Read-aloud Books for DS11 - well presented "complex" characters (not black and white)

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

The Hobbit has surprisingly nuanced characters at a level he'll find accessible.

Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series are excellent for that age and the teenage characters all have a mix of strengths and flaws.

Harriet the Spy is also brilliant for what you're after - Harriet is a bit of an antiheroine in many ways (and quite possibly ND, I think), but you do really root for her.

The Swallows and Amazons series. 12 books, so plenty for him to get his teeth into! And some really thoughtful characterisation. Lots of stuff about how different characters see the others.

"In the Beautiful Country" by Jane Kuo is a less conventional book recommendation for 11-year old, but may be worth having a look at

@ThreeFeetTall have you also watched the film? I found it interesting that they'd had to change the setting and do work on the backstory of the dad to get around that issue and make it work. Made me think too!

My child is a bit younger but we have had some interesting conversations about Danny Champion of the World (Roald Dahl). The dad is lovely..but is also breaking the law. For older ones I think it would be interesting that all the respectable people of the village (policeman, doctors wife etc) are in on it too.

I came to say Harry Potter

The Tulip Touch by Anne Fine - two female characters but definitely complex and not a long read. Bit depressing before bed though. It’s about accountability and personal morals, how we can feel pushed to do things by friends, but also how a person tends to grow into someone with lower empathy and how someone with support tends to make better decisions in the end.

For a 9 year old rather than The Hunger Games I'd recommend The Underland Chronicles. They're still by Suzanne Collins so have a similar theme but are written for a younger age. Gregor the Overlander. by Suzanne Collins

All of the characters are three dimensional and as the books progress you find out slightly more about the characters which sometimes changes your opinion of them.

Gregor the Overlander is the first book.

Smith by Leon Garfield

What about The Dark is Rising, which I loved at the that age. Or if you want something a little bit scary The Time of the Ghost was brilliant.

Oh yes Silver sword is excellent! And lots of the flies. Personally I'm not a fan of Phillip Pullman books but millions are so they are worth a read!

Wonder
Boy at the back of the Class
Orphans of the Tide series (my ND 10 year old LOVED these!)

My son has just started on Eragon series. I'm not sure about the characters presented but the language is definitely a step up from many 9-11 type books and worth looking at.

Also the Dark is Rising series addresses ideas of good and evil head on and is brilliant.

I would absolutely second this. I'm a primary teacher and my upper primary kids have all really; loved Orion Lost (also Alastair Chisholm is super nice and wrote my class a lovely letter). The characters all have flaws and good sides, and have to face this to survive

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

if he likes fantasy my DS in year 6 loved the Erragon series on audiobook. They are long! In my opinion more interesting than The Hobbit. Lots of characters are both good and bad or change sides. The audio books are well read too so you could listen together on car journeys etc if they were too big for you to read.

For something more simple The Explorer by Katherine Rundell.

My DD loved Maze Runner and Divergent and Hunger Games but DS not so much.

Also wanted to recommend Libby Scott with Rebecca Westcott "Do You See Me?" and the sequels. These feature an autistic girl grappling with the transition from primary to secondary, family life, friends, feelings, told from her POV.

Maybe a bit too female focused but as the mum of a ND year 6, and a secondary teacher, I found them kind, funny and realistic.

Perhaps someone knows if there's a similar series with a male main character.

Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket) superior to Phillip Pullman?! Takes all tastes I guess. And depends how you feel about tongue-in-cheek re historically-based fantasy.

Phillip Pullman was a secondary school English teacher and knows his stuff I think regarding what's accessible/a good stretch at different ages.

You tend to get a sense from different authors of whether they really care about their characters or if they're a means to an end.

Gosh yes - even reading-rejecting ADHD child managed the first 7 pages of The Silver Sword before tossing it to one side and adding it to the pile of things for me to read her. She said it was very exciting!

My dc loved The Silver Sword.

Great thread

No one ever mentions the series by Lemony Snickett but they are very well written and superior to the Dark Materials and Harry Potter.

Impossible creatures by Katherine Rundell

Look at Elle McNicoll- she's ND and her books are superb at addressing some of the issues ND people may face. I loved like a charm and a kind of spark. There's also a beautiful TV series of this!

Holes, The Silver Sword, as pp have mentioned.

Definitely look at books by Louis Sachar. Holes is fantastic. Small Steps, the sequel is good. And There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom is literally about what you describe. A really annoying, unpopular kid who you grow to understand and care about as the story progresses.

Historical, but The Silver Sword is superb. Edek steals but only to feed his friends escaping the Nazis.