Is there a way to get ds to stretch himself with his reading?

DD1 is 8 but has an older reading age. We had a similar problem in that she would read books she could have read in year one because it was easy and she didn't have to think. She is now more than 2/3 of the way through Anne of Green Gables (and the vocabulary is slightly archaic/stretching for her) and loving it.

I read it to her first and then had the brainwave that if she read it herself I'd buy her the DVD. So that was this initial carrot but she no longer needs it, she wants more in the series.

Can you find a hook like that? Something a bit older on audio, and then the book to go with it? Or if he reads Going Postal by TPratchett, you'll get him the film to compare when he has finished?

Pratchett Pratchett Pratchett

My brother was slightly younger than 14 when he plonked one of the Guards series in front of me and said 'read this' he'd picked up in the school library. Perfect age I'd say.

How about Ender's Game if he likes Dystopian Futures. Or Children of Dust. The Tripods or John Christopher's other series The Prince in Waiting might also work. The Chrysalids has already been mentioned but Chucky might work too

For Fantasy/Sci Fi stuff: David Eddings starting with Pawn of Prophecy it's slightly easier than the Wheel of Time but may get him hooked. I'd second Asimov and suggest starting with either I, Robot or Caves of Steel though the Lucky Starr books would also be good if you can find them (I think they are out of print). You could also look at other classic Sci Fi. Something like EE Doc Smith's Lensman books. Or Heinlein's Citizen of the Galaxy (but you be aware of he has rather liberal attitude to sex and sexual relationships so you might decide that some of his other books are not appropriate).

The other thing that springs to mind is Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Maybe start with the radio series and see if that gets him hooked enough to read the books?

thank you for this thread I have had fun on amazon ordering books for ds and my nephew. Lots I haven't heard of.

I had similar taste as a teen and went on to do a degree in English. I agree with Terry Pratchett, Isaac Asimov...how about John Wyndham (The Chrysalids), 1984, Brave New World, The Time Machine?

Also Wonder by R J Palacio - super book, though it might not be quite challenging enough for a 14yo - and The Fault in Our Stars. And, of course, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night...

I've always found reading lists published by schools quite helpful as well. Lots of schools categorise by Year, so they're easily searchable.

I was going to say both Malorie Blackman and Patrick Ness, see they have already been suggested. Also Marcus Sedgwick, Sally Gardner (Maggot Moon).

I got into horror around that age - Stephen King etc. James Dawson?
And yes, Terry Pratchett around that age too.

Mine hates books set or written in the past, too. It's dystopian futures or magic all the way

I read my favourites many times over as a child. I can still remember big chunks of the Narnia books.

thanks for posting this, as I have a similar problem with my 12yo - he gives up on virtually every book after a couple of pages, doesn't like even remotely challenging books

It's really interesting how kids like to re-read. I was the same as a kid. Mine's stuck in Department Nineteen at present.

He loved Hunger Games trilogy (actually, so did I, particularly the first book), and it led to really interesting discussions about empires and how their power is maintained despite the superior numbers of the colonised. He also liked Pig Heart Boy and Noughts and Crosses, both by Malorie Blackman - books (other than Batman graphic novels) are such a tough sell for my DS, they must have been deeply engaging to get him finishing them. Also Mortal Engines.

Anything remotely period I can't get him to read at all, so Sherlock Holmes, PG Wodehouse, even Just William! Odd, because he has read some fantasy stuff, which you could argue requires a similar willingness to enter a familiar but slightly different world.

(There is some v gory stuff in it though. I can still remember the gory bits 20+ years on)

Random old classic suggestion, but I remember my brother (reluctantish reader) and I really enjoying Papillon at that age.

Oh and Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash or William Gibson's Neuromancer or Idoru might appeal.

What about Isaac Asimov? The Black Widow mysteries are short stories, kind of in the vein of Sherlock Holmes, but very enjoyable. They make you feel clever when you spot how it's done!
Or his straight sci Fi of course.
Arthur C. Clark, Brian Aldiss, Vernor Vinge etc.
Pratchett is a great suggestion- very accessible, pretty funny.
Tad Williams is good too, but the size of the volumes may put him off.
Ursula le Guin's Earthsea Trilogy (though there's now four!) is good too.

Round the world in 80 days / To the centre of the earth?

I was going to suggest maze runner and hunger games, yes they're more advanced.
The black magician trilogy? Plus its follow on trilogy which I cant remember the name of

The Raven's Gate books are terrifying, or maybe that's just me being a wuss :o

Don't the Patrick Ness books turn extremely dark and violent?

Raven's Gate series by Horowitz
Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy

Mine is intently reading the Patrick Ness books (Knife of Never Letting Go, etc) at the moment.

Do deals like one re-read for one new read or whatever?

Various series from Robin Hobb?

www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=farseer+trilogy+by+robin+hobb&tag=hydrukspg-21&index=stripbooks&hvadid=51186149429&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12842038051871509440&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=m&ref=pd_sl_2xqwe4qb5z_b

tbh, it's an achievement to get teenage boys reading at all. Anything besides porn & you're doing well better than avg. Mine reads The Beano or Calvin & Hobbes at dinner time.

What about Sherlock Holmes? The Hound of The Baskervilles?

The Dark Is Rising sequence
His Dark Materials sequence