For a 9 year old

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 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.

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

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.

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.

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 ?

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 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.

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 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 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'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!

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.

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

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

If she's into dancing, what's wrong with Ballet Shoes? Or Pamela Brown The Swish of the curtain and sequels about teenagers setting up their own theatre. Any of the old favourites - Tom's Midnight Garden and the Secret Garden I found superb. I know kids may find them old hat nowadays. Or, on a different theme, Duncton Wood, Watership Down etc.

If think the issue here is that she's reading! It's lovely to hear this as most children are on ipads and computers so I wouldn't worry . Have a look at the book people I buy lots fir granddaughter there.

I went through phases as a child and liked to read everything by the same author. I went through a Dr. Doolittle phase and a Just William one but they are probably too old fashioned now. I'm pretty sure that I chose them myself and at 9 I think that is part of the enjoyment. I agree with people who say take her to the library and let her have plenty of time to choose.

Is it a particular sort of Enid Blyton? I used to like the ones about schoolgirls because I liked that they were realistic. Even as a child I never liked books where the child hero didn't seem to have parents or home it left me feeling unsettled. I'd find out which Blyton books she likes best then try to find other authors who write about similar situations. For me it was all about situation and nothing about author.

She will probably just grow out of them by herself. At least she is reading.

Take her to the library and let her have a good browse , see what she fancies

I loved Enid Blyton.

My lovely grandfather however sent me a children's classic book every birthday (with a packet of milky way to munch on whilst reading).
So I also read The Jane Eyre type classics
As well as Black Beauty and Heidi and the 'what Katy Did' books.

My daughter read them all before they were consigned to the loft.

I would recommend taking your DGD to visit to a book store. Some have lovely comfy areas seating areas where you can sit and look through books before buying.
There will be plenty of authors for her a
to check out.

A visit to the library is a good way to pick up books by several different authors.

It doesn’t have to be fiction, or prose. I read a lot of poetry at that age, thanks to my mother who bought me anthologies. History and biography, appropriately written, can also be good.

It really depends on how good a reader she is. When my DG was 9 she loved the How to train your dragon books. She also read Call of the Wild, Little Women. The Malory Towers books and Lamb's Shakespeare Tales.