Help? What next for ds aged 11

[Onceuponatimethen]

DS is in Y6 and has just turned 11.

He’s been a very very slow and reluctant reader and has finally this year started a habit of more or less regular reading at home. He’s only just ventured onto ‘real’ books with proper vocabulary and sentence structure expected at his age. Before that he was only very sporadically reading jokey books like Treehouse series. Also Mr Gum, Tom Gates and Secret Diary of Pig. A bit of Kid Normal. Some David Walliams (Slime etc). He’s always been wiling to dip into non-fiction on favoured topics like space, coding, climate change.

He didn’t like Artemis Fowl at all or a historical book I just got him for his birthday.

In proper books he’s loved so far are Jennifer Bell’s Legendarium and Wonderscape and David Badiel Future Friend. These are the only traditional chapter books he has read independently.

Does anyone have any suggestions about what next after Jennifer Bell and Baddiel’s Future Friend? It seems like his favoured genre is non-scary sci fi with a time travel or computer gaming element! I want him to keep reading as he is loving it so much but also because I’m conscious the level of books they will come on to in secondary will require some reading stamina!

Anyone?

I don't know much about sci fi but for a good adventure I love the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz. Very popular with that age group.

Actually I’ve just spotted this by googling! A recommendation of a few books for kids who love gaming put together by Jennifer Bell herself!

www.booktrust.org.uk/news-and-features/features/2022/july/legendarium-blog/

Ooh Alex Rider @Needmorelego is that a spy/bond style adventure? Will get on Google!

Do you have a local library? As a child I really L enjoyed choosing my own books and there was little pressure to always choose the same stuff as I could return the book if I didn’t enjoy it.

@Onceuponatimethen yes Alex Rider is a child spy. Very Bond-y.

How about Jamie Thompson’s The Wrong Side of the Galaxy, or his Dark Lord books?
www.jamiethomson.com/

@PinkHeadphones thanks SO much - those look amazing!

@Needmorelego I will see if I can get ds to give Alex Ryder a go! I had high hopes of Artemis Fowl but for whatever reason he had no interest in reading the second one!

But maybe Artemis Fowl and Alex Ryder are really different!

What about the new Tim peake books? Or Tom Fletcher books like Danger Gang?

@LeafHunter I love the library I have to say. We struggled for years to get ds interested in the library and he wasn’t bothered as he found reading so taxing. I would say recently he is more interested and will now pick some stuff and sometimes (not always) then reads it!

But he’s not actually picking any chapter books. He tends to select very low level graphic novels, joke books or books about science aimed at about 7/8 year old level. All great and I always react positively to his picks, but I’m keen for him to also do a bit of reading closer to his actual age.

@Rockingcloggs Danger Gang looks like something ds would enjoy I think! Thanks so much!!

Wow there are some amazing suggestions here!

Check out Ross Welford books, a favourite with my DS who is the same age. Sort of sci-fi, parallel universe adventures I think.

@Rockingcloggs just looked at the description for the Tim Peake Swarm book and it looks EXACTLY like something ds would like. He will love the environmental angle I think plus the sci fi and friends adventure bits. Thanks so much!!

Another thought is Danny Wallace's Hamish books, Hamish and the Worldstoppers etc

dannywallace.com/2014/12/11/hello-hamish/

My reluctant reader DSs both enjoyed the Cherub books by Michael Muchamore (I think). Not sci-fi, they are about a group children employed by the security agency to investigate crime gangs.

I'll have a look at DS's book shelves when I get home see what else he's got on there! I've got a book worm so there's loads but they're of all different themes etc so I'll see if there is anything else that might suit yours!

@SpotTheCat that sounds really interesting - will take a look! Parallel universe seems to be a hit!!

@PinkHeadphones I think he had a Hamish from the library but for whatever reason wasn’t keen. I don’t really know why!

@SoupDragon that sounds like a really interesting series - would be nice to get him on to action more broadly so he’s got a bit of a range beyond sci fi!

@Rockingcloggs I would be so so grateful - thank you so much.

Really appreciate the time everyone has taken to give ideas on this thread. I’ve just bought 4 of them and will come back and buy others once those have been read.

Orion Lost by Alastair Chisholm - fantastic book!

Ooh that sounds interesting @user1471457703

Thanks so much to everyone who gave ideas here. I’m so grateful.

Just wanted to report back that ds loved Tim Peake The Swarm is Rising and has now moved onto the second book Swarm Enemy. He has also read Otherland by Louie Stowell and loved it. Also a few David Walliams and a Tom Gates one.

Next he’s got piled up the first Jamie Thomson Dark Lord book, Danger Gang, a Ross Welford one and Orion Lost by Alastair Chisholm all recommended here and he’s really excited by them and keen to get to them.

I can’t believe he’s read 8 fiction books already this half term when last school year he probably read 3 fiction books in the whole year!