Books please for DS 10 yrs - great reader but find it boring

[marioncole]

He is currently reading the 'Would I Lie To You?' TV programme tie in book, which is clearly not aimed at children! He loves humour, I think David Mitchell and Lee Mack are his heroes. Oh and Greg Davies because Taskmaster is his favourite TV programme (he'll even leave his PlayStation if that one comes on).

I'm struggling to find him things to read. He starts loads but he finds them boring and usually gives up. He likes Wimpy Kid and Tom Gates books but he reads them in about 2 hours and acknowledges they're too easy for him. I want to try and find him some teen/adult humour books that are appropriate, which is a struggle. He would love the new Robert Webb book, and I would love him to read it for all the positive messages it sends, but it's not really appropriate with all its talk of sex and wanking

I've tried him on David Walliams and David Baddiel kids books but they don't engage him.

Anyone comes across and funny but not inappropriate books he might like? I'm not concerned about bad language.

I've a 10yo ds and he prefers adventure. Has he tried Cherub or Alex Rider?

Ds prefers slightly older books, Lone Pine, Biggles etc. though.

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy? I read it at 11, found it hilarious.
Discworld?
My ten year old finds the Dark Lord books by Jamie Thompson hilarious.

Do you think he'd manage Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy yet? My son liked it at about 12. At 10 my son seemed to read the Guinness Book of Records!

Does he have any interests like Martial Arts or particular bits of history? I could suggest a few possibilities if that's the case.

My DS 9 is exactly the same, he has attempted reading most of the David walliams/D Baddiel books but he finds them boring. Diary of a wimpy kid is the only ones he seems to enjoy. Regularly re-reads them in a few hours. He doesn't mind Tom Gates.

My son used to like the temple run books which you can choose how the story goes.

Hoping this thread will come up with some more ideas.

Time Travelling with a Hamster - brilliant book

Hitchhiker's Guide is an excellent idea, thanks. I even have that on the bookcase. Just had a thought about Adrian Mole

I'll have a look at the other suggestions, they're not familiar to me. He has tried Alex Rider but again, reads a third then gives up.

He loves Guinness Book of Records. His school book at the moment is Dara O’Briain’s space book (he didn’t think Would I Lie To You would go down well with his teacher)

Has he read Mr Gum books by Andy Stanton?

Have you tried the Terry Pratchett books - there are some for children, a series that starts with Truckers

You could be describing my DS! It makes me sad that he isn't getting pleasure out of reading and I keep trying to find books he would like. We have had some success with graphic novels and he read Wonder by R J Palacio and Holes by Louis Sachar from start to finish which is unusual.
I will be taking notes from this thread too.

Louis Sachar, Warrior Cats, The Hobbit, the Harry Potters, Lemony Snickett, Terry Pratchett.

My daughter also loves comedy. She likes Terry Pratchett, has read Hitchhikers, found a love of Oscar Wilde plays. Read The Princess Bride, a couple of the younger Carl Hiaasen books. I have yet to introduce her to Wodehouse and Mark Twain but it won't be too long considering she does nothing but read. She's currently reading Muddle Earth by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell.

Take your son to the library.

my ds (almost 10) is similar in that he keeps starting books and not getting into them and then saying they're boring.
I've started reading to him again and he's really enjoying it. Hes so disappointed when I get to the end of the chapter and wants me to carry on. I'm hoping this will show him how exciting books can be.
Might be a tactic op...?

What about the "Swallows and Amazons" series? They're quite old (written by Arthur Ransom in 1930s) but still have appeal for kids who like stories with outdoor adventures and sailing. The first few are set in the lake district of the UK, but my Australian DD (& her sailing dad) loved them.

I'm sure you'd find them in the local library, second-hand bookshop or charity op shops.

Andy Griffiths does some funny books - bumbageddon?

If he hasn't already read them:

Archie Greene
Sherlock Holmes
Roman Mysteries
Murder most Unladylike
Edge Chronicles
Ruby Redfort

Agree for humour the young adult Carl Hiassen.

My DS is the same age and sounds very similar. I want him to be able to sit and devour books for pleasure but he'd much rather be dipping into the Guinness Book of Records (which led to me once declaring, in the school reading club and within earshot of his teacher and about five other mums, 'Finish this chapter and then you can have some Guinness!'). One thing he did really enjoy recently which surprised me was 'Boy' - Roald Dahl's autobiography of his early life.

Anything by dave gorman start with googlewhack in fact will have him giggling is a bit sweary at times but i would think would i lie to you is a bit too

My Ds 11 goes through phases of reading loads to not wanting to glance at anything more than a Beano so finding something that grips him is essential! He absolutely loved the first 3 in the Charlie Higson young James Bond series - I went to get the 4th out of the library but it flagged as being in the Teen section so might either read it or look up reviews before getting it. There's also a brilliant set of 3 books called Jammy Dodgers about a group of boys getting up to mischief in Victorian London (think Fagin's boys). He's just started with a heavy dose of persuasion one of the Bear Grylls adventure stories and declared it "actually not too bad!" Praise indeed but we'll see whether he reads any more

I have a question for the posters suggesting Alex Rider books.
Are you aware of the story lines contained in them?
I've just stopped my nearly 9yo DD reading the second due to a character making and selling drugs. Am I being pfb about it?

Would he enjoy a comic? The Phoenix is a great weekly comic for kids. DS2 thinks bunny vs monkey is the best thing ever.

It might not appear to be of any literary merit but it might make him enthusiastic about reading. DS2 gets very excited about getting the Phoenix in the post every Friday.

I think they sell it in Waitrose, or you can get a trial of 4 issues for about a pound on the Phoenix website.

Yes, you are being pfb about the Alex Rider books. I have read them all; nothing in them will be startling or shocking to a 10 year old.

You're happy with the reference to porn in the 4th book then BewareOfDragons ?

No, you're not being PFB. I wouldn't let my DD9 read them either. Not just yet. She's aware of drugs and their dangers but doesn't need to know how to use them yet. She has no idea what porn is.

They aren't in our school library either, so I'm assuming the head doesn't think they're suitable for Year 6. I'll have to ask.