I am looking for a chapter book series to read to my almost 6yr old girl. I've read her a few of the Junie B Jones books, which we waited until she was starting kindergarten just like Junie B, but I don't really like the books. The kid is sassy and yells at adults alot and never really is talked to about it. We've read a few of the Magic Treehouse books, but my kiddo doesn't seem to be very interested in them. I would like to find her books that have a main female character. My daughter also is not a fan of Disney princesses, so nothing w/ them (if they even have chapter books w/ them).
Thanks!
Awesome, wonderful ideas! Thank you so much. I am going to look into all of them right now on barnes and noble.com.
And yes, these are for me to read to her at bedtime. She reads to me almost daily also, but we both enjoy the part of bedtime where I read to her.
Beverly Cleary's Ramona series! Always a classic. My mom and I read those books at bedtime when I was about that age and I have wonderful memories of it.
I don't know if it's something for her to be able to read on her own, but maybe the Little House on the Prairie books are something you could try introducing to her.
There are also individual chapter books, like Charlotte's Web and the Ramona stories by Beverly Cleary.
I will second the Ramona books. I really loved them starting around that age. The Little House books, and Anne of Green Gables series were also some of my favorites my favorites.
Mine liked "Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew" and "The Pixie Tricks" (a series of 8).....but she also absolutely fell in love with "The Magic Treehouse". Oh...and she just reminded me of the "Geronimo Stilton" books (she said they are very funny). Oh...have you read any of the "Bad Kitty" books? OMG..SO funny! We started out with the regular book (not a chapter book) and then we discovered "bad kitty takes a bath" and our love of the Bad Kitty books took off. Our whole family enjoys them.
That's all I can think of. If I think of more I'll add them.
I used to read Pippy Longstocking books, or the Ramona and Beezus books, I loved them when I was little.
Little house on the prairie.
Nancy Drew?
Little Bear?
Charlotte's Web?
The Mouse & The Motorcycle?
Pony Mysteries?
Rainbow Magic?
Thea Stilton?
books by Roald Dahl?
Clementine?
My 6 year old daughter likes the Rainbow Magic fairy books, Nate the Great (Cam Jansen is a girl detective, but my girl still likes Nate better), and Ivy & Bean. She has read Junie B. Jones, but like you, I'm not a fan. She also loved when I read Charlotte's Web to her.
They may be too old for her yet, but what about Dealing with Dragons? It's a series about a kick butt princess who refuses to be helpless.
What about The Borrowers? Or The Rats of NIMH? or Bunnicula (if you don't think she'll be scared of a veggie-sucking rabbit).
I'll put in another vote for the Laura Ingalls Wilder series - She's about 5 at the beginning of Little House in the Big Woods.
I used to love Mrs. Piggle Wiggle and American Girl books :-)
The "Little House on the Prairie" series comes to mind, as it did for others. Also, "Amelia Bedelia," "Madeline," "Nancy Drew," and "Box Car Mysteries,"
And while you want to get her something she likes for Christmas, do remember and be prepared to remind her when it comes up that there will be times she will be required to read books she doesn't care for, which she actually may find out she likes! ; )
Are you thinking of books for your daughter to read herself, or for you to read to her?
If you'll read her the books, you have a much wider choice, since children can understand stories even when they can't read all the words. The MY FATHER'S DRAGON books, by Gannett and Gannett, are clever and very enjoyable. Laura Ingalls Wilder's LITTLE HOUSE books are wonderful, although your daughter might enjoy them more when she's a bit older. The same applies to the NARNIA books. There's a relatively new series by Sarah Pennypacker (?) about a little girl named Clementine, who is spunky and trouble-prone but very loving (and loved back). The Clementine books remind me a bit of Beverly Cleary's RAMONA series - another good idea. My granddaughters also love the FRANCES books by Russell and Lillian Hoban - not so much a series as a collection of several picture books. I read those over and over to them.
Cam Jansen and Rainbow magic fairies are my daughter's faves but I do want to expose her to more classic books, think Real Winnie the Pooh, Alice in wonderland etc. We did Junie B for awhile, but I agree with the language. I think it's best to expose them to different writing styles. It will help their vocabulary and such :)
If she likes animals, my daughter loved The Puppy Place books---there are quite a few in the series with a different breed of dog in each. She also really liked the Disney Fairies series (not the same as princesses). They created a whole bunch of new fairy characters and Tinkerbell is one of them but not the focus. Or try Judy Moody, or Katie Kazoo books.
The Pony Crazed Princess series is great. The main character is a girl (Princess Ellie) and she's generally nice and kind. Her parents come across as a bit disinterested in her during the first two books, but not in the other four. There are good life lessons in each book, and no inappropriate stuff - like romance, for a six year old. My girls love love love this series.
The Box Car Children was a great series. I read them as a child myself (40 now) and bought the paperbacks online recently for my almost 7 year old son. About 4 kids that are orphaned (2 girls and 2 boys so appeals to both genders) and throughout the series, they travel, solve mysteries, learn skills, have a strong sense of responsibility for themselves and take care of each other, and overall is an excellent read for kids.
Nancy Drew was also a series I read as a child that I couldn't put down. A great female characture and a wonderful and engrossing series.
Good luck!
D.
SO many wonderful titles here on this thread - makes me miss having young one's again!
Don't discount the books about boys - they are wonderful too - like Beverly Cleary's books. And try The Magic School Bus series. It's full of wonderful information about science and how life works.
Dawn
Suggestions on books to read to her..
most books by Beverly Cleary - Ramona series is very good
books by Roland Dahl
Charlotte's Web
Black Beauty
The Secret Garden
Baily School Kids (a series)
Books that you can read now and she can read herself very soon....
Babysitters Little Sister series
Cam Jansen
(I hate Junie B Jones)
Nate the Great
Ivy and Bean is fun too, and my 7yo daughter has also loved Ramona, and The Little House series.
nancy drew has a series out for the smaller kids , called nancy drew clue crew. those are good. My son at 7 reads the Geronimo Stilton series, but that has a male lead, and A to Z mysteries series. Oh Geronimo Stilton has a sister Thea that now has her own series.
Definitely the Little House series. There is also a series about her daughter
Rose Wilder -- I think the author's name is Lane.
I agree with the Babysitter's little Sister series... they are really cute!
What about animal based stories? There is a series called "Animal Ark" about a child whose parents are both Veterinarians... or what about the Pony Pal Series? I think both of those series have a female main character... and they are about kids with GOOD characters!
I started reading The Babysitters Club books around her age. They may be a little old for her. The main characters are 13, but they have a few 11 year olds in the later books. There is also The Babysitters Club Little Sister series that focuses on the 2nd grade sister of one of the club members.
Oh, yes, the Little House books were what first popped up in my mind. My four year old boy and I are reading "Little House in the Big Woods" at bedtime, and he's loving it.
"Charlotte's Web" is a book, though not a series.
"Paddington Bear" has a sweet series. No emergent female characters, but good.
"My Father's Dragon"...same as above. Very good, short books.
Finding a great series is hard. There are plenty of good, individual books. I don't think six is old enough for LM Montgomery's " Anne of Green Gables" (for independent reading, or context, but wait until she's nine or so.)
Beverly Cleary's Ramona books, also mentioned, are totally worth it.
