Books for DS8

[hugglesfor4]

I'm looking for some help choosing some bedtime books for my DS8.

I read to him every night so I'm looking for books with pictures but not too babyish.

All the books aimed at his age seem to be chapter books which he's not interested in.

I've tried Dog Man and Captain Underpants but they didn't keep his attention.

Any help would be appreciated as I'm fed up of reading the same books!

The War Game and War Boy, both by Michael Foreman
Harry Miller’s Run
The Savage by David Almond
Archie’s War
Dolphin Boy, The Morning I Met a Whale and Robin of Sherwood by Michael Morpurgo
The Marvellous Land of Snergs (Veronica Cossantelli edition)

13 storey treehouse
Tom Gates series

Is there something he is really into like star wars or Pokemon. Sometimes playing to their interests is the way to hook them. With Pokemon I can recommend both the manga/graphic novels and the chapter books although the chapter books don’t have too many pictures.

If he's not into chapter books, how about factual books (with pictures) that suit his interests?

Also take a look at The Phoenix comic.

My 8 year old DS loves the Diary or a Wimpy Kid books and the Mr Stink series.

Maybe the Clarice Bean books
www.best-books-for-kids.com/clarice-bean.html

Or Neil Gaiman’s Fortunately The Milk, or The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish? Or Roald Dahl books - eg The Minpins.

Dragon breath & Hamster Princess both Ursula Vernon

Ivy & Bean

What are the books you are reading over & over?

Thanks for all your suggestions.

We've loads of picture books from when the kids were little so they're our default ones. He loves the Julia Donaldson books and Mr Men books.

He has ASD and ADHD so he is a bit young for his age and likes the repetitive nature of these books. Tbh it's me that's fed up of reading the same stories night and night so want something different plus trying to steer towards more age appropriate chapter books.

I have a massive love of reading and really want him to too but don't want to introduce books too soon where he's not interested in them and he loses interest.

Plus with lockdown it's so hard choosing books when you can't physically see what they're like!

Have a look at Alex T Smith’s Claude series and Nick Sharratt’s Cat and the King series.

Would he like things like Amelia Fang? Julius Zebra? They are fun, have illustrations and are in short chunks so quite accessible. You could also look at Barrington Stokes books which are designed to engage reluctant readers, children with dyslexia. Books on their site have both reading age and interest age listed so it's easy to match something your child will be interested in to their reading age. Plus they are normal stories by brilliant authors and not obviously for additional needs etc. www.barringtonstoke.co.uk/product-category/8-12s/?swoof=1&readingage=ra-8

Dd recently reviewed one for the Books Up North blog (notbam advert, unless you count my being proud of dd's reviews).

I wonder if he would enjoy listening to poetry? An illustrated anthology (thinking of the rhythm/rhyme in picture books)

If it’s the repetition that is key have you tried him with the Beast Quest series? They are pretty dire after —always— the first series but I managed to read the first three series to my DS before I refused to read more

Or just more complex picture book stories? The snow dragon is a huge favourite here

I recently read a story from Amazon Kindle to my DS - The Rebirth of Fowllord at amzn.eu/4lHRBYo and ordered a paperback. To my surprise, there are great illustrations alongside the story in paperback version. DS loved it.

Look up Nicola Davies science books. Highly illustrated, good science and age-appropriate.

Have you tried the book with no pictures?

Geronimo Stilton books have great, colourful illustrations