What books do modern seven-year-olds enjoy?

Give her book vouchers Waterstone's, Amazon or W. H Smith then you can be assured that she will get what she wants.

One of my grandsons loves David Walliams books. They are really funny.

I always devoured books as a child and was disappointed when dd didn’t though she now reads a lot, probably more than me.
I remember devouring Just William and Biggles books at my grandmother’s house. I adored Chalet School books from the library and collect old ones from bookshops and republished editions, am really hoping eventual dgc will read them. Loved all the old girls’ school books. They are old-fashioned, but another world. Also Little Women and sequels, What Katy Did and sequels, Tom Sawyer books. No idea if modern children like these, but am guessing tastes don’t change as much as we might think, I know I was pretty indiscriminating as a child about what I read and recall dm taking off me what was probably a very salacious book I had found in a second hand shop bin, I had no idea. Probably educational! Dd, now 30, loved Harry Potter and Jacqueline Wilson, have just reluctantly given hers to the local school at her instigation.
Had you thought of taking your dgd to the local library? Ours has a marvellous children’s section with little tree houses and nooks for children to sit and read ( or they did before Covid)

Malorie Blackman is great for children of this age. My two granddaughters really enjoyed a couple of her books. She writes for different ages.

One of the twins loves Horrid Henry but the other one doesn’t.

Encyclopaedias can be good for pictures and information and both children love theirs. The especially liked the one about the body.

My two adored 'The Worst Witch' series at that age.

My favourite books as a child were What Katy Did and Ballet Shoes, but I was probably a bit older than seven. I can’t remember what my sons read, but they did read a lot. Grandson was reading Harry Potter at seven, but granddaughter was nine before she read it.

if she lives near you why not have a trip to the local bookshop with her, and let her browse?

For a bit of fun but massively informative non-fiction, I recommend Adam Kay's book - Kay's Anatomy.

teabagwoman

My dgd was disappointed, on a recent visit, to find that she had read all the books I have for her, so I need to re-stock, but what do modern children like? My instinct was to get the classics, that I and my daughter enjoyed, but will she relate to them? I’m thinking of Black Beauty, What Katy Did, the Narnia books etc. She’s worked her way through Roald Dhal, Enid Blyton and the early Harry Potter books as well as Walliams. She has a reading age of 11 and but, of course, her emotional age is rather younger. Any advice will be gratefully received, I’m a late grandma so my friend’s gc are all grown up.

How lovely teabagwoman that your grandaughter enjoys reading stories.
My girls are now 38, 36 and 34 and they loved reading as little girls. The middle daughter found it a strugggle as she is dyslexic but loved having stories read to her.

The grandchildren, an hour away, love reading. Both the girl and the boy, but I don't see them that often to enjoy their love of books with them.

The grandchildren, 2 minutes walk down the road, love a story but find reading a chore.
The 11 yr old girl has global delay of at least 5 years and is in a special school ( so the opposite problem to your grandaughter, with reading material) but her reading has started to progress.

Mummy being dyslexic still has reading problems herself.

The 9 year old boy is a rising tennis player and that is where his focus is, despite our best attempts.

So, I have high hopes for my youngest daughter's children, 5 mins away by car.
The just two year old absolutely loves having a story read to her, is so interested in the pictures and chats about them, and can point out her name and some repetitive vocabulary.
I was just wondering, teabagwoman, did your grandaughter talk early ?
My little grandaughter was using 200 words at 18 months and now at 25 months she doesn't stop talking, and always in sentences of at least 5 words.
The 7 week old is just that ! Her time will come .
I am so going to love listening to them read .

Enjoy buying more books for your grandaughter { smile ) Is there a library near you that she could join?

Michael Morpurgo writes great books for children and also The Iron Man and The Iron Woman by Ted Hughes - wonderful books!

I work in our village library and we have a wonderful children's section. We ordered a set of classics but even the avid readers found them difficult to read as the vocabulary used is very large and unfamiliar to them.n
Even if your gd does not live in the area she can still borrow books, we have lots of Grans who do this. There is such a wide selection, I am sure she would love to browse the shelves.

Like Gin I work in a library. Our large childrens section is full of wonderful books. Most of them look really fabulous and so many are sadly unread. Children get fixated on a particular author and won't move on. Could you take her to a library next time she visits and let her browse and explore.
If you want to buy books for her I , like some others, would highly recommend Michael Morpurgo. He is an amazing author who writes a diverse mixture of stories and styles.

I think a seven-year-old would enjoy Milly Molly Mandy.

Tracey Beaker books are popular, and startlingly modern.

Have a scan of WATERSTONES childrens section- ive bought several from there, this year, and last.All beautifully presented and some even 'signed' (printed signed) for no extra cost. They come well packaged and usually delivery is prompt.

No Ginpin my gd definitely wasn’t an early talker but she’s making up for it now. She’s been going to the library all her life with her parents and I used to take her to mine as well but now that I’m partially sighted and can’t drive that’s much more difficult. She usually brings books with her but on occasion runs out so I like to have something in reserve. I’m grateful for all your suggestions of titles, authors and websites, should keep us going for some time to come.

13 Storey Tree House and the Pamela Butchart books.