suggestions 8 year old boy

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DS, just turned 8 - in Year 3- is a relatively new reader in English. He is bilingual English/Italian - we just moved from Italy (I'm American) and he learned to read there. The only books that truly engage him are the Beatrix Potter series and he's read all of them now. He loves listening to the stories that I think he could be reading at his age - Roald Dahl, Dragon series etc. I've tried to get him into other series related to interests - robots, dinosaurs etc- but he doesn't dive in - he seems to find them tiring and doesn't engage on his own. He is still a bit innocent and I think the animal stories are really the way in for him. Any suggestions, thoughts, ideas? Thanks.

They aren't really quality literature but my son really loves the Beast Quest books and they were a great introduction to "chapter books" rather than picture books.

Again, not quality literature but the Animal Ark series by Lucy (?) Daniels are a tried and trusted series about a boy and a girl who get involved helping their parents who are vets. Animal Ark Pets are slightly easier to read, with more pictures, so might be a good introduction. There are loads of books in the series (over one hundred, I think) so your library will probably have a few for him to try.

Humphrey the Hamster books by Betty Birney are also good, about a classroom hamster. They also do an "easier" collection of these books, as with the Animal Ark ones.

Battersea Dogs and Cats books are also popular. Each has the name of a dog or cat e.g. Oscar, Roxy, Huey etc and tells the story of what happens to the particular animal once it has been adopted from Battersea.

Try the Horrid Henry Early Readers. There aren't many words to a page so the text isn't as daunting as some books whilst the story should appeal to a 8 year old boy.

Thanks so much for the ideas - all sound good - and best wishes for the new year!!!

There are tonnes of stories about small boys living with clever hamsters who are really aliens from another planet with weird consequences. Plus the Jeremy Strong books about world's fastest dogs, and other silly animals.

Oh yes, forgot about the Jeremy Stromg books. They should have some in your local library

Perusing my shelves, my 8yo won't read anything, argh.

Some James Herriott stories have been made into lovely picture books (with good range of vocab to read, honest) : Moses the Kitten, Blossom Comes Home, Bonnie's Big Day, etc.

Also, many books by Dick King Smith, and possibly books by EB White (like Charlotte's Web).

Some of the Enid Blyton adventures have been made more accessible too with more pictures and less text on the page. Again, your library may have them

My 7 year old loves the treehouse series - The 13 storey treehouse by Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton. It has lots of drawings - almost comic book style - and not dense writing - a paragraph a page - plus is very funny, imaginative, original. He reads them over and over. He also liked the Star Wars Jedi Academy by Jeffrey Brown (same lots of drawings, comics, less print) and The Adventure of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey.

How about some Dick King Smith? Something like The Hodgeheg to start with but then moving on the The Sheep Pig, or Saddlebottom. They are easier than Dahl.

The Diary of A Wimpy Kid series switched DS1 onto reading age 7.
He's also enjoyed the Little Wolf series by Ian Whybrow

My DS 8 has never taken to reading until the last 2 months. He enjoyed the temple run series of books. These are the ones where you make choices on how the story will go. My DS then really got into diary of a wimpy kid, and has read 4 of the books in the series in 3 weeks.

My older boys are 7+8

They've enjoyed beast quest, Tom gates, diary of and wimpy kid and Jeremy strong books

i was going to suggest Tom Gates as one that is half doodles and so not too densely packed with words - Also there are 10 or so of them so if he likes it there are more !

Just seen this thread haha - I have just started a new topic about a series I found online called Bobby & Morph via an ad on FB. Looks very much like the Beatrix Potter stuff you are looking for.

Anyone else seen it?

Lovely drawings too xx