Books for a boy who loves reading and is going through a very hard time with his Dad who bullies him

[NeverTwerkNaked]

He's 10, he loves gentle books, nothing too scary or dark.
He is currently refusing to see his dad, dad was very emotionally abusive to me and it seems like DS has been experiencing the same and it is all coming out.

So I would love any recommendations of books that either

• are gentle /humorous and not scary at all
• or might help him explore /make sense of some of the complex emotions he is going through right now

Diary of a Wimpy Kid books?
The treehouse series?

Does he like fantasy books at all? Robin Hobb books are lovely. Not majority scary - yes there is a good v bad element in all fantasy books but I don’t remember being scared by them. I used to read them a lot as escapism.

I’d also look into any counselling for him perhaps.

He's having counselling "Iggly", I think that's what has helped him have the courage to decide he can't put up with it any more.

I will look into the fantasy book, thank you. That might be perfect.He loves the treehouse and wimpy kid books but has read them so many times now!

He's the right age for Harry Potter and would love it it's pure escapsim. The Hobbit is also good escapsim written specifically for his age.

Terry Pratchett wrote some lovely children’s books. My DDs grew up on them, along with Harry Potter.

Oh gosh no Harry Potter would be far too scary for him! He's like me, and I could barely cope with HP as an adult! I only read the first couple of books and they were too much for me

My sons are very much enjoying the Green Knowe books by Lucy Boston and if you are anywhere near Cambridge you can visit the house!

All the Diana Wynne Jones books. Try him on Charmed Life, if he likes it he can go on and read all the Chrestomanci books. Eight Days of Luke and Dogsbody are great too.

Oh yes Terry Pratchett! The Witches Vacuum Cleaner and Dragons at Crumbling Castle are collections of shorter stories for kids.

Has he read all the traditional kids classics - Wind in the Willows, E Nesbit books, Swallows and Amazons, Just William?

Oh Just William could be perfect!

Does he like nature?
My very sensitive nature loving boy really loved the Little house on the Prairie series, by Laura Ingles wilder.

They are an amazing journal of the lives of American pioneers starting in the early 1870 s living on a log cabin with no amenities. The family are close and loving, as well as courageous and incredibly hard working.
The descriptions of nature and the animals who they all live so closely with are really beautiful.

I loved them so much as a child that I went to the states to visit the museum that was Laura’s last home.

The books are filled with hope and possibilities, and are subtle and straightforward at the same time.

Make sure you read them in order!

I second swallows and Amazon's...gentle and sweet but with adventure. Also famous five, predictable but exciting XX. Good luck, your little boy sounds gorgeous and he is lucky to have such a thoughtful mum x

Oh I loved the little house on the prairie books!

I went through quite an animal book phase around that age as well - Tarka the otter, Jock of the Bushveldt, Misty of Chinqoteague, King of the Wind.

Joan Aiken books as well, I loved Go Saddle the Sea and its sequels but also the wolves of willougby Chase.

The Jennings books by Anthony Buckeridge are absolutely great. They are very funny. There are loads, but only a few currently in print
eg
amazon.co.uk/Jennings-Goes-School-Anthony-Buckeridge/dp/0755113683/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=jennings+books+anthony+buckeridge&qid=1561327910&s=gateway&sprefix=jennin&sr=8-1]]

The Phantom Tollbooth
Roald Dahl books
Robin Hobb books get very weird after the first couple in the series, I'd look into the plot first to see if too scary. Might be if you can't handle potter.
How to train your dragon series
Eragon series
Enid Blyton books

Sorry, link doesn’t seem to work but “Jennings goes to school”, the first in the series, is available from amazon

The Jennings ones could be good, I think my brother used to read them, will take a look, may be able to dig his old ones out!

Terry Pratchett - timeless wisdom delivered tongue-in-cheek.

Swiss Family Robinson, Robinson Crusoe?

Roald Dahl
David Walliams
Diary of a wimpy kid
Tom Gates

My 10 year old boy was very into the wings of fire series- warring tribes of dragons but there’s actually lots about friendship and relationships in there. Quite gentle and age appropriate and escapist.

Lots of beatings and death in LIW - be warned. Much as I loved them, I can't read them to ds (10) as too scary and dd7 needed a few bits glossed over and lots of explanation of the Wild West and Christianity.

One with a bullying dad - Nobody's family is going to change, by Louise Fitzhugh (the teenage girl and dancing brother eventually pursue their interests and dad has to lump it)

Pratchett is going down well with the 10yo.

Really sorry he and you are going through this.

Mr Gum is pure silliness/nonsense. There is a villain, but he's a complete farce. so not scary at all. The Bolds is a similar vein.

My kids don't really like them, but I know they are popular: what about David Walliams?

The uncommoners is a book about a fantasy world that's happending around us - so a bit like harry potter in that the protagonist is learning about the magic world as we the reader do, but not nearly as dark as HP - worth having a look.

Jennings definitely. DS enjoyed a few.
Phantom Toll Booth
George's Secret Key to the Universe

Maybe Elizabeth Goudge, The Little White Horse?

Jennings and Just William would be great, they're very funny and sound just right for your DS.