Hi giftodd
We have a fraidy cat who is slowly growing out of it. For DS now 5 but started at 4, was that with big dramatic things, scary and sometimes just super interesting, he couldn't turn his mind off, so together we came up with some "procedures" first no scary before bed, so new or books with potential are for Saturday morning. Second he started reading the end of the book, drives me crazy, but allows him to know it all works out in the end. Third, never stop the age appropriate books, so right now we are reading "the title of this book is secret" by psuedomous Bosch and at the same time picture books about making friends and gardening. I picked up the Bosch book but we hadn't read it and he was hysterical out of the blue in pre-k during music class because he was so scared by the hyperbole - the information is so secret I can't tell yo more, etc, so we came home and I said should I take it back or should we just try the first chapter, he hemmed and hawed but wanting to know won out and it was much less scary then he thought it would be. The book that eats people by Jon scienza had to be removed, it was just too scary.
But i would say he has gotten better over time, but he really knows his limits and I
respect them. I am with CollinsMum about not pushing, but I don't translate that too reading the same stuff over and over - I just went broad, helps that DS loves non
fiction - really nice easy with only mild mysteries - the Ron Roy books, the a to z, capital mysteries, calendar mysteries. DS loved them and were very nice, no bullying good friendships, and mild to non existent scary. IMHO I wouldn't let her opt out of reading new things, but I would have no problem getting plenty of saccharin or science and slip in some thing a teensy bit harder, we have a library book bin, I would just leave it in there, let her express interest in it.
Good luck!
DeHe
