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Book recommendations for 13 year old boy

22 replies

MyOtherProfile · 30/09/2019 14:58

Ds has lost all interest in reading fiction but has to keep a reading journal for school which has to include at least some fiction. He is up for trying to get into fiction again but needs some inspiration. A year or two ago he loved the cherub series. In the past he also loved that series One, Then, Now etc.

He loves politics and geography and is pretty bright.

Any suggestions?

OP posts:
ILiveInSalemsLot · 30/09/2019 15:00

Is he into zombies? My ds loved Charlie Hinson The Dead series.

ILiveInSalemsLot · 30/09/2019 15:00

Charlie Higson

ThatLibraryMiss · 30/09/2019 18:53

A few to try:

Patrick Ness's Chaos Walking trilogy: The Knife of Never Letting Go, The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men, also his A Monster Calls.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, which is popular with girls but also works for boys.

If he's into magic, the Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix - Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen, to start, are brilliant. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is also excellent, spooky and weird, and Gaiman's written some other good books (not American Gods for a 13 year old, though - maybe Neverwhere instead). If he likes Gaiman try him with Terry Pratchett - Guards! Guards! would be a good place to start.

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher, really really sad in places but great.

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd, about an Irish family during the Troubles.

Some people don't like Michael Morpurgo but I thought his Private Peaceful was excellent.

I wonder if he'd like audiobooks? They count (to me) as reading, as long as he doesn't zone out so they become background noise.

If he's looking for books in a specific genre he could try Accelerated Reader's Bookfinder. You don't have to be using AR to use it. Select a choice from the first page (it doesn't matter which, they all give the same access) then click Advanced Search on the next page. Interest Level will be Middle Years +, and set ZPD range to something like 3.5 - 10. That should cover modern books for a bright 13 year old. Then he can choose a topic from Additional Criteria. The ratings are from pupils using AR so he can see what other kids thought of the books.

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MyOtherProfile · 30/09/2019 22:37

Thanks for these. He's not really into magic or zombies but there are a few that sound like his kind of thing. Think I'll start with the bog child - he would enjoy finding out more about the troubles alongside that.

OP posts:
MyOtherProfile · 30/09/2019 22:38

He did Private Peaceful in yr 6 otherwise I would go for that. I like the sound of the bookfinder.

OP posts:
TonTonMacoute · 30/09/2019 22:46

Michelle Paver's Chronicles of Ancient Darkness

Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines

Eosin Colfer's Artemis Fowl

Various books by Frank Cottrell Boyce

All these were much beloved by DS at that age. He also loved the Patrick Ness books mentioned above

Tiggles · 30/09/2019 23:12

Mine loves Mortal Engines

Witchend · 30/09/2019 23:15

If he enjoyed Cherub, has he read the prequel series "Henderson Boys"?

Ds is 12yo and enjoys Biggles, 39 Steps, Cue for Treason and currently reading Marston Baines Spy Series (Malcolm Saville)

MyOtherProfile · 01/10/2019 19:45

Thanks I will look at these with him and hopefully something will get him reading again.

OP posts:
Clawdy · 01/10/2019 20:02

Holes by Louis Sachar is brilliant.

ImportantWater · 01/10/2019 20:04

Enders Game by Orson Scott Card

WombatStewForTea · 01/10/2019 20:09

Agree with a pp that anything Frank Cottrell Boyce would be good - Cosmic, Millions

If he liked Once and Private Peaceful then I'd recommend Stay Where You Are And Then Leave by John Boyne.

Louis Sachar is great. They may have already done Holes in school though. I'm doing it with my Y6s at the moment

MrsPnut · 01/10/2019 20:12

The Cogheart series by Peter Bunzl have been a big hit with my 13 year old.

Nousernameforme · 01/10/2019 20:14

The curious adventures of the dog in the night time. My 12 yo reluctant reader ds finished it last week and really enjoyed it. I've started him on hitchhikers guide to the galaxy now.

TwigTheWonderKid · 01/10/2019 20:14

To Kill a Mockingbird
The Outsiders by S E Hinton

WaxOnFeckOff · 01/10/2019 20:22

Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy?

MyOtherProfile · 02/10/2019 08:40

This is all great thanks. I've given him the lost and told him to go to the school library at lunchtime. He was interested in the Henderson Boys to start with.

OP posts:
spiderlight · 02/10/2019 10:40

Mine is currently racing through Chris Ryan's 'Alpha Force' series, and has also loved the same author's 'Special Forces Cadets' books. He also has Alex Scarrow's 'Time Riders' series on the go at school and is really enjoying them.

LER83 · 02/10/2019 11:54

I was quite an advanced reader at school, although I can't remember exactly how old I was, but by the time I was in year 9 at school I was reading Bill Bryson, Stephen King, the Rebus books - totally forgotten the author! Etc. Basically more adult ones. Really love Bill Bryson!

BlueChampagne · 02/10/2019 12:54

By 13 I was reading Robert Graves's I, Claudius. Might Roman politics be worth a go?

BlueChampagne · 02/10/2019 12:55

On a completely different tangent, how about Gerald Durrell?

CanISpeakToYourManager · 02/10/2019 15:16

Ready Player One - my son read it six times in a row, and my husband and I both enjoyed it. Much better than the movie.

Also the Hunger Games.

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