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Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

Any recommendations for contemporary adventure or mystery stories

14 replies

Dobble · 05/11/2014 10:31

For the age group 8 to 11 years? Nothing that involves zombies or demons or anything of the sort, just nice realistic fiction please, set in the present. Do they exist?

OP posts:
ConkerTime · 05/11/2014 10:34

Not entirely realistic as they involve globe trotting, but the "A Dog called Grk" series went down well here with a child who didn't enjoy fantasy stories.

iseenodust · 05/11/2014 10:45

Diamond brothers series by Horowitz - some are short & some longer.
Zoobreak by Korman (if you don't mind a few Americanisms).

ConkerTime · 05/11/2014 10:52

Eva Ibbotson's One Dog and his Boy would fit the bill too I think.

SavoyCabbage · 05/11/2014 11:11

My dd just devoured "the 39 clues" series. I have no idea if they are good, but she didn't look up for a week.

Achangeisadgoodasarest · 05/11/2014 11:24

My dd loves the Lauren St John books, some kind if mystery detective series thingy, can't remember the name now!

schmalex · 05/11/2014 12:58

Dead Man's Cove is the first of the Lauren St John ones.

Seeline · 05/11/2014 13:10

I was going to recommend the Lauren St John books - DD loved them. The Laura Marlin Mysteries.
the Alex Rider stories are good too - bit more James Bond in style, so depends how realistic you want them!

emmaMBC · 05/11/2014 14:23

Oooo you must try The Secret Hen House Theatre - adventure style novel. Brilliant.

Cowgirl is another great one. Set in Wales. The main characters fights to save local cows & farm - it is truly good!

If you fancy a little bit of fantasy - main character disappears into the world of a book her mum is writing - then try Finding Serendipity, wonderfully written!

wearymum200 · 05/11/2014 20:33

Helen Moss Adventure Island series
The Laura Marlin ones are really good
Heard good things about Ruby Redfort books by Lauren Child but haven't tried them yet
The Messenger Bird

3bunnies · 06/11/2014 06:13

Dd1 also loves the Helen Moss books - I would describe them as Enid Blyton Mystery stories with mobile phones but dd1 refutes that as she hates EB!

Slightly less believable but dd1's favourite book series is the Land of Stories - two children find themselves in the land of red ridding hood but time has moved on and the characters have other things on their mind, it involves a little magic but the main focus is on the characters and their interaction. I enjoyed reading them too so definitely worth borrowing from the library.

antimatter · 06/11/2014 06:16

My dd liked re-reading Un lun dun when she was 10-11.

IndianMummy · 06/11/2014 11:23

the black cat detectives are nice and realistic and contemporary

Dobble · 07/11/2014 11:05

Thank you, these are great. Have made loads of reservations at the library. We've done one Laura Marling one, something about the Kentucky Derby, but had forgotten about them. Already finished with Diamond Brothers and Helen Moss (they are SO Enid Blyton 3bunnies Grin), so appreciate the loads of good suggestions here.

For anyone else looking for suggestions, I came across The Mystery of Wickworth Manor the other day. It's a nice little contemporary realistic mystery based (fictionally) on the painting "The Negro Coachboy". Involves a bit of woo stuff as the main character is crackers.

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DeWee · 07/11/2014 19:08

The London Eye mystery is quite well written. it's written from the point of view of a lad who is on the autistic spectrum. Well done, enough so you remember that, but not so much it seems forced.

Second Alex Rider. Although if she's easily traumatised you might want to have a flick through first.

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