I need a book for a 9 year old boy who struggles to read - Any suggestions?

[PrincessBoo]

He's the son of a very good friend - she said he thinks the books the teachers want him to read are babyish. He strussles so hard with the words that she worries he is losing the meaning and the joy of reading. She suggested I buy him a book she can read to him, but then we thought they could share the reading of would be great. Any ideas?

*struggles :o

Try the "How to Train Your Dragon" series

My ds is 8 and we have recently read the How To Train Your Dragon books. They are brilliant!

Ds has also read a couple of Astrosaurs books which are easier for him to read but I found them a bit boring . The Dragon ones kept my attention far better !

Neither ds nor I are big readers so it has to be something pretty special to actually get to the end!

Also, ds has brought home a couple of fact books from his school library which he's much more likely to read and enjoy than the story ones he brings (which are not great at all!).

Books by Anthony Horowitz? If she's going to read them to him then the Alex Rider series are great.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid???

My DS is now a good reader but I really struggled to get him to read 'proper books'. I think he felt overfaced with pages and pages of writing.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid books are great because they are written like a diary in manageable chunks but with lots of illustrations.

He also loved the How to Train your Dragon Books too.

You might also like to have a look at the Barrington Stoke website. They're publishers who specialize in books for reluctant readers (especially those with dyslexia) andctherefore have "non-babyish" books with accessibie language.

The Diamond Detective Agency series by Horowitz might be a good choice.

The Boys Rule Series are brilliant. The antics the boys get up to are ageless (not babyish) and the books are short and funny, good for building confidence.

Does the little boy like using a DS?

I wouldn't for a moment suggest this instead of books please believe that, but I noticed the other day that Nintendo ds do a series of 'flips' interactive books which make reading for those on the reluctant side more attractive.

I can't say my own dc have used them, so I have no direct experience, but I was looking at them on Amazon and thought they looked quite interesting.

Not instead, but maybe as well as books..iyswim. I think the idea is that you have to read the text of the book in order to get to the interacative parts.

My DS(7) loves the Captain Underpants series,and the new Ook and Gluk, which is in comic strip form.

My DS doesn't like many "story" books, but will spend hours reading football annuals and magazines. I think the trick is to alight on a subject he's interested in.

I have got DS Tim the Tiny Horse by Harry Hill for Christmas, as well as the new Doctor Who annual, and the Usborne See Inside Science book. He also really enjoys Merlin on TV but doesn't like the tie in books, so we are going to try some Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table ones instead.

Can thoroughly recoomend the Usborne See Inside series, DS has about 8 of them now and dips into them regularly.

Joke books or beano magazine.

Both of these helped my ds when he was at the reluctant stage. Not too many words on the page so they are not too daunting.

Alternatively, get audiobooks so he can listen to stories that he is not yet up to reading. He may then come to read the book in the future and the story will be more familiar.

Mr Gum.

Honestly, look no further than Mr Gum, by Andy Stanton. The earlier ones are the best, but they are all good.

Wimpy kid. Easy. And big Nate. And oi caveboy

Factual books, beano/Dandy annual, football annuals & mags. Yes Joke books are great, anything comical, what about Flanimals?
Get the lad reading first, then the Underpants/MrGum/etc stuff

A friends boy of the same age is addicted to the Beastquest books. He was a bit of a non-reader before Beastquest - he much preferred to watch TV or a DVD.

Yes I second the Captain Underpants books it really helped my ds to start enjoying books. You have two genres in it with the comic book parts and the standard reading parts. Really good for boys.

This is all fantastic - thanks tonnes you've given me lots of ideas plus some to pass on to his Mum.

Deff the Wimpy Kid books. Very in just now too. He might have seen the film and if not, he can get it for his birthday.

What about an annual? Beano, Dr Who? And Guinness Book of Records always surprisingly popular.

If his mum is going to read to him, you should get Grrosham Grange and Return to Groosham Grange by Horowitz.

They are fantastic to read aloud, he will love them.

DS and I like Urgum the Axeman. I don't think the text is that difficult and it even has a few pictures but the stories are not for very little children. They are very funny but a tiny bit gory with a fair bit of boy friendly toilet humour.

This is the first in the series

Would also agree with the Hiccup books - DS's favourite.

I have bought my DS (8) Noah Barleywater runs away He is dyslexic but is just starting to read quite well. The writing on each page is not too much and well spaced out but it is a full chapter book. I looking forward to sharing this book with him. We will be able to read a page each.

My children adore the Horrid Henry joke books.