to think there aren't enough books for 6 year old boys?

[becstarsky]

I'm hoping that you'll all say "YABU, here's a bunch of book recommendations" to be honest.

DS and I have been reading 'Beast Quest' - alternate pages with him reading a page then me reading a page - he's fine for comprehension but his reading isn't quite fluent enough for it - just on the cusp of being able to sit and read it alone (gosh but those books are awful though aren't they? I guess they're just sitting right in the gap in the market that I'm complaining about!). We're also reading 'The BFG' together with us reading alternate pages in the same way.

We'll be camping for two weeks in the summer, and I expect we'll get through a lot of books. So I went to Waterstones to stock up on books that he could read independently. He's just finishing Year One, and is 1A/2C with his reading (teacher put him as 1A but told me she hesitated as to whether to put 2C). Normally we go to the library for books, but I don't want to take library books camping as they might get ruined considering the weather we've been having!

Now I know that DS could read books about ballet and fairies but that is just not his bag, and I want reading to be fun, not an exercise in corrective socialisation (as I've just come off the 'typical boy' thread ). He was really struggling with reading at one point, and I'm keen to encourage him as he's made amazing progress this year.

So I'm walking around the children's book area at his level and it all seems awfully... pink. There are lots of picture books about tractors and diggers etc. but that is all waaaay too babyish for him. For older boys there are some gruesome stories which look fun for when he's older. But at his age range I just couldn't find anything.

AIBU? Please tell me that I am!

Forgot to mention Jeremy Strong and The Demon Headmaster were also a hit.

Mr Gum books are fantastic!
My 5 year old has some Transformer books and Ben 10 books from The Book People, he doesn't watch the films/cartoons but still likes the books and he can read them alone (hooray, not my cup of tea!)
Jack Stalwart might appeal, about a boy who travels the world solving crime, again not for the parents but a good mix of geography, action and history.

Oh and the killer cats books.....

(must preview before I press post ).

spy dog and others by Andrew Cole, also great as audio books for the car (our library has them)
Astrosaurs
jeremy strong (my brothers famous bottom is popular here)

You could try finding some audio books as well as the solid book, then he can follow the words as well as listening to the story. It may enable him to read a little more independently to you for short periods.

Try comics -- kids LOVE the Beano and the cartoons help them work out unfamiliar words.

Horrid henry,
Ben 10,
Harry potter,
Narnia,
Any Roald Dahl

also marvel magazines and non fiction eg amazing animals

Alfie the Werewolf series (first one is Birthday Surprise are good and IIRC a slightly easier reading level than Beast Quest. Or the Viking Vik series is a little simpler again.

The Bobby Brewster books are great. Might be a bit dated though.

That's a good idea MrsCF - he likes listening to stories on CD - I could buy the books to go with the CDs he's already got and maybe buy him a little personal CD player to take camping... We normally have a 'no electronics' rule when camping but that could be relaxed if it was for audio books only.

Comics are a good idea, although he does struggle with things which are all in capitals. I think Tintin has lowercase though doesn't it? Now, I'd join in with him reading that very happily! We've got some Tintin, but only in French which DS doesn't speak.

TirednessKills I get what you're saying but it's DS that dismisses picture books as babyish - I just know what he says if I get one of the picture books out. He's quite sensitive about it. He was teased at school about 'writing like a baby' and 'reading baby books' halfway through Year One - but thanks to lots of help on the Primary Education board on MN and a really good Year One teacher he's come on in leaps and bounds. That's kind of why I'm so keen to get him things that he'll really enjoy and feel positive about.

I'm really appreciating all of these recommendations.

Also look on Amazon for DK readers, lots of Lego & Spiderman books that are set at different levels

Horrible Histories and Horrible Science are good - lots of cartoons/pix but not at all babyish!

(Tangentially, the author of the Bobby Brewster books (HE Todd) did an author's visit to my primary school when I was there (so a looooong time ago). I got a signed copy of Bobby Brewster and the Ghost.)

I agree its harder to find books for boys than girls at this point....and I have ishoos with the crapness of all the merchandise-related books and all tv-related spin-offs, not least because they push home the message that reading is less fun/easy than watching the same thing on television...but there's some great suggestions on here, and it does get better as soon as their reading level improves.

We had some success with Enid Blyton (more with Mr Pinkwhistle (which I didn't have a child) than the Faraway Tree books), and then really got flying with Winnie the Witch and some of the easier Roald Dahl books. The BFG was a big turning point, partly because there is some proper nonsense in there :)

Try your local library too - ours has saved me a fortune, as they stock all of the series mentioned on here, and mean your child can try lots of different styles of books to see what they enjoy.

Oh, and do check out the Tom Trueheart series - there are only 3 books, but my ds absolutely adored them.

Those of you with 7 year olds or more advanced readers - I can see a gulf in the recommendations between the things I think my DS will just about be able to manage, and things that he wouldn't be able to read and might discourage him - just way too hard for him right now.

So I'm starting to wonder whether this phase of reading that DS is in now is going to be a short phase followed by a 'big leap' where he can suddenly read Roald Dahl, Harry Potter, Narnia by himself. Hence the recommendations being quite wide in terms of reading ability. Or whether it's just that thing of Mumsnetter's kids being two reading bands ahead of mine at the same age... I suspect the latter but I'm hoping the former!

Warlock Watson, sadly out of print but you can get it on Amazon for 1p

Oscar and the Ice-Pick, ditto

Did you ask in the bookshop for recommendations, becstarsky? I know our local independent children's bookshop are brilliant at getting requests of the "he likes this, not so keen on that, what should he read next?" sort and setting the child up with some really good suggestions. Waterstones may not be so good but even my local Waterstones has some assistants with a real interest in children's books (and some who don't have a clue, admittedly).

Captain Underpants books are great too!

Type Love Reading 4 Kids into Google and a great site comes up for kids of different age ranges, one being 5+. They've got recommendations and reviews! Have fun!

Just read the review on Amazon for Oskar and the Ice Pick It's a bit weird but I loved it when I was your DS's age.

Thank you Fillybuster

Yes, there are so many recommendations here that I'm going to make two lists - one library list of things to read together at home, and another list of books to buy to take camping - ones that might get covered in mud! We're going to do that 'Story Lab' thing at the library this summer - has anyone else done it?

I think you are being recommended advanced books is that at that age you are going to have to read them to him, if you sit so that he can follow the words in the book and look at the pictures it is best way to learn to read imho.

N.B. don't do that thing where you/he points at the words as it is too much like work it should be fun and no pressure but he will pick up on word shapes without either of you knowing.

Dick King Smith - both my sister and I loved his stories

That's reassuring lovesmellingthecoffee thank you! Funnily enough when I read DS the more advanced books -from Beast Quest to Harry Potter - he's started muttering to himself as I read - trying to read alongside me. (I don't put my finger on the page. Am too busy hamming it up doing all the voices

He's worked so hard on his reading - it was a real struggle for him for a while. I get a bit emotional when I think how sad and frustrated he was about reading just six or seven months ago. And now look at me, complaining that there aren't enough books for him. I might have something in my eye... PFB? Oh yes, I think so!