Recommendations for books for an 8 year old please

[onetiredmummy]

DS1 is 8 & school say he has a reading age of 12+ so reading isn't a problem, but age appropriate themes are.

In the last couple of months he's read The Hobbit, all the Percy Jackson books & is now on his last Heroes of Olympus by the same author. He has a library card but also enjoys my buying books for him.

Beast Quest is now too young for him, he likes the original Famous Five but will basically read anything. Any ideas are good thank you :)

Harry Potter?

He's read them all woman but thanks for the suggestion

He's read them all woman but thanks for the suggestion

The Djinn series by Linda Davies. Similar to Percy Jackson, but set in Saudi Arabia. I know there is Fire Djinn and Sea Djinn, not sure if any more.

The Roman Mysteries series by Caroline Lawrence.

David Walliams books.

Charlie Bone series & Snow Spider series by Jenny Nimmo
Lion Boy series by Zizou Corder

Assume he's read the How To Train your Dragon books?

Old stuff (you probably know them but just in case): Professor Branestawm books, Jennings books (ideal for 8 y/os), My Friend Mr Leakey, Half Magic + sequels by Edward Eager, Swallows & Amazons books.

Depending on if you mind war books, I just passed on the first Biggles book to a friend's 8 y/o & apparantly he loved it and is now saving up for more of them! To be honest, the violence is considerably less full on than Percy Jackson, but of course it's different being a real life setting.

Oh, also what about the Chrestomanci books (Diana Wynne Jones)
Also dd at that age loved the Wombles chapter books (Elisabeth Beresford)

BTW I've found you can get children's books for pennies on Abebooks, good way to get classic/older books that you remember from your childhood.

Ranger's apprentice, Z-Rex series, Artemis Fowl
Adventure island series (like a modern Enid Blyton)
Powder monkey
Secret of Dead Man's cove
Alex Rider
Sword in the stone

The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas by David Almond

Wonder

David Walliams

Have fun!!

Thanks everyone :)

I would second the old books as well - recently found professor brainstorm in the loft! also Just William - there are loads of them. The older language will probably be great for him if he likes learning new vocabulary too. The original Paddington chapter books? and I agree the Womble chapter books too.

I'm going to keep this thread as there are so many great suggestions here.

Does anyone know if the Percy Jackson ones have teen themes/language and lots of violence in them? sorry for hijack OneTiredMummy

I'd love to get Ds into something that inspires calm and peace! Probably wishful thinking...

Wolves Chronicles by Joan Aiken
The Children of Green Knowe series (Lucy M Boston)
A Wizard of Earthsea (Ursula K Le Guin)
Narnia books
Asterix
The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
Arthur Trilogy by Kevin Crossley-Holland

Try having a look at LoveReading4Kids, as they categorise by sex (I know the artificial separation of books by gender has recently been the subject of debate, but it's up to the OP whether or not she finds that helpful), and by age. Often the age categories are doubled up: for example, a book might be in the 9+ and 11+ categories, so you know that it's a more accessible book for 11 year olds, or it might appear in 11+ and 14+, helpful for parents of kids who like an easier read (DS, I'm looking at you).

Also, I found it quite helpful to google "Year [_] Reading Lists", as some schools put up their readings lists on the internet which can be a good source of ideas. If he's got a reading age of 12+, I suppose that would normally be year 7/8, but as you say the age appropriateness of the themes could be way off - my 11yo son has just abandoned book 2 in the Checkmate books (or wahtever they're called) by Malorie Blackman because he just has NO interest in developing relationships between boys and girls - so maybe stick to Year 5 or 6...

The stories from Shakespeare by Andrew Matthews and Tony Ross are well written www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_product_tbp?storeId=10001&productId=197354

More suggestions from ds shelves
History Keepers
Machine gunners
Operation quicksilver
Operation red Jericho trilogy
Tom Trueheart books
Secret Kingdom trilogy
Messenger Bird
Glad to pick up suggestions from others too!

"Does anyone know if the Percy Jackson ones have teen themes/language and lots of violence in them? "

I've not really read them properly, but having flicked through the first couple I'd say that they are moderately violent, but not extremely so - nothing like to the same extent as Hunger Games, for example.

Calm and peace . . . one of dd's friends won't read/watch anything that contains any stress, conflict, violence etc, he is a massive Swallows & Amazons fan, great stories and no stressful bits :)

Anything by rosemary sutcliffe - eagle of the ninth is the best known, but all good reads & fine for that age.

Thank you very much Takver for that info. Really useful. Will get them from the library so he can give them a go.

OneTiredmummy hope you have a list as long as mine now.

Micahel Morpurgo
Caroline Lawrence
Arthyr Ransome