caught between two categories...
Kole is six. She's a smart six-year old, but hasn't quite mastered the art of reading. She's got the love for listening to stories, but it's getting more difficult to to find books that are just right for her. Any book that reflects her current aptitude for reading is too 'babyish', and any book with the kind of storyline that she's interested is just too damned long. We've tried our hand at Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket, and other books with more of a plotline, and she can listen well too them, but I'm worried about my vocal cords. Seriously.
We are now about to begin The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Yes, it's an oldie (copyright circa 1911), but those elements of magic are just as present then, as they are in the stories that are more contemporary. I don't mind reading aloud to her, in fact, it's given us a lot of time to be together, to appreciate the written word, and to have her understand that reading is a pleasure, not a chore.
I need more book suggestions, though. I feel a little out of the loop as far as children's fiction goes.