Book boxsets for kids bedtimes

[ScotHill]

With our son we've been through the Mr Men and the Railway Stories books, and the length and level and number of books (c. 50 of each!) has been perfect for bedtimes, we get through 2-3 and he's asleep.

We're looking for something as he gets older (coming up to 4yo) and maybe something a bit more neutral/unisex, i.e. more female characters and less things with wheels. A series of books means more of a regular bedtime routine, rather than a mishmash of different books like we read in the daytime.

Any recommendations?

[cs174]

Anything by Julia Donaldson

[ScotHill]

Yeah we've got these, tend to read them in the daytime though. They're fairly large too, the great thing about the other two sets is they're A5 size-ish, so great for when he's lying down and we're sat on the floor.

[mickyh7]

Both of my Boys had Beatrix Potter.
The World of Peter Rabbit.
All of their children still have/ had them.
Not sure if they are a bit young for yours.
But truly beautifuly written and illustrated.

[Douglas Quaid]

Famous 5 collection. Roald Dahl collection. Both went down very well with my 5 yr old, she’s read them all.

[Voldemort]

Paddington

[bristolbaron]

The Usborne libraries are perfect. Mine are 4 (reception) and 6 (year 1) and the books are tailored for reading together or to them.

There’s normally a school rep who’ll have the sets available much cheaper than ‘retail’ - these have a total RRP of £560, I paid about £150ish from memory.

[ScotHill]

bristolbaron said:

The Usborne libraries are perfect. Mine are 4 (reception) and 6 (year 1) and the books are tailored for reading together or to them.

There’s normally a school rep who’ll have the sets available much cheaper than ‘retail’ - these have a total RRP of £560, I paid about £150ish from memory.

I would never have thought of that, will see what is on eBay.

[sherman]

Horrible histories.

[ScotHill]

sherman said:

Horrible histories.

Are they story format or more like the TV show? We try not to have anything too interactive at bedtime.

[mickyh7]

ScotHill said:

sherman said:

Horrible histories.

Are they story format or more like the TV show? We try not to have anything too interactive at bedtime.

I met Terry Deary, the Author of Horrible Histories, at my Sons School back in the 90's.
My wife, being the Chair Governor got me introduced
Nice chap. We got talking and he wasn't happy how the American Company had televised his books.
I mentioned to him the TV didn't really replicate the books making stuff up to fit etc.
I did nip home which was only 10 minutes away, and brought back a bag full of books which he duly signed.
Fair play to him.
So the books are nothing like the TV series.

[ScotHill]

mickyh7 said:

I met Terry Deary, the Author of Horrible Histories, at my Sons School back in the 90's.
My wife, being the Chair Governor got me introduced
Nice chap. We got talking and he wasn't happy how the American Company had televised his books.
I mentioned to him the TV didn't really replicate the books making stuff up to fit etc.
I did nip home which was only 10 minutes away, and brought back a bag full of books which he duly signed.
Fair play to him.
So the books are nothing like the TV series.

This confused me for a while as the TV series only started about ten years ago - turns out there was a US-made TV series back in 2001 and from the precis it seems very different from the trivia-encyclopedia format of the BBC one.

[mickyh7]

Yes, the author was not impressed.
But he told me he had been made an offer he could just not refuse!
My oldest boy was in Junior school at the time.
I remember the USA TV series. It was pretty bad.
Henry the Eighth winning at Hastings in 1066 etc. lol

[triggerhappy21]

As above Julia Donaldson are pretty reliable.
Usborne collections again are good. They do great learn to read set when the time arrives.
National Geographic do great books 'First Big Book Of....' Space/dinosaurs/ocean etc which my eldest loved from 2 and still loves at 5.
Daughter loves the Large Family books. About a family of elephants that seem to spend most of their time arguing, but quite charming.
Favourite collection is Quentin Blake's books. Mrs Armitage, Cockatoos, Angelica Sprockets Pockets etc. Nice lengths for bedtimes and quirky stories. Lovely art obviously too.

[PeteinSQ]

Brambly hedge?

Books by David Walliams.

If they've got the patience to listen to a long story it can be time to think about reading longer books in installments. You've just got to remember who has what voice the following night...

With our four year old we read things like Dogs Don't Do Ballet, Julia Donaldson, lighthouse keepers lunch etc. Still very much looking at pictures still.

I have a ten year old and I can't remember when we moved to long books but I remember reading several Walliams books, quite a few Harry potters and also things like Martin the Warrior.

I don't read to him any more but the last book I read to him was the Berlin Boxing Club. Can't recommend that book enough.

[ScotHill]

ScotHill said:

bristolbaron said:

The Usborne libraries are perfect. Mine are 4 (reception) and 6 (year 1) and the books are tailored for reading together or to them.

There’s normally a school rep who’ll have the sets available much cheaper than ‘retail’ - these have a total RRP of £560, I paid about £150ish from memory.

I would never have thought of that, will see what is on eBay.

We ended up buying the box on the right - I think the RRP is based on £4 per individual book, or £160 a box, but the boxes are generally available for about thirty quid each..

I don't know if it's because of the other picture books we've been reading or whether it's because these ones are aimed at older children to read for themselves but there is so much aggression, violence and death in them! Some of them are almost 30 years old so the style might be a bit outdated compared to what gets published these days. Anyway we've had to take a few of them out of circulation until he's a bit older but otherwise the language and length of stories is perfect for reading to him.

[bristolbaron]

ScotHill said:

ScotHill said:

bristolbaron said:

The Usborne libraries are perfect. Mine are 4 (reception) and 6 (year 1) and the books are tailored for reading together or to them.

There’s normally a school rep who’ll have the sets available much cheaper than ‘retail’ - these have a total RRP of £560, I paid about £150ish from memory.

I would never have thought of that, will see what is on eBay.

We ended up buying the box on the right - I think the RRP is based on £4 per individual book, or £160 a box, but the boxes are generally available for about thirty quid each..

I don't know if it's because of the other picture books we've been reading or whether it's because these ones are aimed at older children to read for themselves but there is so much aggression, violence and death in them! Some of them are almost 30 years old so the style might be a bit outdated compared to what gets published these days. Anyway we've had to take a few of them out of circulation until he's a bit older but otherwise the language and length of stories is perfect for reading to him.

Yes, the yellows would be for self reading at 7/8ish. Some of the fables are still good for reading to younger. Our routine is generally 4y/o reads from first set, 6y/o from second and I read from the third.

At 3/4 both of ours also loved the phonics books:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Phonics-Readers-Collect...

They’re fun, but quite short if reading to them.