Enjoyable starter reading books for reluctant reader.

[Sonolanona]

DGS is 5, and in yr 1. Loves maths, loves science, hates reading, and getting him to read the book sent home from school is a nightly battle. He's usually an amenable little chap and so the strops and tears and outright refusal is a bit of a shock.
I'd guess he's at the lower end of reading level for his age but no SEN identified, and he enjoys school generally. He is read to every evening and loves being read TO he just doesn't want to do his school book.
I look after him a few days a week and I'd love any ideas on how to make it less stressful for us all. Sometimes I will use a 'real' reading book and get him to read me the easy words and that works, but any ideas welcomed.

My DS loved the Beano magazine at that age, and for a good few years. It’s the only thing I could get him to sit and read/be read to. I’d do a couple of the school book pages (even if he refused to participate much) and then switch to the Beano, reading is reading regardless of what format it is. We’d take it in turns to read a line or the captions, it helped take the pressure off.

Try some non-fiction, aimed at his age. My son became obsessed with encyclopaedia and Guinness Book of Records, which led on to more general reading.

The other thing is sneaky reading, like instructions to make something, recipes, labels etc. Once reading becomes easier and more automatic, the rest follows.

May be slightly too tricky just yet but the first books that made my DS actually want to read were graphic novels that basically looked like a comic. Dog man was a favourite and helped his reading come on loads. He also loved an actual comic, he was and still is a fan of The Phoenix.

This bit is the hard bit when they are tired and it’s hard work for them. Reading the school book to them first can really help to take off some of the pressure, as can reading alternative pages so they feel like they aren’t doing all of the work.

I have sold a few Minecraft early readers lately 🤷‍♂️
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZG9DV96jj8QXv-FcZ5h/

Mine loved the graphic novels too. There’s an easier version of Bunny vs Monkey - Superhero Bunny League that he might like OP.