Content Appropriate Books for Mature 5 Year Old

My mom introduced me to her Bobbsey Twins and Trixie Belden. I don't know if there are any out there but I think they started making modern Bobbsey Twin books.

What about something like "House at Pooh Corner"? That one is definitely a chapter book with no dying people or pets being mistreated or princesses who need a man...
:-)

A couple of my favorites that haven't been mentioned yet (but I saw on the web lists):

Pippi Longstocking
Paddington Bear

Hi E.,
I'm a children's librarian in Howard County. Please, go to your local library. We librarians get requests like this often and can usually help find the right books. However, it will still be necessary for you to read ahead. What doesn't seem upsetting to one person may be scary to your daughter, and you'll want to be ready.

Some ideas for reading: There are lots of books that reside in the "picture" book collections, because, well--they have pictures! But many have longer and more complex stories.

If she likes the Little House books, there are picture book versions of some of the stories adapted by Renee Graef.

Some other picture books with good stories that shouldn't be too scary:

Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm, by Jerdine Nolen
Amelia and Elenor go for a Ride, by Pam Munoz Ryan
Bee Tree, by Patricia Polacco
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant
A Chair for my Mother, by Vera Williams
Tree of Birds, by Susan Meddaugh
The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash, by Trish Noble

How about some folktales from other countries. And don't forget non-fiction. There are some really good books about animals, sports figures, early American history... you name it.

Happy reading,
I.

you can always check the caldecott winners list and see what may interest her:

http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryaw...

have you tried, "one morning in maine" or "time of wonder" by robert mc closkey? these are classic, award winning titles

also the fairy house series seems to be the all the rage with the little ones
http://www.fairyhouses.com/for_parents.html

also if you click the "dog-eared" label in the sidebar of my diary, you can check out the books we're loving these days.
http://motherrising.blogspot.com

best,
W.

I would endorse the suggestion of Enid Blyton, they are English books but my American Grandson can't get enough of them.

I think I would start out with the Wishing Chair series and go onto The Adventure Series, Famous five and then Secret seven. Or check the web site www.enidblyton.net she wrote enough to get your daughter through many years of reading. You may get fed up with them but I doubt she will.

They were written in another age and the stories are wholesome and not scary.

Have you tried Beverly Cleary-- the Ramona books, Ralph Mouse, Henry Higgins, etc.?

Try Enid Blyton series of books for girls and boys and their very innocent adventures, some have limited illustrations.

Cinderella but an old version not the modern version, you will be surprised!

Swallows and Amazons can't think if the author but again another adventure story.

Mij the otter by Gavin Maxwell (film: Ring of bright water)

Peter Pan

The wind in the willows

Toad of Toad Hall

Watership Down

My children all had these read to them or read by them by the time they were 7 years old

If it hadn't been for Enid Blyton I would not have learnt to read!

These books I read when I was young and I also read poetry books too and so do my children. There are lots of established poetry books for young children on the market.

Good luck and have you been to the library and asked the staff for guidance?

From L. In London.

Well, my very, very favorite for that age is The Tale of Desperaux, by Kate DiCamillo. This Newberry-Winner is the story of a mouse in love with music, books and finer things, and also involves a princess. It's an adventure story, but not too scary (the "bad guys" are rats in the basement of the castle). The writing is gorgeous, the story is uplifting, and the morals are meaningful. In fact, of all the (hundreds?) of books I've read to my daughter -- I think it was my favorite to read out loud. (not many illustrations, but the language does paint its' own pictures).

Other suggestions off the top of my head would be Charlotte's Web, Trumpet of the Swan, Stuart Little, Three Tales of My Father's Dragon...I think all these would meet your criteria.

I could give you a much longer list, or one geared more towards illustrations. (One off the top my head that I LOVE for little ones is A Bad Case of Stripes -- a colorfully written and gorgeously illustrated story about a little girl learning to resist what other's think and be herself.)

On a side note, I'm not sure you want to eliminate the darker fables out of hand (Roald Dahl's books are brilliant, for instance, without being "scary"). In the years before childhood was "Disneyfied" and dumbed-down, grim stories were recognized as crucial to a child's development. But I won't try to persuade you on that unless you're curious. My daughter adored every Roald Dahl book, for example, but was TERRIFIED of Disney's Snow White...kids are funny, and I'm sure you know what your child likes best at the moment.

So glad that you're enjoying the reading time! For me, there is almost nothing better in the world than reading to kids (I used to be the Story Lady at my daughter's preschool, and it was better than any "job" I ever had).

Look for a book called Stories from Grandmas Attic. It was one of my favorites growing up. It's like a chapter book but each chapter is also kind of an individual story. It's basicly a little girl sitting with her grandma and hearing stories from her childhood. There are little lessons woven into the stories but are not to obvious. You'll love reading this with her!

Hi E.,
Some suggestions:
1. Try 'Collection' books. These are usually a group of books/stories together, usually 200+ pages.
2. Anne of Green Gables. Its about an orphan, but mostly its possitive, no real evil villians beyond a snooty woman.
3. Amelia Bedilia books.
4. Judy Bloom books.
Good luck
M.

Just remember, you asked for it, lol. I was a voracious reader as a child, and those books are still good, yet the content is appropriate.

If you little girl loves horses, as I did, the Billy and Blaze series is excellent. They are still in print, and the illustrations are superior.

http://www.amazon.com/Billy-Blaze-Boy-His-Horse/dp/068971...

If your daughter likes poetry, or if you think she will be intrugued by the rhyme and meter of poetry, A.A. Milne wrote some excellent poetry books for children.

"When We Were Very Young"

http://www.amazon.com/When-Were-Very-Young-Original/dp/01...

"Now We Are Six"

http://www.amazon.com/Now-Are-Six-Pooh-Original/dp/014036...

All of the Winnie the Pooh books are appropriate, and you will enjoy reading them to her.

Another great book that I read over and over, "Make Way for Ducklings", the illustrations won a Caldecott Award:

http://www.amazon.com/Ducklings-Viking-Kestrel-Picture-Bo...

My son loved the Little Critter books by Mercer Mayer. You also will love the humor, it spans generations. "Just For You" is a great place to start:

http://www.amazon.com/Just-You-Look-Look-Mercer-Mayer/dp/...

Many of the Little Critter books are little morality plays, they talk about going to bed, being angry, getting along with siblings, doing things with/for parents, helping, and the problems that children have acting appropriately. Yet, they are funny and help children think about what they do and help parents look at their children as works in progress.

Mercer Mayer also "wrote" a series of books with no words, only pictures tell the tale. They are the books dealing with a boy and his frog, and all the situations they found themselves in. These were funny as well, and opened the child's imagination to allow them to tell the story in their own words. The most fun book was "Frog Goes to Dinner":

http://www.amazon.com/Frog-Goes-Dinner-Mercer-Mayer/dp/08...

That's a start!

Barefoot Books has great multi-cultural books, music and toys. Check out www.MomOnTheSide.com and follow the link to Barefoot to see the selection. It's gorgeous and has a great selection for children of all ages.

Good luck!

Head over to your local library and ask the librarian. She knows what's hot, what's appropriate, and where to find what you are looking for.

Let your daughter peruse the shelves...

There are so many great books out there!! Our library has an easy reader chapter book section just for kids like yours.
YMMV
LBC

Hi E.! I am an Educational Consultant for Usborne Children's Books. I am sure that I have something that both you and your daughter will like. My Online Bookstore is www.ubah.com/X2733. We have books for all ages, kits, how to art, learning materials, cooking, music, etc. Make sure to look for our holiday sales from now to Christmas. Aslo, make sure to put your name in for the $50 Book Drawing just for visiting the site. Any questions, you can reach me at ____@____.com.

B. Deck
____@____.com
www.ubah.com/X2733

Try looking into British children's authors. The stories are detailed and interesting, but often maintain a sort of 'innocence' that would make them appropriate for a young child. When I was a girl I particularly loved books by Enid Blyton -- and as she wrote hundreds, you won't run out any time soon! Many of her stories focus on magical objects or faraway lands, but not all, and as your child grows you'll find books geared to older children too. Good luck! I certainly hope my son will love books as much yours seems to.

I have a few questions. Is she reading on her own or are you reading it to her. If she is reading on her own then it really doesn't matter what book you get her for her age level because she is above that. My son read at 3 years old and I couldn't stop him from reading what he wanted.

Hi E.,
I am in the same situation with my 6 yr old, & have been for a while. I have found a few series which he likes: Pee Wee Scouts, Bailey School Kids, Magic Tree House. Pee Wee is a combination boy/girl scout troup & mostly their troop adventures. Bailey has some possibly scarey sounding names, but the books are quite cute. Tree House have many which include some history as well. Good Luck.
T.

I would suggest a couple of different ones. First, these are long chapter books but my kids LOVED them and they are age appropriate and very economical. It is the Dover series of the Adventures of the Green Meadow Friends such as: The Adventures of Reddy Fox, ...Buster Bear, ...Grandfather Frog and many others. I am not at home but if you are interested, email me at ____@____.com and I will get you more detailed info about how you can get them. They are just fabulous books.

Secondly, you might check out my website for Usborne Books. There are many non-fiction titles and some chapter book titles that would be good for your daughter such as the ballerina dreams or the Sandy Land Stables. That website is www.EduHelpBooks.com

Finally, my daughter loves the Elsie Dinsmor series. Much like American Girl books from what Ihave been told (I haven't read the AG books). They are set in the 1800's. The only thing that may be upsetting is that Elsie's mom died shortly after childbirth and her dad went to Europe and left her to be raised by her grandparents and nurse, but she grows up with children her age in a large family.

Please let me know if any of these help.

Try Lifeway book store. It is in the shopping center strip with the Giant food store at White Marsh Mall. You can go online and look at the books they have as well. I would start there!

I had the same problem with my two sons, who both started reading at age 4. Librarians are a great resource, but be sure they understand your criteria (I had one tell me that anything in the children's section was appropriate for my 5-yr old...not true, in my opinion!!). The website www.eagerreaders.com is extremely helpful. A blurb from the home page is below. Also, check out "Great Books for Girls" by Kathleen Odean (there's a companion boys' book as well) and "Some of My Best Friends Are Books" by Judith Wynn Halsted.
Good luck!!!

H.

From www.eagerreaders.com:

Guide to List Features
Over 800 recommended books are ordered by category and reading level
Custom lists can be created by category (see menu at left), author, or by choosing any combination of categories and reading levels
Where possible, series books are listed in order. This is especially helpful for long series (e.g., Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys)
For books in print, we have provided direct links to Amazon.com for more information (reviews, comments) on the books; we have also selected specific editions in a range of prices. Purchases from Amazon support this site
Once you have found a title of interest, it can be easily saved to your personal wishlist. This list persists from visit to visit and can be added to at any time
Your wishlist can be printed for reference (your next trip to the library), or e-mailed to yourself, friends (book recommendations), or family (gift suggestions?)
We periodically highlight outstanding titles on our Featured Book page.

My daughter is a major reader too- She just turned six last week and is reading on a 4th grade level. I have found out that I have to read EVERYTHING before she does. She started Judy Moody books- those are great. We also like the Disney fairy books- there are about 10 or so of them. Judy Blooms- Fudge books- including Otherwise Known as Shiela the Great are good- the 2nd in the series mentions there not being a Santa but otherwise we have enjoyed them. Is there anything in the Molly series- like we have one about Julie and it talks about divorce- not a bad topic but a little deep for a 6 yr old. She really wants to read the Amer Girl books but I was worried about situational topics too. Good Luck!!

I have a daughter that age, and she loves books as well, since she was born! Although, she is not reading at such a high level as your daughter, but she does love chapter type books as yours does, with me reading to her. We have a couple of The New Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley books, Disney Fairies, Baby-Sitters Little Sisters, and Flower Fairies Friends. She seems to like them.
K.

How about Beverly Cleary's books--Henry and Ribsy, Ramona
there's The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Stuart Little...classics. Check out the Illustrated Classics series of books; great illustrations, longer stories. There are simple biographies out there she might enjoy. When I was first reading I read very edifying stories about a little girl called Honey Bunch, circa early fifties, just imagine the good girl lessons in those!
More recently, a couple of my favorites are by Kate DiCamillo:
'Because of Winn Dixie', and 'The Tale of Despereaux'--I loved the latter, how a mouse wins the heart of a princess...

If you consider your five year old to be mature then she is by her age should be able to handle Jack being swept away in the current. She is old enough to handle the most basic idea of loss. Watch Milo and Otis with her so that she is introduced to the idea of life and loss. My MIL watched it with all three of my younger in laws and they all from a very early age had a very healthy view of life and death.

As to whether of not you should continue reading the chapter books...read them with her. IF you can keep her attention while reading books like Little House, please continue. The problem with most children today is that they are given books that have been dumbed down and insult their own intelligence. I read the Laura Ingalls WIlder collection to my daughter and son over the summer after she turned five and he was two before bed every night. She is now a very bright girl, who at eight and going into the third grade reads on a seventh grade level and has complete comprehension on a fifth grade level (certain words meanings still confuse her). My son started reading level 1 chapter books at four.

I believe that this early love of reading is beacause we introduced them to great literature that captured thier imagination from a very early age.

Go to your local library and ask the children's librarian and tell her your criteria.

Have you tried the Babysitter Club Little Sister books? They might fit what you're looking for. Adventure without any villains! You could also go for some classics like Stuart Little, The Trumpet of the Swan, The Borrowers and the Pippi Longstocking series. As she gets a little older she might enjoy the Anne of Green Gables series

How about the Magic Treehouse series by Mary Pope Osborne? My son began reading these around age 5 and they are wonderful and educational at the same time. They have just enough pictures to keep the kids interested, and there is nothing disfunctional that I can recall. :)

I'd also highly recommend Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, Magic Schoolbus, or any of the Beverly Cleary books.

Hope this helps!

I think its great your child is so interested in reading. My daughter loves the Magic Tree House books in the bookstores in the children section they have books and on the books they have age related numbers turn over to the back of the book to see if that is appropriate that is what I did with my daughter. Good luck

I noticed some others mentioned the Beverly Cleary books, which are awesome. I'd also think about Nancy Drew - I loved these as a child.

I second the Magic Tree House series. I would also suggest Dr. Doolittle. I read that to my son when he was in Kindergarten and he enjoyed it. Also Mary Poppins which is actually a series of three books.

I hope you are able to use some of these suggestions--- I don't have a little girl, but was one and remember loving these books....

Ralph S. Mouse Collection

Ramona the Pest Collection

Charlots Web

Peter Rabbits author mught have a few longer books... Potter

Blaze the hourse collection

The Box Car Children- Orphans and m Adventure (Mystery), but not really scary... you might want to read one first to make sure it is down the line you are thinking of, I know I loved them, and have a collection of them and have loaned them to my nieces and nephews to read since my children are still little young for reading them on their own. They are great books about sibling sticking together....

I also read the babysitters club, Anne of green gables, little house on the praire, but these were a little more advanced for me....

If she is reading by her self, have her read out loud some... When I was in 1st grade I read very well and understood what I was reading, but was put in a special reading group because I didn't read out loud as well or fast as other.... I allway felt a little picked on about it, and my teacher actually debated me about at least one of the books I read as a 1st grader because it was more advanced then most of the 1st graders in my class, yet they didn't think I read well because of my oral reading... I also had an accent that differed from the other children although I had grown up in the same place my whole life. You are probably doing great on this part of it, but just an added note...

E., You have a challenge that I am very familiar with since I have a 6 year old daughter that not only likes the chapter books read to her, but also can read them herself as she is on a 3rd grade reading level. It has been very important to my husband and I that we provide her stories that continue to challenge her and yet have gentler emotional content as we're sensitive to her age! We do enjoy some stories together that require some parental facilitation as far as understanding the challenge or situation that is written about in the story--as long as we are able to discuss the situation we are OK with my daughter being exposed in a gentle way to challenges.

Here's my recommendation for you: Check out the website, www.sonlight.com and look in the Kindergarten section of Read-Alouds. (There is a list of books with short synopses which will be helpful--here's the link http://www.sonlight.com/read-alouds-k.html.) Sonlight is a delightful homeschool curriculum that is based upon reading stories and learning from them. They are aware of families in your situation. We have been using Sonlight curriculum for the past two years and have been delighted with the choices....even my 4 year old and 17 month old delight in the stories we read during "school time."

My 4 and 6 yr old daughters had several recommendations when I asked them: The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill, Little Pear by Eleanor Frances Lattimore, Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary, The Story of Dr. Doolittle by Lofting, Dolphin Adventures by Grover, Capyboppy by Peet, In Grandma's Attic by Richardson, James Herriot's Treasury for Children by Herriot, and The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook by Joyce Brisley.

Hope this helps! Happy reading!
A. D.

Have you tried the Magic Tree House Series? My children loved it. Also, go to your local library and talk with the librarian there, I'm sure they will be able to make many suggestions for you and your daughter. Congratulations on making reading such an important part of your children's lives. That gets lost so many time, and it is so important! Good luck with your search!

Here's the specific web page for the RenLearn website mentioned below (cut and paste if the link doesn't go live):
http://www.renlearn.com/store/quiz_series.asp?root=POPGRO...

Or, through RenLearn I found ARBookFind at www.arbookfind.com and typed in the search field 'Lower Grades Chapter Books' and it brought up over 1400 matches. You can sort them and there is a topic selector on the left column, it looks like a good tool.

I think someone mentioned the Bobbsey Twins, I would also recommend looking for the Boxcar Children series, in that vein. Some newer authors I would suggest are Shannon Hale and Donna Jo Napoli. They are both pretty prolific authors, so check out the synopsis first - some are definitely better for older kids. I loved The Prince of the Pond series and it really has nothing bad in it at all. The Little Angel series also looks like something you might like.

Thanks for asking the question - I've got a 4 1/2 year old who learned to read in January and is already at 1st grade chapter books, so I'll be saving this thread to look through later for ideas for books for her.

Happy reading!

Anne of Green Gables series.... she is an orphan, but a happy one when the story starts... and, her caretakers/adoptive parents are very loving.

The Chronicles of Narnia series would be perfect I think...especially if you can find one of the newer printings with lots of colorful pictures. (The older editions have very few pictures.) There's tons of adventure, and the youngest character is 6 or 7 herself, so she'd be one for your daughter to identify with. Plenty of family values to be taught as these four siblings work together through their adventures. And adults will enjoy the stories too!

The Cockeysville library is an absolutely wonderful resource. You might consult a librarian there for advice. In addition, they have many fantastic programs for children and families. We see young children getting their own books and learning how to check them out all the time. It's a great place which teaches as well as provides.
Good luck.

My almost 5 year old daughter (who is very sensitive and afraid of a lot of the stuff in Disney movies, too) and I are reading the Disney Fairies chapter books. They are based on Tinker Bell and introduce a whole new cast of characters around her. They are a little more sophisticated than I would have expected her to understand, but she seems to be getting the plots. They support good values and morals and they aren't scary. They also have them as audio books and we've listened to them on long trips rather than watching a DVD.

Books by Beverly Cleary! Ramona the Pest, Ralph and the Motorcycle, and many more. I loved these books when I was a kid, and my daughter is starting to read them now.

I'm not sure how scary they would be for your daughter ... but I believe they are pretty educational.. Have you heard of the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osbourne? My son is 6 and he devours those books. Also Nate the Grate books. I only skimmed your email so I'm not sure if you mentioned those but those are on par with Henry and Mudge. There's another set of books out there about dogs. Each dog has an individual story. I can't think of it right now. But if you love the other two series I've mentioned reply and I'll find them for you. Good luck! It's wonderful to have an extra little reader in the house!

have you tried The Boxcar Children? or the Ramona Quimby series?

My neice is an advanced reader as well, and she loved the Magic Tree House books. I'm sorry, I have not read them, so I don't know about scary content, but I do know that she loved them, and she sounds like she is in a similar situation as your daughter. Also, look at your local library, most of them have summer reading lists, find one that has books on it that she maybe has already read, and look at others on the list. Ask your librarian too, they can be a great help. (At a larger branch with a dedicated Children's librarian.)

There are books like that at Family Bookstore and Lifeway, i.e. Veggie Tales (which may not be long), there are other books there as well with series by different authors. There is also an online book distributor called Christian Books Distributors - cbd.com that carry a lot of books for kids as well. They are all clean and not as scary but not sure how long they are. Hope this gives you some ideas.

If you go to www.renlearn.com, click on the Accelerated Reader tab, click on the Store tab, click on Quiz Search, click on Series, click on A, scroll down to the title, Abby and Tess, Pet Sitters and click on it, click on the first title there, (it is Ants Don't Catch Flying Saucers), scroll down to almost the bottom of the page and find the link that says Lower Grade Chapter Books. Click on it and it will take you to a screen that lists 1,365 titles. There is a small synopsis of any title you click on. I tried to figure out how to get there without going through so many "clicks", but was unsuccesful.
I used to facilitate the Accelerated Reading program at the elem. school where my children attended and this is the program we used. If your daughter is just starting Kindergarten and is this far advanced in her reading level, most likely this is an issue you will have for many years to come. Just because a 9 yr old 4th grader can read at a high school level doesn't mean he or she should be exposed to high school scenarios. Our school had/has the policy that we do not use reading material above a middle grades reading interest.
Best of luck! If you want to email me about anything further, post your request and I'll send you my email address in a private mail.

I have a 4 year old who adores Enid Blyton stories also. We have read her all the Faraway Tree books and she can't wait to go to bed so she can hear the next chapter. I have also bought her the wishing chair series and am looking forward to reading this to her next. I grew up on these stories (I was born in England) and feel that they really nurtured my love for reading and also my creativity as a young child. I am so glad to be sharing these with my daughter now and I'm sure yours will also love these books.