Top Ten Favourite Books at Six Years Old

Now We Are Six

When I was one,
I had just begun.
When I was two,
I was nearly new.
When I was three,
I was hardly me.
When I was four,
I was not much more.
When I was five,
I was just alive.
But now I am six,
I’m as clever as clever.
So I think I’ll be six
now for ever and ever.

A.A. Milne

Today is PudStar’s sixth birthday and I wrote this A.A. Milne poem on her card (and I would like a version for her wall if anyone finds one!). I love the poetry of A.A. Milne, in fact I love everything A.A. Milne has ever written, but I have always particularly liked the collection of 35 poems in ‘Now We Are Six’.

Six is very grown up really – just ask Pud. Most certainly no longer a toddler, moving up a bracket clothing wise in department stores, learning to read independently, working out how the world works: very grown up indeed.

PudStar is strong willed, creative, fierce and wonderful. She adores her little sister and her extended family and she would happily spend all her days at home, changing her clothes and Frida Kahlo inspired hair accessories, drawing, organising her fairies and walnut babies, categorizing and curating her collections and creating ‘treasures’ in her ‘art studio’ cubbyhouse. She can also be downright challenging to parent, and sometimes all I can do it remind myself that her strong will is likely to stand her in good stead later in life!

For much more of the Frida look, see my Instagram feed and her Frida Kahlo bedroom here.

Reading wise she still loves nothing better than a picture book. We will still be doing bedtime reading with her for many years to come and I suspect books with visuals will always be her preference. She loves art galleries and craft workshops and all things visual – and having met many children’s books illustrators, she totally understands that picture books are art and illustrators are artists.

She is now quite able to express her opinion about a book and has enjoyed writing some book reviews for ‘Show and Share’ at school and planning her ‘Pearlie in the Park’ party. Her reading response questions in lucky dip and glass pebble form have helped to develop her language around books – we don’t overdo these every night (too busy!) but every now and then she loves them. Her story stones are also still played with every week and three years on they are still in perfect condition.

She loathes her school readers and sight words (as do I – but I understand why she must read them) but she will happily lay on her bed and ‘read’ a beautiful picture book and re-tell a story using the pictures. Her reading is taking off; it is a joy to watch her surprise and excitement as she realises she can actually read whole sentences in some of her favourite books.

So there you have it; my summary of PudStar and her reading journey on her sixth birthday. Some of her favourite books are below.

Happy birthday Pud – may you always find books which you love and which inspire, challenge and comfort you. xxx

PudStar’s Top Ten Favourite Books at Six Years Old

Each title links to Booktopia and where I have reviewed a title there is a further link.

 ‘Ruby Red Shoes’. Read my full review here and more about Kate Knapp here.

‘The Mermaid’s Tail’. Read my full review here.

‘Tom Tom’

‘Big Rain Coming’. Read about author Katrina Germein here.

‘Violet Mackerel’. Read my full review here and here. More about illustrator Sarah Davis here.

‘Little Blue’. Read my review here and see more here and here.

‘The Forget-Me-Not Fairies’. Read my full review here.

‘Can We Lick the Spoon Now’. Read my full review here.

 ‘The Princess and the Pea’ which is in this Princess List.

‘Don’t Let a Spoonbill in the Kitchen’. Read my full review here and more about author/illustrator Narelle Oliver here.

‘Jessica’s Box’