books to encourage nearly 7 year old ds to read by himself?

Boys Rule.
moving onto
Astrosaurs, Horrid Henry
moving onto
Captain Underpants (& most of what else mentioned here). That includes Jeremy Strong, Spy dogs (various series), pet rodents who go on adventures with child (various series).

magic treehouse is fab!

DS 13 has only just started reading novels. He only ever read things like Captain Underpants and Horrible Science Magazines. Top Gear as he got older but he listened to a lot of story tapes from the library.
A tutor tested his reading (a reading experience test) and although it looked like he didn't read he was actually about a year ahead.

His teachers in Year 7 all commented on how well read he was and how much he must read and couldn't believe it when I said he hardly ever read.
I think parents get too hung up on their child reading novels, it's not something that can be pushed and a child will only do read if they really enjoy it.

This summer he has suddenly become a bookworm and now will actually go to bed early to read They do get there eventually

Another vote for Captain Underpants and the lure of the comic.

Small boys are simple. Never under/over estimate them.

Best advice I can offer!

Small girls, another story.

Asterix, definitely. DS reads well but only under instruction IYSWIM (i.e. school reading). DH introduced him to Asterix books a couple of weeks ago and suddenly he will sit and read one on his own for an hour - and now he has started choosing to read other things. Inspite of being very tired he chose to read his whole school library book at a sitting this evening.

My DS aged 7 only reads story books if he has to! But he loves these and is often found reading one.

Another vote for the Beano - got my dd reading on her own 6/7 yrs old. We had some old annuals (used to belong to dh!) lying around and she kept wanting to figure them out!

Read to him. All too soon he won't want you to. Enjoy it while you can!

But get him Cressida Cowell's Dragon books. They are what started ds on his reading career. He is currently reading Stephen Gerrard's autobiography - the most turgid tome known to man!

Ricky Ricotta is much easier than Captain Underpants, also by Dav Pilkey, so gives a feeling of achievement. Mine have both enjoyed Captain Underpants, The Giggler Treatment (and Roddy Doyle's other 2 in the series) and the Mr Gum books. Captain Underpants looks easy because of the comic format but the vocabulary is sometimes quite tough and it's very American, which can be hard on early readers. But boys like it because it is silly and rude.

will have a look for that, our library van is rather limited.

Have you had a look in your local library? There are loads of series around for early readers. We like Sprinters, Go Bananas, plus also Viking Vik and his adventures (bit sexist due to Freya the friend whose only role is to moan 'oh, do be careful Vik'). Rita the Rescuer is a huge fave.

NG Kids is not all wildlife, the first one ds got had an Indiana Jones spread - this month's has a 3d-space spread (with the glasses to go with it - took me back to my childhood).
Am watching this thread with interest for ideas to read with ds1 - what is this Beastquest? and is just 6 too young?

Ricky Ricotta (same guy as Capt Underpants but even easier )

DS was a reluctant reader but Captain Underpants got him reading alone at about that age.

It's the comic-book format that does it, my brother got into reading with comics, mainly The Beano.

what if you have a 6yr DD who doesnt like reading at all??

NG kids looks great and i'm going to look out for it at WH Smiths. DH would love it too.

what magazines do they do for girls - not barbie or princess please

sorry to hijack yr thread

typical age - no idea, as someone said loads of children aren't reading well enough at this age to read chapter books.
my ds will read to himself, but atm it is mainly Horrid Henry - he will read another chapter after I have read one to him, or fact books - which have loads of pictures (similar to comics I suppose), but enough words for him to be reading something.
He has only very occasionally sat in the day and read a book (as opposed to a comic which he will sit and read).

Right you need

Captain Underpants.. Dave Pilkey (about 8 of them)
Mr Gumm .. Andy Stanton (about 4 of them)
Astrosaurs.. Steve Cole (about 10 of them)

off you go then

keep the bedtime reading, don't pressure him at that time, get comics for other times - seriously recommend NG Kids, full of loads of interesting stuff, and being a mag it isn't just big chunks of text.
Is he reading in everyday life? If you think about it he is probably reading loads.

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Joke books are great for boys. He'll sit there and giggle, then read the joke to you so you'll know he understood what he'd been reading.

I would really relax about it tbh. He is only six. Lots of six year old boys can't read at all! I think if you push it, you can put them off. Let him look at picture books. My belief is that if children like books and stories and realise they can get information from books, they will go on to enjoy reading in their own time.

I'd second the Beano, there's always a scrap in our house to read it first. We also like the Super Powers series by Alex Cliff - they're a little shorter than Beast Quest.