Fiction recommendations for 9yo boy

[JeewizzJen]

9yo DSS doesn't seem to read any fiction, but I was looking for something that might pique his interest! I'm thinking probably something in a vaguely sci-fi direction, but not too far! I definitely doing think he'd like fantasy, or mystery type genres.

I'm really clueless with this age group, my own DS is only 2! Any help very much appreciated.
:)

Ds first got into Percy Jackson at this age.

There are quite fun short Horovitz , not the Alex Rider ones, though he was reading those too, but s funny detective called Tim.

Roald Dahl's auto bio Boy.

My DS is currently devouring the Beastquest series after declaring that he didn't like fantasy.

I was at a children's book conference recently and one of the speakers mentioned Charlie Higson's books as a really good read for boys. A bit zombie-ish but not trashy with real relationships and character driven. I think one is called 'The Fallen'?

I remember because my ears pricked up for my own tom-boyish dd!

To read alone, ds loves Diary of A Wimpy KId, and also those 80s second person adventure stories where you have to pick a choice for your character and turn to a certain page to find the result (try ebay/ amazon for second hand ones). Together, we read The Hobbit, Lord of The Rings, Watership Down etc. Plus you can't go wrong with Roald Dahl.

Harry Potter?

DS is enjoying a series called On The Run. Given by a friend whose DC had loved them.

Thank you for the suggestions so far! I will start investigating :)

The Hobbit
Wind in the willows
The little grey men (wonderful, beautiful book)
The spiderwick chronicles
The 35th of May (if you can get your hands on a copy)
Skulduggery Pleasant (if he reads above his age)
The Just So Stories
The Jungle Book (the original - no Disney picture book rubbish)
Peter Pan (which is actually quite dark and quite scary)
Watership Down
Charlie and the chocolate factory (a MUST for any nine year old).
100 greek myths (very cool version of the classics).

Old Skool is the way to go. Classics are classics for a reason.
Start each book as a bedtime story, read half a chapter then cut off with a fake yawn... "I'll read you the rest tomorrow"...
Chip up an hour later and you'll find a nine year old still reading or sparko with the book dropped by the bed.

BUT... you have to read WELL. You have to make the story great - you have to do the voices, your use of language has to make the pictures better than TV. You have to inspire and if you don't do this when they're young your kids will never "get" the wonder of reading - simples.

Harry - the Charlie higson zombie books are pretty gory and i wouldn't recommend them for a 9 year old boy

How about James Patterson all Maximum Ride series? Mine loved it. JP also has some books written especially for kids that don't like reading, as his son was one of them.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid got my 9yo into reading. He went from never reading, to reading a book in 2 days.

David Walliams, the Mr Gum books, the Percy Jackson series

Enders game

To echo a couple of other posters. I tried everything from Beast Quest to David Walliams to Harry Potter to classics to try and get DS to read. He would start them but rapidly lose interest.

The one thing that got him started was Diary of a Wimpy Kid that I bought for him last week. This evening, he is currently sat in the living room reading and has been for the last hour. Gave me such a lovely feeling that I let him off the washing up...didn't want to ruin the moment.

DSs like the Tom Gates books. And there is a series of inexplicable books they really like: warrior cats. DS1 read and reread the original series many times ...