Fiction suggestions for 10.5 yr old boy, please...

[Kingsfold]

My DS (10.5, as the title suggests...) is a voracious reader - but he's casting around for more fiction. Some of the boys at school are very keen on the Hunger Games trilogy, but I'm not sure that's his thing (plus I'm not sure I want him to read it, given my cursory glance at it).

He has Aspergers, and is not interested in fiction that deals with emotions/the inner workings of humans - he's more interested in action. He has recently read the Hitchhiker's Guide series, and enjoyed the Alex Rider and H.I.V.E. series; he's read the Biggles books (courtesy of my dad) and endless Just Williams. When he was younger, he loved the Astrosaurs stories (bah), Jake Cake, Roald Dahl, Jeremy Strong, Arthur Ransome etc. He doesn't like Enid Blyton (too girly, apparently).

He isn't into vampires/ghosts/ghouls (they would give him sleepless nights), and I don't want him to read anything with sex and/or swearing. He reads incessantly, and it would be great to find some more fiction that appeals!

(Fart jokes still go down well, btw - Farticus Maximus was a great hit...)

I would appreciate any tips for books that other people's boys have enjoyed!

DD (also 10.5) also likes adventure/action stories - some of the recent things she's liked:

Skulduggery Pleasant (skeleton detective - I haven't read these myself so can't say for certain how harmless they are)
Artemis Fowl (very funny action stories - I'd def. recommend these)
Rangers Apprentice (also haven't read these but dd got them from school so assume they are OK)
Eragon series
Temeraire (Napoleonic wars with dragons, aimed at adults but IMO fine for pre-teens. I've only read the first 3 or 4 myself - there is some obliquely mentioned sex but I'm really not sure a 10 y/o would pick up on it)
Chronicles of Ancient Darkness (actually dd wasn't so mad on these, she read the first 4 I think but hasn't read the later ones, but they are very popular)

sure there are more, will have a peer at her shelves!

Has he read the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan? Very popular with his age group. Also a very similar set of books, the Djinn seies, by Linda Davies.

Books by Anthony Horowitz.

There is also a series of non fiction science books by Mytchell Symmonds (?) called things like Why Do Farts Smell Like Rotten Eggs? and Why Can't Penguins Jump? Again, very popular with boys of that age.

Of older stuff, if he likes Just William, what about Jennings? Other older books - the Bagthorpe books are very funny, Dark is Rising series more adventure, I never liked the Alan Garner books so don't have copies (hence dd hasn't read them) but I know a lot of people did. The Sword in the Stone also still reads well IMO.

Diana Wynne Jones is also very good - Chrestomanci series (starting with Charmed Life) but also lots of others, The Power of Three, Homeward Bounders etc etc.

BTW I find I can pick up most books I remember from my childhood very cheaply on Abebooks, generally aim to get 3 or 4 for a tenner.

Of course, had forgotten Percy Jackson. There's another series by the same author about Egyptian gods, too.

This is fab - I had forgotten about several of these, and had never heard of others (Percy Jackson, Bagthorpe, Eragon). He's trawled his way through pretty much every non-fiction Maths/science related book (and a mountain of university textbooks on his bizarre obsessions) - but it would be great to find more fiction that inspires him as much as Alex Rider...

There's also the Roman Mystery series by Caroline Lawrence. A good series to get into if he is a keen reader, because there are about 20 books altogether!

When I was your DS's age (many moons ago!), I used to like the Animal Adventure books by Willard Price. I recently won a copy of Leopard Advenure, which has recently been rewritten to make it more up to date. Can't remember the name of the author who did the rewrite, or if s/he has done more than one of the books, but might be worth a look.

My DS has enjoyed Alex Rider, Artemis Fowl, Percy Jackson etc and other books by the same authors. Also popular has been the Young James Bond books by Charlie Higson.

Also ALPHA force by Chris Ryan

Something else in the same vein as Willard Price, but much more modern, is Steve "Deadly 50" Backshall's book 'Tiger Wars' .

Gerald Durrell - My Family & other animals?

also greek myths? DS is loving Roger Lancelyn Green's versions.

Rosemary Sutcliff's historical adventures - The eagle of the Ninth etc.

Ranger's apprentice is (according to my DS) all action; he also likes the Powder Monkey trilogy (tho the 2nd one is a bit slow and there is some mild swearing), Young Samurai, Hobbit, Roman Mysteries, lots of Roger Lancelyn Green (Robin Hood, Greek myths, Egyptian myths). Also the Murderous Maths books (but you've prob got these?)

Excellent reminders/suggestiong here. Thank you!

Has anyone mentioned the Cherub/Henderson Boys series?
Thats what dd1 moved onto from Alex Rider.

There's the Felix set from Joan Aiken ("Saddle the Sea"/"Bridle the Wind"/something else)

Hardy Boys

If you can get hold of them (out of print as far as I know) then some of the Arthur Catherall books are good.

Geoffrey Treese-Bannermere series are excellent, also Cue for Treason and others.

I was reminded earlier today of the Machine Gunners.

Charlie Moon, if he likes Harry Potter. Dd1 didn't get on with them, but worth a look.

I'd be a bit wary of Cherub/Henderson Boys as they do have sex references, swearing and are quite violent. Check them out before handing over if this is a concern.

How about Sherlock Holmes? Low on sex, swearing and emotion, high on action and intellectual challenges.

This is great. I read Sherlock H yonks ago (when I was about DS's age), but had somehow forgotten about them. Boy fiction seems tricky - he hated Harry P, and isn't into anything that involves witchcraft/alternative worlds/swords in stones. But it's fab that you have all given me new things to investigate now.

(And thanks for the warning, Seeline. That is a distinct concern - not least as he sometimes doesn't realise what's apppropriate in RL, so is wont to repeat verbatim the things that he reads...)

They are obviously meant for younger teens but I found it a bit of a shock having made the leap from Alex Rider

Sam Hutton books, Connor Clover. He sounds perfect for Sherlock Holmes books, though.

Hold off on Hunger Games until he's rising 13, perfect age for them.

MortalEngines Phillip Reeve?
Phantom Tollbooth?
Einstein's Underpants
Lemony Snicket? (he has a new 'noir' one out)

I'd also recommend Patrick Ness's Chaos Walking trilogy over Hunger Games...added bonus set in space!