Books for nine year olds

[Xanthe]

I have an interview for a teaching assistant post this week and as part of it I have to read a story to a group of Year 4 children for 10 minutes. I thought of Horrid Henry, but am wondering if that is a bit too obvious. Can anyone recommend any good books bearing in mind that the school is very multicultural?

Lol! CAT is the email system, it costs a fiver or you can give away your email in a post to all. If you go up to topic list, scroll down to almost the bottom there's a local bit for where each mn lives.

We're in the city centre. ds is 9 going on 50. Jes has 4 lovely children, they range from 6mths to 8. She's very nice.

Diana Wynne Jones wrote fantasy for children long before Harry Potter. One of the Chrestomanci series, Witch Week, is set at a school

I'd read something with lots of lively dramatic dialogue you can ham up a bit - like the dragon bit in the Land of Green Ginger. Or Clever Polly & the Stupid Wolf - suits all ages, marvellous thing.

If you do think Roald Dahl, his Revolting Rhymes are a bit less well-trodden than his fiction & I find more fun to read out loud.

I love Phantom Tolbooth - one of my very favourites at that age - but it's quite verbally sophisticated - you might lose some of your audience.

The Grk books by Joshua Doder are excellent.

Thanks for all your suggestions. I did womder if Roald Dahl would be OK. We have a copy of Revolting Rhymes and George's Marvellous Medicine. Will be going to Waterstones and the library on Tuesday, so keep the suggestions coming until then. I am very grateful for all your help.

My 9 yo DS and 7yo DD loved Pippi Longstocking, and each chapter stands on its own so good for reading in small chunks.

Also someone suggested Magician's Nephew, mine loved that too.

I think Horrid Henry is too young.

Stig of the Dump?

this is great my 10 year old ds read it and then I read it to 8 year old dd and she loved it - very spooky and strange in parts, in the first chapter the parents of the 2 cildren in the book are killed and they're sent off to live in Norway with their aunt who lives next to a magical, spooky forest full of strange creatures like a truth-fairy who can not lie but who spends his time making soup that makes your head explode... and an evil professor is in charge of the forest. Will definately make sure the dc sit and listen to every word you say!

Perfect for that age, but sadly now out of print, is Clement Freud's "Grimble".

Sorry, not much help to you for this project Xanthe, but should anyone come across a copy you must read it. It's unique.

that looks good admylin...

Ds also really enjoyed Eragon when he was 9 but it wouldn't work for the 10 minute read maybe?

I think Bink's suggestions are very good. Definitely ham it up. My DSs, including DS1 who will be 9 on Tuesday, love it when I do e.g The Twits with very over-the-top Mr and Mrs Twit voices....