Top 10 books loved by my (other) 6 year old

Last year I predicted that by now my little girl would be reading books all by herself, and the nightly ritual of me reading to her would be over. I was right in one way – she’s now racing through books on her own – but we’ve now started reading side by side before bed instead, which is a very special time for us both.

She’s discovered some really sweet books this year, and kept reading the absolute favourites. Here are the Top 10 for this little 6 year old!

1. Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls – 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo

What a beautiful book! This one is filled with pretty illustrations, easy-to-read text, and inspirational stories. From Marie Curie and Greta Thunberg to many other women (some whose stories I didn’t know myself), this book is one that we both enjoy reading.

For a little girl who sometimes doubts what she can achieve, each page is a reminder that all the incredible women in this world started out just like she did. I believe that our amazing girl will have a story that could go in a book like this one day, and I hope that by reading these stories she can believe it too.

2. A Big Guy Took My Ball by Mo Willems

Oh how we love the Piggy and Elephant books! Number 5 on last year’s list, they are on the list again, because they are just so funny. Piggy is full of energy and emotions, where Elephant is a bit more serious (and very patient).

I can’t help but make the connection between these two characters and our own two children. Even the illustration on the front of A Big Guy Took My Ball is exactly how our two kids often are: the big one trying to play a game (or solve the world’s problems) and the little one draped across his shoulders yelling about a missing ball.

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53. On the Road – Jack Kerouac (100 book challenge)

Finally something completely different! And written within the last 100 years.

Compared to the Hugos and Austens and Dickens and Hardys I’ve been reading lately, this epic road trip novel was a refreshing and modern change.

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52. Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks (100 book challenge)

‘It’s a great story set in France during World War I.’

If I had heard those words ten years ago there is no way I would have picked up the book and given it a go. But that’s been the best thing about this #100bookchallenge – it makes me read (and enjoy) books that would have never ever made it to my bedside table.

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51. Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy (100 book challenge)

After finally conquering Les Misérables, I needed something a bit easier to read. I had loved Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, so I thought I’d choose another book from the list by the same author.

And I was not disappointed!

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50. Les Misérables – Victor Hugo (100 book challenge)

Fifty books! I am now officially halfway through my 100 book challenge, where in July 2014 I set myself the goal of reading the top 100 classic books that BBC determined I must read before I die. No one said it would be easy (it hasn’t been), but now that I’ve made it this far I actually believe that I will achieve my goal.

For my 50th book I wanted a challenge, and Les Mis was absolutely the right book for that…

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Top ten books loved by my (other) 5 year old

Our little girl still loves reading! She likes listening to stories, telling stories, writing stories and, now that she’s started school, reading stories. Reading to her is one of the only ways to keep her still.

1. Olivia’s Secret Scribbles: My New Best Friend by Meredith Costain

Olivia’s Secret Scribbles makes the list for a second year in a row! We’ve read every book in the series at least three times, and I have to say they still manage to keep both of us interested. There’s something so sweet about Olivia and the challenges she has at home and school – perhaps because they mirror everything our daughter is going through.

My New Best Friend is a particular favourite, as our little girl started school this year. Just like Olivia, she has had to navigate the difficult and wonderful ways of playground friendships.

2. HotDog Book 8: Art Time! by Anh Do

Another Anh Do series, Hot Dog is about a sausage dog and his two friends Lizzzy the lizard and Kev the cat. This bizarre grouping solves mysteries, goes on camping trips and performs in the circus. It has simple yet entertaining stories that are easy to listen to before bed.

When the baddies stole the Llama Lisa, a priceless painting of a llama, our little girl was captivated by the action. When the Mona Lisa was mentioned on the TV a week later she shouted, ‘Mummy, they’ve copied the Llama Lisa from Hot Dog!’… How dare they!

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49. The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery (100 book challenge)

I’ll apologise in advance. I’m sorry.

This book was terrible.

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Maybe I missed something big. Was there a metaphor that was too subtle for my simplicity? Did the translation from French to English mean the genius was lost? Were my expectations just way too high?

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Top ten books loved by my 7 year old

Another year has passed and our boy has another year’s worth of knowledge packed into his little brain. He’s a sponge when it comes to facts, and despite spending 99% of his life in our home town, his knowledge of geography has now officially bypassed mine. He reads widely and quickly (and makes his parents very proud in the process).

Here are his Top 10 favourite books for when he was 7.  

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1. Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe

Now this is a great book for an inquisitive 7-year-old that loves learning about how things work! It goes into intricate detail of machines, animals, processes… but using only 1,000 of the most commonly used words in the English language. My 7-year-old had learned so much about the world from this book, and I’ve had fun trying to work out what exactly is being described (the “strange animal” entry on the Tree of Life page had us stumped for a while).

The diagrams are beautiful – easy to read and extremely detailed. It’s a great book for children and adults alike.

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Top ten books loved by my (other) 4 year old

Her love of books continues! We’ve had another wonderful year of reading, writing and sharing books together. Trips to the local library are still a weekly activity and every day must end with a book. It’s been fun exploring fiction and fantasy stories – her older brother was all about facts and the real world – so this is a welcome change.

In the last year she’s become quite the creative storyteller. She loves drawing pictures and writing words, then turning them into elaborate stories. Each night she relays her stories to her stuffed toys in bed, before finally drifting to sleep.

1. Olivia’s Secret Scribbles: Unicorn Parade by Meredith Costain

Now these books are delightful! They’re about a 7 year old girl called Olivia who loves inventing, exploring and hanging with her friends. They’re so Australian and so current that you could use these stories to explain my kids’ lives right now. They have easy-to-understand language, and are visually beautiful – with a bright accent colour for the illustrations and the stand out words.

In these stories the children are kind to each other, the teachers love teaching, and the parents share the parenting equally. It’s full of role models for us all!

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48. Winnie The Pooh – A. A. Milne (100 book challenge)

Winnie the Pooh is one of those stories from my childhood that I remember so dearly. I think it was my Granny and Grandad bought me ‘The Pooh Gift Box’ for my birthday one year and I’ve treasured it ever since.

When I saw the book on the 100 book challenge, I saved it up for a time when my kids would enjoy the story as much as I did. This year, at 7 and 4, I decided it was time to tick this one off the list by (literally) dusting off the gift box.

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