Dick King Smith Sophie books

[lexcat]

DD just turned 6 has just discovered Dick King Smith, she has read four of his short books so far and wants more. Mostly she likes reading about animals but I was wondering about the Sophie books.
If there is any one who has read these.
What kind of age are they targeted at. What's the text like to read. Are they chaper books and if so how many chapers. Good or bad points please.
Trying too work out if it's worth me getting some of these books

I am just looking at Sophie in the Saddle and it has 6 chapters and 92 pages. I guess it depends on how good a reader your DD is but my DD who is 5 could read a few sentences aloud but not the chpaters on her own. She's top of her class at reading so I think they might be a bit tricky for a young 6 but maybe not. Here's an extract so you see how difficult:
"can you swim?" she said to Andrew next Saturday, as they went on a tour of the farmyard, Andrew leading, Sophie plodding behind, Puddle following.
"Yes, course I can," said Andrew, his stock answer. If Sophie had asked whether he could fly, the reply would probably have been the same.
"I'm a brilliant swimmer, I am," he said.Each chapter is roughly 12 pages long but even if she just reads a page or two at a time, she'd still enjoy it and there are pictures here and there to look at.

dd is 5 (Year 1) and has read them and loved them. They are chapter books but broken down nicely into digestible chunks. Sophie ages from 4 to 7/8 and has brothers 2 years older so I'm pretty sure that is the target audience and they have been read some at school even as late as Year 3. We have the omnibus versions - Sophie's Adventures and Further Adventures - which may be a bit daunting unless you read some self contained books first.

Do your five year old already read chapter books alone?

My DD read them at aged 7 (she did them for her book lovers badge at Brownies) and loved them. (she was/is a confident reader)

Is that to me ? er yes [proud mummy emoticon] but she is a 2nd child and very keen reader.

oh, they are great. My dd 5 loves them and the other one 8 still reads them when she is tired. She is such a good character. I love the one in which she stamps on Dawn's prissy pink pony, Twinkletoes. We were discussing the rights and wrongs of that for ages.

Wow - I think I ight chat to school as I've been very proactive about DD learing to read and everyone comments on how well she reads but I really don't think she could sit and read these books alone.

I'm not sure dd is typical and it is a fairly recent thing tbh (February/March may be , so 5 1/2). There are probably "better" readers than her in the class but may be simply not interested in reading to themselves yet. The range is pretty wide so don't feel you should be doing anything.

Oh god my dd 5 can't read them on her own, she is not very interested in reading anything on her own yet....don't worry.

Yes dd is a free reader sh eis one of three in y1 but over half are only really just off the starting point with reading. So from what I get reading Sophie books come highly recommened. My only worry is she only just started reading chaper books. She still whats to read book a night. Even though their really isn't much she can't read now.
The school is great in the fact they have lots of short book for when they finish the book bands and build them up to longer books.

Yes dd is a free reader she is one of three in y1 but over half are only really just off the starting point with reading. So from what I get, reading Sophie books come's highly recommened. My only worry is she's only just started reading chaper books. She still whats to read book a night. Even though their really isn't much she can't read now.
The school is great in the fact they have lots of short book for when they finish the book bands and build them up to longer books.

dd is still quite happy on the upper levels of the reading schemes hence my previous comment that I don't think it is about ability as such, but rather attitude and confidence, which comes naturally over time. lexcat I'd get some and read them with her. Be guided by her, dd just decided one day that she'd rather read on for herself.

I have bought these for my Yr 1 (5) dd and they look just right.

She loves the Magic Kitten best and the abominable Rainbow Fairies (which are really a bit too easy for her) so i hope she likes these.

she inisits on reading at night too, sometimes i go up and her light is still on at 8pm

If your dd likes animals try the animal ark series, they are good.

Some good chapter books to start with are the 'Sprinters' collection from The Book People and the 'seriously silly story collection'

Thanks springchicken your dd sounds very like mine, loves the dreaded rainbow magic just pleased she reads then herself now. I hardly ever read to her as she wants to do the reading and often is in bed reading well after she is allow too.
Can you recomended any other book your dd likes to read that are no longer 80-90 pages with pictures and nice size chapers.

Hi lexcat

She really likes the Enid Blyton Magic Faraway Tree and Wishing Chair, also Secret Seven. She has read all the Horrid Henry books but they are not her favourite. She has the Roald Dahl Collection and some are her level, others are a bit too difficult. She has the Shakespeare set too, some of which she likes others she is not keen on. There are also the Magic Pony series and the Secret Unicorn. At school at the moment she is reading the Usborne Young Readers set of traditional stories - a bit too easy but a good introduction to Chapter Books. These are excellent too - she really enjoys them.

She also really loves non fiction - we have bought her the Kingfisher Young Knowldege set and Dorling Kindersly Eye Wonder .

Happy shopping!

Thank-you very much for all of that springbunny Have read the twits and she's got the magic pomy books. Some great book ideas to keep us going.
Just start booktrack at the libary and that great too.