Stuck for fiction for my reluctant reader...

[PullingMySocksUp]

Whether for him to read or me to read, I am hitting a bit of a brick wall.

He’s nine and has loved Diary of a wimpy kid and read them all.
Doesn’t quite get on with Tom Gates
Has read half the Treehouse series and gone off them
Enjoyed some Naughtiest children by David Walliams but now won’t read them

Got half way through me reading Harry Potter illustrated version and went off it

He’s perfectly bright but I just can’t find any books that are fiction that he enjoys. He happily reads weird facts books and Guinness records etc.

Any suggestions? He rejects any fantasy/adventure/space/err can’t think what else.

He seems to like pictures but they are far and few.

What can I try next? I have googled extensively.

Check out 'Danger is everywhere'

The Beano magazine

Horrible Histories magazine

Any type of magazine really.

Audio books

James Patterson Middle school books

What is wrong with reading factual books?

My ds was like this, very very reluctant to read any fiction but devoured any fact books like Guiness book of records, Ripley's believe it or not. He also got into comics (Dandy and Beano) and How to books.
He does read some fiction now like the danger everywhere books and the diary of a wimpy kid.

would he read something like these? they are horrible history books, so are based on facts but have a bit of fiction tied in, with jokes too. he might also like my brother is a superhero, which is humorous x

Horrible Histories books? Or, as a PP said, magazines which are shorter and easier to pick up. Or Annuals of any characters that he likes.

If he is into gaming/YouTube, Dan TDM wrote a book but I've forgotten the name of it - I think it's a comic book-type one.

Let him read what he likes.

Books that are not fantasy - my ds enjoyed books by Dan Smith. He’s written quite a few for younger readers.

Oh thank you thank you!

Just to clear up, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with reading factual books, and I’m definitely not stopping him or forcing him to read fiction, I just think he’d get so much out of fiction if we could find something he loves.

I will work my way through these ideas, they look great.

Bear grylls kids books

The Jennings books by Anthony Buckeridge

Charity shops are a great place for children's books.

There is a set of Roman Mystery books, not many pictures though.

Dan's book is a fantasy one, but lots of pictures - I'm sure I picked a copy up in a chazzer/jumble sale (another good place for books). Good luck, OP!

My son enjoys
Ali sparks books(particularly frozen in time)
Supercat series

And all the fact books.not to be sexist but I have found a lot of boys seem to prefer to read factual books!

I think it’s worth persevering op.
Both my boys were reluctant readers but I insisted that they had a fiction book on the go and read 20 minutes before bed of any book they chose and to just persevere with it.

This holiday, they’ve actually asked me to get particular books. One wanted a Stephen King book (he’s a young teen now and loves horror) and the other, a book about refugee children.

They’re now at a stage where they know what books they like and don’t mind reading.
I can’t say they love it and they’d happily not read, but seem to enjoy their books when they do, if that makes sense!

Asterix? Tintin?

I just think he’d get so much out of fiction if we could find something he loves.

Check if he's got aphantasia first. DS has and struggles really badly with fiction. Tip - films on mute with subtitles.

DS inhaled all the Dave Pilkey stuff - Captain Underpants, Dog Man etc. - but it depends if your 9 year old gets on with the humour, he might be a bit old now.

DP also gets them manga comics (sorry, graphic novels) - Naruto, Yotsuba, Pokemon, which they quite enjoy - you should flick through though to check the subject matter of a new one is age appropriate.

I just think he’d get so much out of fiction if we could find something he loves.

Does this mean that you love fiction, OP? Because he's allowed to like non-fiction. No point in reading something he doesn't enjoy.

I am trying to find him something he likes, that’s exactly my point.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

How to Train Your Dragon series

Wings of Fire series (out of print but great adventures- second hand on amazon)

Roald Dahl?

Beano, Dandy, The Week Junior are great magazines.

The Legend of Podkin One Ear and subsequent books

The Pamela Butchart series of books- ie The Spy Who Loved School Dinners/My Headteacher is a Vampire Rat!

My boys are similar, they have enjoyed how to train your Dragon, some star wars fiction novels, a series about the Jedi academy.

Most recently they've both loved a series of biographies about different footballers my eldest has also liked Alex Rider and some of the young James Bond but they may be too old for your ds at the moment

Was coming on to say dog man / captain underpants. Ds loved them!

Mr Gum might be worth a shot too, and Jeremy strong does the hundred mile an hour dog series. We preferred my brothers famous bottom, but my Ds is a bit younger than yours so it might not be his thing.

My 8.5yo is enjoying The Bolds books by Julian Clary, which we got from the library when he was doing the Summer Reading Challenge.

Middle school series by James Patterson
Cows in action series very funny
Tiger series by Steve Backshall
Football academy series by Tom Palmer, he's also done a couple of historical stories.

Ds (12yo) would choose to read non-fiction mostly. Horrible Histories are generally the closest to fiction he'll chose to read given a complete choice.

What he does still love though is the bedtime story. I choose a story he likes and read roughly a chapter a night. However when it gets to crucial parts of the story he'll often decide to finish it in the morning. So he reads, sometimes most of a book.

He does like the old-fashioned books, so Biggles, Swish of the Curtain, Lone Piners, Swallows and Amazons etc.

However left to himself he'll be reading the Spitfire Mark IXX operating manual.

Dog Man Cat Kid