Books for Eight year old granddaughter

LW&W, what could be better, so many different voices, magical

'The Family From One End Street' is a neglected classic.
One of my GCs, just turned nine, is reading 'Animal Farm' at the moment and seems to be enjoying it.

More obvious choices would be the Narnia books and books by Roald Dahl particularly 'Matilda' or 'The Witches.'

My all time favourite books were 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and 'Through the Looking glass and What Alice Found There' but my DCs and GCs failed to warm to them.

I have loved A Christmas Carol for as long as I can remember. I didn’t necessarily understand all of it but that somehow didn’t matter. We read it to our children every December from around 6 or 7 and they still love it as adults.

Another for Secret Garden.

And... Enid Blyton's The Faraway Tree. Magic.

Wyllow3

Another for Secret Garden.

And... Enid Blyton's The Faraway Tree. Magic.

Is that the one with Saucepan Man? If so, big no from me! Still have the occasional nightmare about his horrible face (at 61!)

The secret garden! Definitely that one.

“The Borrowers” by Mary Norton.

Another vote for The Family from One End Street.

The House at Pooh Corner.

Basgetti

Wyllow3

Another for Secret Garden.

And... Enid Blyton's The Faraway Tree. Magic.

Is that the one with Saucepan Man? If so, big no from me! Still have the occasional nightmare about his horrible face (at 61!)

Oh yes, Pooh Corner, definitely!

Oh dear, Basgetti sorry you were traumatised, I don't even recall him.

What I recall is the Land where everything is made out of sweets and chocolate. My Dad brought me the book when I was in bed with measles, and being good staying in bed so the other children wouldn't get measles (they did, of course)

and it was so special that he could buy it for me, and the smell of New Book all for me!!!!

I've forgotten Saucepan Man. but there was Dame Slap, which maybe wont be allowed these days ....

Black Beauty definitely my grandaughters loved it, as did I.

When she’s a bit older say 10 she might like the Chalet School series by Elinor M Brent-Dyer. Written quite a while ago but set in Europe full of adventures and interesting detail.

Much better and more well written than any Blyton school series

I loved the Chalet School series and still do. I think I was a bit older before I read them though

Three men on Bummel; Jerome K Jerome, Just William; Richmal Crompton, Narnia series, Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and the timeless Charotte's Web

Grandmabatty

Give them a go. If you read them to her, ask if there are words she doesn't understand. I would start with Ballet Shoes.

There’s a wonderful podcast about Ballet Shoes on the Backlisted podcast ( one of my favourite podcasts and, even though it reviews quite serious books a lot of the time has me laughing out). It isn’t a book I was familiar with as I’ve never read it but it ( and the whole series of books) sounds wonderful and as I’m hiding from real life by reading children’s fantasy literature I’m tempted to buy a copy. My granddaughter ( now 9) seemed to straight from Harry Potter to The Hunger Games so I’ve given up trying to work out what books she would like!

I have been an avid reader all my life and have been pleased to encourage reading with any child. For an old story Children of the New Forest was good I remember, and many of the above recommended books are really great. But one thing I would suggest , is that the actual edition of the book is looked at. I am not suggesting spending a fortune, and these days more books seem to feel quite nice, but I didnt like those cheap editions where the pages actually feel rough to the touch. I have always felt that the actual feel and smell of a new book were all part of the joy of the christmas books my granny used to buy for me every year. Still always have a book by my bedside, and if I wake up in the middle of the night in pain, a while reading is always a help.

We’ve started reading Ballet Shoes and she is enjoying it so far so I will be encouraged to buy the others in the series and then move on to other classics.
Thank you all for your recommendations. Funny that most of us enjoyed the same books as children.

I loved Family from one end street as well! And the Anne of green gables books I dont know if theyre still politically correct ? I liked the moomins and narnia books too.