Which reading books would you recommend for a Y5 boy?

[letseatgrandma]

We have had a battle with DS to get him to read over the last year or so; he's a capable reader but just saw it as a bit of a chore. We seem to be winning though-he's read the first few Potters (listened to the rest on audio), Spiderwick, Series of Unfortunate Events, Phantom Tolbooth (my favourite!), Roman Mysteries, some Eoin Colfer, Jimmy Coates, David Walliams, Horrible Histories/Science and The Pseudonymous Bosch books.

Can anyone recommend anything to try next? He doesn't really like the 'written about animals, but it's a bit sad' style of Michael Morpurgo or the whole 'I'm a 12 year old spy' thing. He's also a bit daunted by anything massively too long (ie the last few Potter books).

Any suggestions would be greatly welcomed-thank you!!

Artemis Fowl? Philip Pullman books are supposed to be good for that age (although my eldest is 7 so I'm only going on what I've heard from others)

Narnia?

Percy Jackson. A wrinkle in Time.

I think that Artemis Fowl needs quite a high age compared to other books. I realise that your son is a capable reader, but I think if you want to encourage him to read independently you need something easy.

You could try Erin Hunter books or some Steven King books.

The Djinn series by Linda Davies (very Percy Jackson, imo!).

Phillip Pullman, as suggested by Numbum.

Jiggy McCue series by Michael Lawrence. Bit easier to read than what you have mentioned, but most boys love them!

Icefire series by Chris D'Lacey.

Almost anything by Dianna Wynne Jones.

Thank you for your replies!

He's read Artemis Fowl and some other Eoin Colfer but wasn't that keen. He's also read a couple of the shorter Philip Pullman ones, but I have Northern Lights upstairs so might see what he thinks of that one.

Have you tried taking him to a bookshop/library and letting him lose? ds refuses to read the books I suggest, but likes browsing and picking his own.

What about magazines? There are some good ones with lots of reading, ds gets a couple from here.

Go on Amazon pick the ones he likes and get him to scroll through the recommended ones.

He is old enough to pick his own books.

My year 5 boy loves the Anthony Horowitz horror stories. (He also loves the Alex Rider series by the same author, but no good if your son doesn't' like the spy stories).

I read the horror stories with him, and liked them too!

There is a series of 3 books called Wolvern by Di Toft. Ds (9) has enjoyed them immensely. Other books that have gone down well are some of the Eva Ibbotson books like Which Witch and Cornelia Funke (Inkheart may be a bit long for your ds, but she has done some shorter ones on ghosthunters that ds really enjoyed).

Charlie Higson - Young James Bond Series

Anthony Horowitz - Alex Rider Series

Louis Sachar - Holes - this is often studied in English YR6

Anthony Horowitz- The scary ones like Horowitz Horror, Groosham Grange
Not scary ones like Diamond Brothers series

Malorie Blackman- Thief, Antidote, Hacker

Skulduggery Pleasant

In my opinion a 5 yr old needs only those books in which he has interest and there is no need to force him.

This boy is older than five tho...

How about a bit of Susan Cooper or Diana Wynne Jones?

Has he read any classics?

What's he interested in?
My DS loved football stories (loads in the library!), Michael Morpurgo - think Private Peaceful, etc, the David Walliams ones, The Percy Jacksons and the other set - Red Pyramid?

In my opinion a 5 yr old needs only those books in which he has interest and there is no need to force him.

He's nearly 11!

Thank you for all the ideas-I am compiling a list on Amazon to show him! He's not really interested in football or spies. He likes history or fantasy type books and also things that are funny-a la David Walliams

Alan garner, weirdstone of Brisingamen series

Diary of a wimp kid, funny

London eye mystery, aspergers boy detective

Jeremy strange, light and funny

Sherlock Holmes short stories
Roald Dahl boy
The incredible journey
Agree Susan cooper
Rosemary sutcliff, the eagle if the ninth series.

Oh, and molesworth, how to be topp,

Pg wodehouse

Jennings by Antony buckridge

Tom Sawyer

My family and other animals

The good master by Kate seredy and its first world war sequel the singing tree

The silver sword
The dolphin crossing

Selection from our Yr 5 recommended reading list:

Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier

Stig of the Dump by Clive Dunn (not too long, but great story about a boy who finds a cave-boy)

The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynn Reid-Banks

Five Children and It by E. Nesbit

Smith by Leon Garfield (tales of a 12 yr old Dickensian pickpocket)

The Borrowers by Mary Norton

Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve ( retelling of the Camelot story,"no getting away from the brutality but the material is handled sensitively enough for the average bolldthirsty 10 yr old" in the words of my son's Yr 5 English teacher!
also "Mortal Engines"

I, Coriander by Sally Gardner (about a girl growing up in Cromwell-ian London, inc magic!!)

Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce (boy travels back in time to his aunt's house 50 years earlier as the clock strikes 13...)

the Scolastic "My Story..." series are good. Fairly short. I think they have a WWII pilot??

'Machine Gunners' & 'The Kingdom by the Sea' by Robert Westall (boys in WWII stories - good read)

Frank Cottrell Boyce are supposed to be funny (although my DS is not keen): 'Millions', 'Framed' and 'Cosmic'

The cLock tower Ghost by Gene Kemp

A tad dated, but you could try the Jennings books by Antony Buckeridge. Set in a boarding school, but real laugh out loud stuff.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennings_%28novels%29

Second the recommendation of 'My Story' books.

My able-but-reluctant reader DS got grabbed in Year 5 by the Legendeer Trilogy and hasn't really stopped reading since!

He then got hooked by Muchamore but agree not useful if your DS doesn't like spy type stories.

My approach was to take him to the bookshop and buy 1 of any series he thought he liked the look of.... he chose things I wouldn't have chosen for him and so far he has pursued each series to its end!

Another vote for the Percy Jackson series. Ds devours them and rereads them over and over again.

If he likes science-y stuff check out books by Malcolm Rose. I got my son into his stuff, but he's only Y3 so is still a little young for some of it.

Malcolm Rose bases a lot of his stories on real things and then extrapolates, mix of crime fiction, special agent, etc.

The how to train your dragon series, Wimpy Kid and Percy Jackson are loved by my ds who is 9