For a 9 year old

"The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy"
This should fit the bill.

As a child I read every single one of Enid Blytons books and absolutely loved them, I tried reading other books but could never get into them

If I can remember that far back, I think that I progressed from the Famous 5s and Secret 7s of EB to the Nancy Drew books and The Hardy Boys ones too. You could take her on a tour of the charity shops to choose her own cheaply, as well as trying the library as suggested previously.

I'm delighted to hear she loves to read as so many children don't these days. If you are looking for a classic for her, how about the tales of Narnia, or Heidi (my favourite as a child). For something more modern but educational try the Horrible Histories set. My 9yr old grandson complained that there were only 20 in the set!

I loved Enid Blyton, my dad taught me to read with her books before I went to school, I gradually went onto " The Secret Garden, The Little Princess" etc. and then on to Jean Plaidy.
I would not worry kids progress at their own pace, if she is a member of a Library she will have feast of books to choose from as she gets older. My mum was "reader" and we use to go together to the Library.

I also loved Enid Blyton but moved from her to Agatha Christie, read everything published by her at that time one Summer. I am so glad she is reading don't worry she will move on. Just remembering mum finding Forever Amber under the bed. Loved Jean Plaidy, obviously history in novel form but every little helps.

I think the trouble with older classics is that they take a while to get into. Modern authors grab their attention on the first page, knowing there is so much competition for their attention now!
One grandson was slow starting to read, and liked audio books. These helped him to enjoy plots and build vocabulary above his reading age, and has paid off.

I was never an Enid Blyton fan, but I loved What Katy Did, do you think she might like The Borrowers, that was a favourite too and I've just brought it to read with my grandchildren.

She almost certainly finds these lovely,innocent,naive books comforting. So why deprive her of that? She's only been on this planet for nine,short years ,allow her to come to terms with life in her own good time. Don't try to introduce the 'real world ' to her until she's ready.

I used to love Enid Blyton too mrsmopp so maybe your DGD would like my choices as an insatiable reader as a child starting with Pollyanna - especially the bit with the prisms - the wonderful Silver Curlew by Eleanor Farjeon, a fantastic retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin story. It's a standing joke in our family that every Christmas we got a collection of classic children's books to share - I'm sure many many of us on GN received the same - and it was only me who ever read them but Ben Gunn's longing for toasted cheese and the threat of the black spot in Treasure Island stay with me still lol! My favourite tho was 'A Cue for Treason' by Geoffrey Trease a rollicking adventure set in Elizabethan England with runaway boys ( and girls!) , travelling theatre companies and lots of derring do. Happy days ?

MrsMopp .At nine years of age I would not be concerned any grandchild or child of mine needed to be' weaned' off Enid Blyton. I can recall my favourites at that age were the 'Just William' books. The choice should be hers and I am sure as she gets older her tastes will change with out assistance.

Both my children read Enid Blyton for ages and yes, I did want them to try other books. They moved on to other books eventually and now read anything, though one prefers historical and the other psychological thrillers. In school and for my grandchildren, I read from a new book in class or at bedtime and often find they’d carry on reading that book, then others by the same author.

I loved Heidi when I was a child - admittedly a long time ago!

My DGD1 who is 10 still reads Enid Blyton occasionally but for the last year has been reading Jacqueline Wilson and Cathy Cassidy whose books deal with modern moral issues.You need to be a little careful with JW as some books are appropriate for this age and some for the slighty older child but it is clearly stated on the back.The Hetty Feather books are particularly good and are also dramatised on TV.

I recently re-read a Just William book, and although it is still entertaining it did come across as a bit too racist for modern tastes. Nothing intentional or malicious, but I wouldn’t like my grandson to read it.

Just William books were the only books my brother and I both read. Otherwise our tastes differed. He liked Arthur Ransome and Biggles. When he re-read a Biggles book recently he was shocked by its unthinking nationalism.

Another vote for Ballet Shoes and there is one about skating called White Boots. She may enjoy Anne Of Green Gables too; it was always one of my favourites.

Our eldest granddaughters used to enjoy The Worst Witch books and anything by Jacqueline Wilson.

I was not allowed to read Enid Blyton as my teacher father thought she kept children at a low reading age. At that age I loved the Hobbit, Heidi and Avalanche!

She's probably ready for the first Harry Potter or two but not the later oned

I loved EB books as a child and still have the original books I spent all my Xmas and birthday money on in the 1950s. I have continuesd as a voracious but somewhat wider reader ever since then. No need to wean anyone off EB. When she has had enough EB she will explore and discover other authors and most importantly she will have retained her love of reading. Never, ever destroy the love of reading. Reading is about exploring our own worlds not someone else's world or what they think we "should" read.

If a child enjoys reading that is good, we all need something tried and trusted, it sounds as if she has a full life and relaxing with Enid Blyton sounds good.
My oldest daughter read every Enid Blyton she could find.....then every horsey book, moved on to Agatha Christie and !!!!Barbara Cartland!!! Then she went to uni, 1st class in politics, CEO local government, now study for law exams! The really really important bit of this ramble is if your GD enjoys reading trust her she will enlarge her tastes as she matures!

I agree with Skwkl - try "The Secret Garden" - a wonderful classic story by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Also "A Little Princess" by the same author. Both have an air of mystery within them as part of the story. A wonderful series is the "Little House on the Prarie" books. These were written (for children) by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and they tell the story of her childhood in the pioneering 1800s west USA. Much better than the (rather sacharine) TV series of the same name. I loved all these books, as does my DGD.

My EB mad daughter also loved the Ramona books, and read every one of the series in the back of the car during a California road trip. (Amazingly no car sickness). She's still an avid reader as a adult and likes a wide range of books. I would let your GD read whatever she likes as if reading is a pleasure not a chore she will always love it

I'm a great believer that reading any book that children enjoy is important. I read some Enid Blyton as a child, loved Famous Five & Secret Seven; Chalet School & Mallory Towers; Ballet Shoes; classics like Heidi & Black Beauty. I too moved on to Agatha Christie.

DGS1 who is 8 loves David Walliams books & Horrid Henry, I have to ask DD what he's into as their tastes can change. I buy 1 or 2 books every Birthday & Christmas. I have just started DS2's book collection (10 months) with Julia Donaldson books (Gruffalo etc), now I've to find the ones we didn't buy for DGS1.

A visit to a Library or Charity Shops is a brilliant idea, also check out the Supermarkets if you take her shopping.

The important thing is that she is reading !

Another vote for Arthur Ransome and what about the Chalet School books By E Brentdyer. She did Channel Island ones too, and then Anne McCaffrey's Dragonsong and Dragonsinger, those are the teenager ones, but DragonFlight is the first Pern book.

It may be old fashioned now, but I loved Heidi.