8yr old son has told me NO-ONE has stories read to them anymore - find something for me to inspire him!

I've only just stopped reading every night to dd - and she's 11. And she still asks for a story if she's very tired or sad in need of an extra cuddle! It's a very good way of introducing children to some of the harder books that they may be discouraged from reading to themselves - we've done a lot of the children's classics this way. I think the books you read when they're oldern need to be different from the books they read to themselves. How about Treasure Island or Kidnapped or the 39 Steps?

are story cd's likely to be assumed "cooler" than mum or dad etc reading? we have lots and listen to them together (car jouneys and bed times) as well as DH & me reading to DC. Just a thought.

The head of our primary school stressed to all parents at the beginning of the year that children are NEVER too old to be read to. He says he still reads to his 12-year-old son and begged us not to give up just because a child was old enough to read to themselves, as he believes that reading out loud to older children is still very valuable.
I love reading to DD1 as she chooses books that we both really enjoy reading together, like Cornelia Funke's Inkspell which we are both enjoying very much.
Try stuff that might be a bit heavy for him to read by himself - classics like Treasure Island, The Hobbit, The Eagle of the Ninth.

Yes the other day ds was "too busy" to listen when I read to dd, and when he realised he'd missed it he was gutted, and tried to persuade me to read it again (which I refused!).

I was going to add the Alex Rider books by Antony Horowitz books.

I also attach a link to an interesting article on reading to children from the Sunday Times a few months back that stuck in my memory as I was wondering how long we should continue to read to DS1 who is 7 and very capable of reading most things himself. The article mentions the Horowitz books amongst a few others.Link to Article - Tell Me a Story

He's probably right. However, when my two got to that stage and there was a particular story I wanted them to hear I read to the hamster/cat/rabbits and they always came and listened too.

Eight is a great age to read for. I've just started on my first Dianna Wynne Jones for ds (and dd) and will read him all of them if I can! We also enjoyed Henry Treece, although dd wasn't keen (too scary!). I think the Garth Nix days of the week series would work well, and Charlotte Hapte will be good too I think. Narnia's I find a bit stilted for me. He likes Anne Fine too. dh read them the New Testament from his Children's Bible and lots of other myths and legends (he's an aetheist). I just bought Charles Dicken's History of England, which apparently reads aloud well, as ds is very interested in history, and a poor reader himself. My big sister has only stopped reading to her ds, a couple of year's ago and he's just turned 16!

The Jeremy James books by David Henry Wilson are v funny for you to enjoy together.

The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series by Michelle Paver are good. Just got the 4th one for ds1 for his 8th birthday and we will be reading it to him.

Has he read the funny dragon books by Cressida Cowell, eg How to Train your Dragon? My ds liked them at that age.

Lemony Snicket's Series Of Unfortunate Events
The Chronicles Of Narnia
The Hobbit
Stig Of The Dump

captain underpants! but good on him reading to himself

how about something non fictional? boys ( i find) like trains, sharks, ships, submarines, helecopters, army, navy and general big guns on anything, cars, the redder and the sportier the better.

guiness book of records.

If I were you I'd be delighted to not have to read to him any more.

If he's happy reading in bed by himself, good for you and for him!

" well i am not everyone else - i am the best mum in the world - now shut yer gob and pick a book"
should be your answer