Six year old boy, doesn't like stories!!

[Dingbatgirl]

My ds is 6.3, he is a competent reader, but he refuses to read stories, apart from the Dinosaur Cove series. He's just been reading his school book, a non-fiction science book about hot and cold. There is a 'true' story included about some children pretending to be at the North Pole, and he refused to read it as soon as he saw the word 'story.' Can anybody recommend some 'true' stories, where the animals don't talk? (He doesn't like that). He loves the Dinosaur Cove series and says they are 'not stories' because the dinosaurs are real! His teacher is trying to steer him towards stories as it will improve his vocabulary and progress him as a reader, but he's very stubborn about it.

Does your ds have a problem with his vocabulary? Would he enjoy books about factual events? Find the books that he likes and see if you can find more of them or similar in the library. What does he choose for himself?

My ds would only read factual books. He read his school reading books because he had to. Much happier with an encyclopaedia.
By y5 he still hadn't voluntarily read a fiction book to the end. It was commented on by his teacher.

Somewhere y8/y9 he began to read a series of books and has never looked back as regards fiction. He still enjoys factual books but knows what he enjoys regarding fiction.

Never held his vocabulary back. In fact, he picked up a lot of words that he would never have come across in the usual run of books.

Books with a wide vocabulary will improve his vocabulary; I don't see why stories should do it more than non-fiction.

How about the Magic Tree House Research Guides? They are designed to complement the Magic Tree House fictional series but stand well on their own, and if your DS likes them then it might motivate him to read the stories too. But a lot of children (particularly boys) prefer to read non-fiction.

Thanks Juuulle and PortAndLemon, he has a reasonable vocabulary, as you say an interest in fiction will probably develop when he's ready. The Magic Tree House series look good and I will try them.