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Books/book club

Books your grandchildren love

(122 Posts)
babyjack Sat 14-May-11 14:44:32

My grandson 3 years, loves " were going on a bear hunt", do others have any favourite books they can recommend.

Annobel Sat 14-Jan-12 15:39:14

I can't recall whether we have had this site recommended, but it's one mu DiL told me about and it looks very good indeed. It has books for all age groups and all types of books. DiL gets the recommendations and orders them from the library for bookworm GD who reads anything and everything, just as I did at her age (9).

www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/genre/bom/Books-of-the-Month.html

Annobel Sat 14-Jan-12 16:43:07

The site I've just mentioned lets you read the first chapter of each book and I have just read had a look at 'The Salt Stained Book' which seems very intriguing. I might have to get it for myself and pretend it's really for GD. There is a big overlap between children's and adults' fiction, for example, War Horse.

wisewoman Sat 14-Jan-12 17:30:37

Just caught up with gransnet after being away. Someone thought 6 months too young for books but "Each Peach Pear Plum" and "Peepo" in the board versions with wee holes for babies to poke their fingers into are really good starter books. Hungry caterpillar as a board book is good as well. Never too young for books!

Daisyanswerdo Tue 31-Jan-12 15:18:46

My grandchildren love Quentin Blake's books, among them 'Cockatoos' and 'Mrs Armitage on Wheels'. They're fun to read too.

Annobel Tue 31-Jan-12 16:15:35

I think my GD could do Mastermind on Jacqueline Wilson, as could many girls of her age (9) and older. I used to play cassettes of her books in the car when I took her big sister on the long drive to visit the family. I also survived the gloop of The Princess Diaries.

Ariadne Tue 31-Jan-12 16:44:34

The most enchanting and moving one of the moment is an iPad / iPhone app - "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore" which my grandchildren all love. It is a story on many levels, and if you get it, try drawing your finger over certain pages.

Annobel and daisyanswerdo - my now 15 year old DGD was a Jacqueline Wilson addict, and recently, when JW visited their town, DGD took her very first JW book, and had it signed so that she could give it to her younger cousin, and start her on the road! I thought it was such a lovely thought.

goldengirl Tue 31-Jan-12 22:09:02

My nearly 3 year old GD just loves being scared by Haunted House, a pop up style book by Jan Pienkowski with tags to make ghosts pop out or monsters jaws open or eyes in portraits move etc etc. Great fun. I pretend to be frightened and she tells me 'it's alright Grandma, it's only a story' smile.

Another of her favourites is The Three Billy Goats Gruff which of course features the Troll.

Greatnan Wed 01-Feb-12 06:00:32

Fantasy seems to be the thing with nearly all my grandchildren, especially Terry Pratchett's 'Disc World'. Non-fiction is also popular, especially science, exploration and history.
I don't think children are ever too young to be read to, or to have poetry and songs. Long before they understand the words, they will absorb and enjoy the cadences.
I think one definition of a deprived child is one who has never been told a story or had 'This little piggy' played on its toes.

Ariadne Wed 01-Feb-12 07:05:48

I read an article some years ago about babies and books; apparentl even little babies like pictures (photos in particular) of other babies. I bought such a book, and it's true! Such a gurgle response - you know that gurgle - the one that makes you smile involuntarily?

Greatnan Wed 01-Feb-12 07:16:50

If anyone feels like a lift, I recommend googling 'Laughing Babies'. I challenge you not to smile! ('Crazy cats' is another good mood lifter).

helmacd Tue 14-Feb-12 11:11:32

I admit that I haven't read all the posts - so apologies if anyone has already mentioned this. There's a really good website about books for children - it recommends books for each age group, and keeps you up to date with new publications. I've found it particularly useful when buying books for children I don't see very often. If I buy a new release there's less likelihood that they've already got it. The website is http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk
Though it mostly deals with fiction , there is a section on factual books for each age group too.

CariGransnet (GNHQ) Tue 14-Feb-12 11:38:50

Do keep an eye on the ever-growing list of reviews in our books for children section - and of course on our new 'kids' book of the month' page for some great ideas and giveaways

gramps Fri 04-May-12 15:47:28

Message deleted by Gransnet.

nanaej Fri 04-May-12 16:33:03

Eleanorre Ferdinand the Bull is absolutely my most favorite story to read aloud.. especially the phrase, 'His mother, who was a cow' It is a great story that I remember from my childhood..still have my copy and recently bought the anniversary edition for DGC to share!

Also used Necklace of Raindrops in school as teacher and for my own kids..excellent book!

DGD1 loves Roald Dahl and just embarking n BFG but she spends hours devouring facts from natural world books and poems & jokes by Mike Rosen.

2 younger DGCs enjoy Julia Donaldson books and Mog stories!

flowerfriend Sat 05-May-12 09:46:46

My ten year old GD loves David Walliams GANGSTA GRANNY. Actually it made me chuckle too. I have seen quite a few negative comments on these forums about David Walliams but I like him and I think his kids books are a good read.

Annobel Sat 05-May-12 10:12:02

Thanks for the recommendation, ff. A lot of the books mentioned are for small children but I have a nine-year-old GD who is as voracious a reader as I was at her age (and that's saying something) and usually has her nose in a book. The David Walliams book sounds a definite possibility.

whenim64 Sat 05-May-12 10:19:01

Andy Stanton's Mr Gum books are such fun and brilliant for bedtime reading - my grandson still asks me to read to him and he's 12 now, but sharing laughter over a funny book is great. They are suitable for 8/9 years onwardssmile

Annobel Sat 05-May-12 10:31:02

Thanks when. Books that boys like can be a problem. My almost 8-year-old mostly likes factual things but enjoys anything funny. He's such a joker - typical playground lavatorial humour!

whenim64 Sat 05-May-12 10:57:03

The Hank Zipzer books are good, too. Written by Henry Winkler and he has received a British teaching award for them - they are inclusive for children with dyslexia and other special needs, but equally good for all children around 8 to 12 years old.

imjingl Sat 05-May-12 10:57:22

Just bought that one for grandsons flowerfriend. Looked at the 'Look inside' feature on Amazon and it sounds very funny.

They will love it! Thank you. smile

imjingl Sat 05-May-12 10:57:59

I didn't know he wrote books for children! smile

MaggieP Thu 28-Jun-12 11:26:47

Thank you for my copy of The Queen's Knickers, just arrived, what a delightful tale and my Grandkids will love it!

grandgran Fri 29-Jun-12 15:05:10

My grand daughter aged nine next week loves my old books as well as modern ones.She has read 'Little Princess ' recently, and I have 'Anne of Green gables' for her birthday.
I also tracked down a copy of 'The tree that sat down,' by Beverley Nichols and now she wants the sequel, 'The stream that stood still'.
I think it does not matter whether the books are modern or older, as long as they are well written and have a good story.

Bags Fri 28-Sept-12 11:23:43

Ooh! How exciting! Two packets containing children's books arrived this morning! I was quite baffled at first – and worried as I had no recollection of having ordered any children's books recently – but then realised they had come via offers on gransnet. I got one of the signed copies of Julia Donaldson's Superworm and a copy of her Highway Rat in one package. In the other was The Great Granny Gang. What fun to share with my GS smile. Thank you for enabling this, gransnet smile.

Daisyanswerdo Fri 28-Sept-12 12:02:04

Has anyone else come across 'Benjamin and Tulip' by Rosemary Wells? I found a copy in a box of books at a village fete. I would love to buy more copies for my grandchildren, but it's incredibly expensive second-hand. I love its humour, and apparently it's used to help children who are being bullied.