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Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

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Original poster

Nice thick read-aloud for DS (10) for camping holiday...

21 replies

VintageGardenia · 04/04/2009 10:40

We are going away next week for a week, and I'd like a good absorbing read, DP and I will take turns reading aloud and because there's going to be a lot of it every night it has to be something we will all enjoy!

Any suggestions?

OP posts:

Chocolatedays · 04/04/2009 16:10

Holes by Louis Sacher? Not very thicj but a good yarn

or how about the James Bond as a boy series by Charlie Higson (think the first one is Silverfin - haven't read them yet but heard they are good)

Chocolatedays · 04/04/2009 16:10

Obviously I'm quite thick rather than thicj

Katisha · 04/04/2009 16:24

The whole set of Alex Rider books - starts with Stormbreaker. Anthony Horowitz.

slayerette · 04/04/2009 16:43

The Hobbit - much easier to get into than Lord of the Rings!

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper - 5 books, I think, but you can buy them as one giant tome! A fantasy series.

Classics like The Phoenix and the Carpet, Five Children and It and so on.

Poppity · 04/04/2009 17:00

My 10 yo son and I loved the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series, starts with Wolf Brother. Total page turners!
His Dark Materials, starting with Northern lights, absolutely brilliant and absorbing.
The Inheritance Cycle is pretty good too, and very thick! Eragon is the first.Not as good as the previous two, but still an addictive read.

Original poster

VintageGardenia · 04/04/2009 18:15

Hmm thank you everyone for your suggestions! We have done the Hobbit (skipping tons of description I'm afraid ) & the Alex Rider books & Charlie Higson's. I remember Susan Cooper from when I was a child, might try that. I did try E Nesbit a few years ago and ds found it hard to follow - I think it was the Treasure Seekers - but he may have been too young & impatient for that slightly old-fashioned style, he definitely didn't get the jokes. Poppity I don't know the Chronicles / Cycle series you mentioned so will look into those - utterly wowed by HDM though. I'm not familiar with Louis Sacher either so will definitely investigate him too.

Have any of you tried reading something like Treasure Island? As we are going to be in Cornwall I wondered whether something like piratey would be good but I haven't read it since I was a teenager.

OP posts:

nightcat · 04/04/2009 18:58

You simply can't beat Voyage of Arctic Tern AND... it's set in Plymounth, lists places that are still around and it's just wonderful.. Who knows, the author might even hang out there somewhere.
PS. I loved it too !

nightcat · 04/04/2009 18:59

rubbish on keyboard I am!!
I meant Plymouth of course!!

singersgirl · 04/04/2009 19:04

We read our boys (then 9 and 6) 'Treasure Island' last year and, though it was a bit over the little one's head, my older son really enjoyed it. I think that it's great as a read-aloud, because there's lots of old-fashioned piratical language etc to explain and discuss.

I've also got 'Moonfleet' lined up, and I think a 10 year old would enjoy that. We're reading 'The Hobbit' to them now (aged 10 and 7)!

subtlemouse · 04/04/2009 19:14

Swallows and Amazons?

I'd second the Susan Coopers - Over Sea, Under Stone and Greenwitch are both set in Cornwall.

Original poster

VintageGardenia · 04/04/2009 20:14

Moonfleet!!!! I was trying to think of the name of that book. My father gave it to me when I was a child. Geoffrey someone. Off to Google.

What a cracker.

OP posts:

quornsilk · 04/04/2009 20:19

Kensukes Kingdom.
Holes.
The turbulent term of Tyke Tyler.

Original poster

VintageGardenia · 04/04/2009 20:21

No. John Meade Falkner. I think I was thinking of Geoffrey Trease .

I have just remembered that series by DK Broster, has anyone read them, Flight of the Heron and The Gleam in the North? I got all my Scottish history from them (I'm in Ireland). I wonder would ds like them. I was so in love with Ewan Cameron.

I do love the idea of reading something connected to the place (I have Jamaica Inn lined up for myself).

OP posts:

slayerette · 04/04/2009 20:24

Ooh - Geoffrey Trease, I loved his stuff when I was your DS's age. What about Rosemary Sutcliff's The Eagle of the Ninth?

Original poster

VintageGardenia · 04/04/2009 20:28

Me too! Favourite was Popinjay Stairs - I thought it was such a dark, complex book, I felt really serious reading it, what a little dope I was.

OP posts:

kalo12 · 04/04/2009 20:29

the butterfly lion by michael morpugo

anything by betsy byars

kalo12 · 04/04/2009 20:32

the amazing story of adolphus tips by michael morpurgo looks good too and is set in devon

Original poster

VintageGardenia · 04/04/2009 20:32

Morpurgo is so so good.

OP posts:

seeker · 04/04/2009 20:41

If you haven't camped before then be a bit careful about anything too scary. We always go down an age step or two for camping read alouds because of all the strange lights and noises in a tent!

Land of Green Ginger by Noel Langley was our last one.

MissM · 06/04/2009 18:05

Kidnapped? I'd second Susan Cooper as well (or third it). Or for something more up to date how about Skellig by David Almond or Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce. And I know it's obvious, but there's always good old HP - fab for reading aloud and every chapter ends on a cliffhanger.

Latchley · 07/04/2009 16:03

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke - we have been reading that this holiday. Also there is a book called 'The Valley of Secrets' by Charmian Hussey which is set in Cornwall which we really enjoyed last summer. A piratey book but a bit more old-fashioned is a book by John Masefield called 'Jim Davies' about a boy who is meets up with some pirates/smugglers and that is set in Devon I think!

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