't already know them.
But I do recommend trying the library - ours has shelves of those colour picture early readers and we borrow them by the bucket load.

Depending on the reading level though (and I have no idea about Yellow Bananas), then Sprinters may be rather unchallenging. They're fun stories though, but I think have slightly larger print which certainly ds1 would now associated as an "easy book".

There are also some Star Wars "Clone Wars" comic type books (I think that I'm meant to call them graphical novels...). Possibly again a Red house/Book People acquisition.

Hi ,.I've got 2 good readers 6.5 (level 10/11 ORT) and 8, who've done all the aforementioned books but today in Waterstones I spotted a new series called Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne. 10 easy chapters, really manageable at the end of the day for independant reading, but 'grey' I'm afraid. There's one on dinosaurs, egypt,ninjas,castles and pirates and they're 2 for 1 at mo!

Thanks for all of these. I'd say Yellow Bananas are about the same reading ability at TreeTops stage 14, although Treetops are much more suitable stories imo, but they have B& W Pics.

by the way ds2 read dinosaurs and really enjoyed it!

Hello everyone,
I am new to this site and have recently returned from USA having been away with my 3 girls for 6 years only to find I have no clue with regards to books and curriculum.

My 6yo is reading rather well but the school insist on placing her on level 5 books when we read chapter books (horrid Henry) at home, my 4yo twins (fraternal) are v.different, twin A loves to attempt to read and enjoys my 'homework' whereas twin B couldn't give a monkeys. I am trying to motivate twin B but she has as much interest in reading and sounding out her phonics as I have of growing boobs :0
All our books are in the States (in storage) so my question is does anyone have any ideas about books for for a very uninterested 4yo girl. In the States we had the 'Bob Books' (3 word repetitive books ie Mat sat on Sam'
any help would be appreciated or Iona may not see 5

I haven't used them myself, but other people on this site speak well of the Jelly and Bean books for beginner readers.

Mine at that level used to really enjoy those fact books you get from libraries called things like The Fire of London or The Great Plague or Space or Life as a Victorian Country Child or Reptiles in Africa. About 20 pages long with reasonably challenging text but lots of colour pictures.

My DD loves all the (DK) EyeWonder books. They are non-fiction and have a huge ran´ge of topics. The pictures are excellent and the text is just about the right amount for her to enjoy without feeling bogged down.

She also likes the Usbourne reading series, there is also a variety of fiction and non fiction with colour pictures.

Our library has a huge range of both of these sets of books.

Usborne Early Readers and Famous Lives have colour pictures, so does the wonderful Atticus the Storyteller