any 'lighter' books for DS 13 not dystopia/vampire/teen angst

[Grinstead]

DS who is 13 loves reading but really needs a break from the dystopian/violent/vampire themed series and also the great but fairly sad teen books as I feel that his reading material has suddenly become very dark- can anyone recommend some suitable books ? Although he likes the dystopian stuff he doesnt usually like fantasy books so didnt like Philip Pullman or similar. TIA

It might be a bit young, but I really enjoyed 'my side of the mountain' at about that age. A bit escapist, survivalist, without any apocalypse. I also read empire of the sun, but that's pretty dark, given the subject matter.
Would he enjoy a graphic novel? Or terry pratchett, or Neil gaiman? I think I started those around that sort of age. Although you say he doesn't like fantasy, so perhaps neither of those. But TP v funny.

Also how about a bit of Dickens?

DS loves:

Dirk Lloyd series

Peanuts and Calvin & Hobbes and Big Nate cartoons

Touching the Void - true mountaineering adventure

HG Wells Time Machine

My Family and Other Animals?
Hitchhiker'sGuide to the Galaxy?

Has he read Louis Sachar - Holes, etc?

The Island by Olivia Levez

I think 13 was around the time I got into reading some classic scifi - not as dark as some current teenage fiction. Things like Asimov (Foundation trilogy, I Robot etc), John Wyndham, Robert Heinlein and so on. And of course Hitchhikers' Guide.

DS went off fiction at that sort of age and started reading travel books - he really enjoyed some Bill Bryson and things like that.

DD is 13 and is into all the dystopian stuff, and the John Green-style ones with terminally ill teenagers and so on, but also reads a lot of manga.

Terry Pratchett!

Mortal Engines might be dystopian enough, but suitable for the age groups, and a cracking story, if he hasn't already read it.

Second the recommendatino for Hitchhikers + sequels. DD also liked Ready Player One a lot (mild dystopian backdrop, but the main story involves the hero basically solving a whole series of puzzles in a massive virtual world)

Adrian Mole

The Cherub series by Robert Muchamore

Flash Flood by Andy McNab

He could go all retro and read the Hardy Boys books?

And definitely My Family and Other Animals!

DS is 13 and also loves all the dystopian stuff. His go-to lighter reading is the Calvin and Hobbes comics, which he reads over and over. He also likes P.G.Wodehouse - the Jeeves stories - and Terry Pratchett.

Another vote for the cherub series, my ex stepson loved them, and I read them too.

The wolves of willloby chase series!

Spud!

Lots of good recommendations on here, can I add James Herriott and maybe Sherlock Holmes?

How about the Eagle of the Ninth and it's sequels?

I'd also recommend anything by Garth Nix. A Confusion of Princes might be a good place to start.

I think I was about that age when I started to appreciate Azimov. So I Robot might work too.

Prisoner of Zenda
Scarlet Pimpernel
Three Muskateers

Just coming back to say thank you for all the recommendations- I had forgotten Gerald Durrell and also James Herriott books , they will be a good contrast to all the gory stuff he has been reading lately!