Classic bedtime stories for 8yr old DS - what are your must-reads?

[Grockle]

I still read to DS every night but need some inspiration. He's a good reader and loves listening to longer books. We've recently read:

Roald Dahl - almost all of his children's book
Harry Potter (1-4, 5 will be next but I need a break)
Other JK Rowling, HP-related ones
Moomin books
The Mouse & the Motorcycle (Beverley Clearly)
Treehorn
Flat Stanley
Famous Five/ Secret Seven

I tried to read:

Swallows & Amazons but the language was too old fashioned. Maybe when he's a bit bigger.

The Faraway Tree books (Enid Blyton) but he wasn't ready for them. Might be worth a try.

I also want to try Pippi Longstocking

What else?

You mentioned Beverley Cleary; my boys (8 and 6) love the Ramona and Henry Huggins Books. They are funny and charming. The Roddy Doyle books for children (Rover Adventures...can't remember the others) have lots of potty humour, but in a clever way.

Also, I have kept all my old Marshall Cavendish Story Teller books and Tapes from the 80's and my children love them. There's really nothing else like them...they are beautifully illustrated stories from around the world (lots of classic serials, folk stories as well as more contemporary things) narrated by actors (some very famous!). Most of my tapes no longer work so I read them outloud. You can still buy them on eBay relatively inexpensively but I thought I'd mention them in case anyone has them lying around or in a loft somewhere as they have really stood the test of time and are a real treasure.

What about:
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (JK is 9 at the beginning of that)
Carrie's War (might that still be a bit old?)
Mrs Pepperpot
The Worst Witch series
The Rats of NIHM
The Ramona series
Mr Majeika
The Gaskitt books
The Goblin series (David Melling, very much toilet humour)
The Wizard of Oz?
Anything by E Nesbit
Huckleberry Finn
Alice in Wonderland
Wind in the Willows ( although I was defeated by the language in this when I was a child)
Peter Pan
Treasure Island
The Machine Gunners (another one that might be a bit old)

A gift from Winklesea by Helen Cresswell

Paddington
Just William
Jennings

Also, JP Martin's 'Uncle' books.

there is a book called A Little Aloud which is ideal for introducing primary age children to new books - it has extracts from novels with a little introductory piece telling you about the writing/book and at the end there is a poem that ties in with the theme of the extract. The extracts also give you a rough idea of how long it will take to read it. There are extracts from books like The London Eye Mystery, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, The Silver Swan and so its an ideal way to find out if the style of the book and the writing appeals to your child before buying the actual book.

I'm back! And I was right about the Cora Harrison thing. I didn't imagine her - the series she wrote is the London Murder Mysteries (set in Victorian era). Not sure if that's a bit dark for your DS, but I feel vindicated :o

Also - Baker Street Boys series by Anthony Read, and Lady Grace Mysteries series by 'Grace Cavendish' (pseudonym), the latter is set in Tudorish times IIRC.

We're reading our way through the Narnia books at the moment with DSD, 7 and DSD, 8, and really enjoying them. We've also read abridged penguin classics with them.

Jungle Book
Mary Poppins
The Railway Children

Also non-fiction books?

The original book of the 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith is fab

I need to order the narnia books. I've never read them other than the lion, witch & wardrobe

Thank you for all the great suggestions. I think I have enough to read to DS til he's 15!

I forgot about 'Emil and the Detectives', that was a big favourite at that age.

Some of the other Enid Blytons? Secret Seven perhaps, or Famous Five?

The other one of hers that I would say is brilliant for that age is The Boy Next Door - hard to come by now but really good. And Shadow the Sheepdog.

Dick King Smith - Daggie Dogfoot, The Sheep Pig.

Animals of Farthing Wood perhaps?

And I would always recommend 101 Dalmations and the sequel, The Starlight Barking. Much much better than you'd think from the Disney tripe!

DD loved Wind in the Willows but I do edit it as I read it. And leave out the whole chapter where Ratty meets a river sprite or something like that.

But it's a great book to read to children - naughtiness and animals.

YY to the Naughtiest Girl and Jennings.

Another thought is look in second hand shops for boys adventure books from 50s/60s. Check them for language, some have stuff that was acceptable at the time but is very unacceptable now. (I think it was the first Professor Brainstorm book that made me totally when I looked at it as an adult)

But there's a fair number which are just basic adventures, without modern gadgets, and parental intervention. I've started reading ds those and he's a mixture of excited and scared. Absolutely hanging on the end of the bed every night and begging for more.
Authors I can recommend from that era include: Malcolm Saville (mostly Lone Pines, some of the others are good too) Arthur Catherall has some great "boy reaching manhood through misadventure books", Stanley Mason (Kestrel stories), John Putney (Monday adventure etc., Fred and I series) is very funny, but probably a bit old for that age and one of the most funny books I've read is by Lane Mitchell, but I've only read one by him.
I quite like that era as they're generally just interested in producing a good adventure without worrying about health and safety. I mean, if a 10yo accidently gets trapped on a boat as it's setting off on a journey of course the natural thing for the owner and parents to say is "oh well, 6 months at sea will do a lot for them and never mind about school"
And it makes me smile when I hear ds say "oh golly", or "gosh" or one we had yesterday "what ripping bad luck!"