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What are your 8/9 year old (year 4) boys reading?

25 replies

WhenDoISleep · 17/10/2017 20:48

I need some inspiration for some new books to get for DS (8.5 yrs, year 4).

He is a confident reader and has read Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton, some David Walliams (will get him more), Wind in the Willows, the 13-storey Treehouse series (really enjoyed these), plus various others.

Recently he has stared reading the Demon Headmaster series and the Jungle Book but hasn't got into them so is leaving them for now.

He doesn't like the Beast Quest books and is not interested in the Horrible Histories / Science series at the moment.

I'm struggling to know what books to recommend to him. We will be visiting the library (not overly stocked with books for his age group) and the local bookshop during half term, so any recommendations are very welcome.

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BoysRule · 17/10/2017 20:52

Sounds very similar in taste to my DS. He loves Tom Gates books. Also Secret Seven but that was a while ago so they might be a bit young for him.

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Makinglists · 17/10/2017 20:57

Wimpy kid - my ds started reading them in Y3 and we’re hotly awaiting this year’s addition to the series (he’s Y7 now) Not everyone’s cup of tea but very funny.

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Makinglists · 17/10/2017 21:00

Forgot to say what about some non fiction - at that age Ds1 loved anything Deadly 60.

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Phillipa12 · 17/10/2017 21:02

Tom Gates is the books of choice for my 8 year old ds and the rest of his year 4 class!

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Liadain · 17/10/2017 21:05

Classes I had at that age seemed to like a mix of David Walliams, a lot of fact books, Wimpy Kid, the Narnia books, some myths and legends (Irish, Roman, Greek etc), Redwall, I Survived..., Eoin Colfer etc. A huge range, that is just the ones springing to mind!

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BastardGoDarkly · 17/10/2017 21:08

Yup, Tom Gates and wimpy kid here too (Ds just 10)

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Twinkletowedelephant · 17/10/2017 21:09

Wimpy kid - FS who only ever read information books .... Dh bought him the box set and he read 3 books in under a fortnight!!!

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WhenDoISleep · 17/10/2017 21:11

Thanks for the quick recs - the Tom Gates books look god so I will pick up the first couple for him. I wondered about the Wimpy Kid but wasn't sure about suitability - I will try him with them as well.

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Iggity · 17/10/2017 21:14

David Walliams, the storey treehouse books, anything with Star Wars, Oscar Wilde children's stories.

It's a real mix as I googled a reading list for 8-9 yr old boys and ordered from library. He was reading Operation Gadgetman this evening and I have been reading the Peppermint pig to him at bedtime.

I find it tricky. He steamed through wimpy kid and Pokemon box sets in yr 3. Didn't seem that keen on Tom Gates or Harry Potter but David Waillams does seem to be the favourite.

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Roomba · 17/10/2017 21:14

DS1 loved the Spooks series at that age (Joseph Delaney). The Beast Quest ones get very boring quickly as they are all practically the same story. He loved David Walliams too, maybe try a different one if he didn't get on with Demon Headmaster? And definitely Wimpy Kid!

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missyB1 · 17/10/2017 21:17

Ds is loving all the Michael Morpurgo books at the moment. He also likes David Baddiel.

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OSETmum · 17/10/2017 21:17

Ds has been working his way through the How To Train Your Dragon series but is giving them a rest after reading 6 and is reading the Grandpa book by David Walliams (Grandpa’s Great Escape?). He also loves The Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, any of the Enid Blyton mystery books and he’s read the first 3 Harry Potter books. He did NOT like the Percy Jackson books, they were a bit old and scary for him.

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1122christy · 17/10/2017 21:35

As others have said Tom Gates and Wimpy Kid books are great for that age. My ds 9 also likes alex rider books, goosebumps, Danny Wallace books Hamish, he is only just now getting into horrible histories these were bought for him last year. He’s read the first 3 Harry Potter books.
Enid Blyton - Secret Seven plus faraway tree series.

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WhenDoISleep · 17/10/2017 21:36

Some more great recommendations. I find it so hard to work out what he might like.

He has the box set of How to Train Your Dragon, which I though he would love. He started reading them over the summer holidays but didn't get into them - I'm hoping he will come back to them after in a few months as they look fun reads.

He really loved the 13 Storey Treehouse books - read the first 6 in the first week of the summer holiday and spent the rest of the time asking when the seventh would be published for him to read and then read that in a day. He is currently re-reading them. That is the kind of joy I want him to find in books - we are a massive family of bookworms and all read vast amounts each week.

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gardeningirl · 17/10/2017 21:40

Another bid for David Baddiel here, but the best books ever for our son at this age were the Rick Riordan Percy Jackson books. Utterly brilliant, and a series so there are many more (and spin off series too) if he likes them, also helps with Greek myths at school which my DS did in yr4/5.

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Believeitornot · 17/10/2017 21:42

I really hate the david Walliams stories but ds loves them at 8. I find some of the language a bit too old.

Yes to the wimpy kid. Also tintin has been a hit! And dogman (?!).

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Neuroticwoman · 17/10/2017 21:44

Second the Percy Jackson books. Ds enjoyed Caroline Lawrence roman mysteries series. Non fiction he loved Tony Robinson's history books.

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Bicnod · 17/10/2017 21:44

Tom Gates, Harry Potter, Warrior Cats and Michael Morpurgo are all favourites at the moment for the eight year old boy in this house.

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CrushedVelvet · 17/10/2017 21:45

David Solomons: My Brother is a Superhero, My Gym Teacher is an Alien Overlord, My Evil Twin is a Supervillain.
Best Enid Blytons: Secrets, Adventures, Famous Fives, Mysteries.
Arthur Ransomes?
Stig of the Dump by Clive King
E. Nesbit books
Second Tom Gates and David Baddiel.

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Pixie2015 · 17/10/2017 21:45

Barry Loser is our biggest hit and wimpy kid

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CrushedVelvet · 17/10/2017 21:50

Oh, and also Frank Cottrell Boyce, and the "I Wonder Why…?" nonfiction series.

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NotEnoughCushions · 17/10/2017 22:02

Diary of a Wimpy Kid was a definite favourite here. Also look for anything by Tom Palmer - he writes a number of different sport-related themes. DS also enjoyed all of the Stuart Gibbs books and the Roman Garstang series (can't remember quite what age they are aimed at but worth a look). If he likes football there is a series of children's football biographies by Michael Part.

There was also the Middle School series and the Charlie Fry series. If he likes David Walliams he might also like the Davis Baddiel books.

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Clutterbugsmum · 17/10/2017 22:32

Much of what been said on here, although he like a lot of fact based books.

He also likes Timmy Failure books which a fun read. It's about a boy who sets up a detective agency with his pet Polar bear.

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Backingvocals · 18/10/2017 19:22

DS also loved 13 Storey Treehouse series.

The only thing he loves as much is Tintin and Asterix

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mamaduckbone · 18/10/2017 19:26

Shadow Forest and The Runaway Troll by Matt Haig are lovely books which my ds loved.

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