Are these series suitable for a year 6 10-year old DS?

[AvonCallingBarksdale]

Just perusing the bookshelves the other day, looking for new books/xmas ideas for DS (10). He's read all the Percy Jackson/ Artemis Fowl/Alex Rider books, and a couple of Charlie Higsons Young Bond and the Jimmy Coates books, so that's his preferred style. Anyway, I saw the Gone series and the Maze Runner and various others by the same author and the Malorie Blackman books. Are these a bit too grown-up? Would you say they're suitable for a 10year old? He's an avid reader, but obv it's the content that could be the issue. TIA.

My DS (14) reads them - they're full of zombies, set in a future post-appocalpitical world as far as I can gather. DD (11) has been reading them too though, and doesn't seem to be too traumatised. She's already read the Hunger Games and Divergent serieses (aged 9/10) which she found gripping, but did get upset about bits of them, but Gone seems to have been OK. One thing I did do with the Hunger games was to read them myself - I figure if your DC is reading things they find quite challenging in terms of the content (and potentially upsetting) it's good to read them too so they can talk to you about what they've read. DD definitely appreciated this and I actually very much enjoyed the books

Can't comment on the series mentioned as DS not read them. Have you seen the Striker series by Nick Hale? - similar to young Bond. DS 10 also enjoying Skulduggery Pleasant series.

Gone is more explicit so I've heard towards the end of the series.My 10 year old has read all those listed with no ill effects.

He loved the Maximum Ride series too.

Watching with interest.
My Dd (10) loves Darren Shan books.
I have to hide my zombie/post apocalyptic books from her....

I would say no. More suitable for 12/13 in my opinion,

Just ordering The Medusa Project books.DS loved the Ali Sparks books.

Why Hak?

Louis Sacher is much loved too.

Actually, it depends which Malorie Blackman- some are intended for younger readers. But her most famous ones are too disturbing for/wasted on anyone under about 12 in my opinion. Ditto Gone and the Maze ones.

But I think that about The Hunger Games, and I have friends boasting talking about their 7 year olds reading them.......

I refuse to read the hunger games, but Y6 upwards seem to love it.

Even if DD2(12) did look very shaky coming out the second film

If you're looking for stuff that's definitely age appropriate you could try Chris Riddell's Edge and Muddle Earth series, or Terry Pratchett's Truckers and sequels. Has he read the other Rick Riordan series - Kane Chronicles and the second lot of Percy Jacksons? Or you could try some classics - Just William, Jennings, Molesworth. Or for non-fiction the full Horrible Histories/Horrible Science/Murderous Maths series are normally available from the Book People for peanuts.

More suggestions. Anthony Horowitz's Diamond Brothers series, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and the many current BBC Dr Who novels which are usually available in children's sections of libraries.

The Gone series is very dark with a rape in one of the latter books. Depends which Malorie Blackman - Noughts and Crosses has quit an explicit sex scene.

Try Infinity Drake, Shapeshifter, Itch, Cosmic. Rangers Apprentice, Wonder, Lockwood and Co, Wolf Brother and the Alpha Force series by Chris Ryan.

So much good stuff available for a good reader his age without going too far into the teen section.

Thanks for the tips. I think we'll leave Gone and Hunger Games for a while then . He's read Skulduggery and the Diamond Brothers, which he enjoyed. Someone else suggested the Philip Pulman series and we haven't delved into Alan Garner either, so will give those a go.
As an aside, what about "Pig Heart Boy" Malorie Blackman?