Do your 9-12 year olds read for fun?

[swordofgelatin]

I am dipping my toes into possibly writing a fantasy novel for children/teens/young adults and I remember most of my favourite books being ones I read when I was in primary school. The media has me thinking that kids don't actually read anymore and just play on tablets & phones etc and supposedly children's interest in reading has gone down in the last few years. Do your children read books? What kind of books?

I have a 9 yr old DS and he prefers fact based books, although he just getting into story books and they are either 'fact' type stories like Rick O'Rioden (sp) books so the based in either Greek Mythologies and the Egyptian ones. Or he likes ones that funny like Timmy Failure books can't remembered who wrote them and it's too hot to walk upstairs.

My 11 yr DD will read anything she can get her hands on.

I also have a 14 yr DD again reads anything although she not interested in teen romance type books yet.

I'm a bookworm so whether they read a wide variety because we have always had books in the house, they all have a bookcase in their bedrooms and we have some bookcases in the hallway which are mixture of fact books, horrible histories and other books they can all share.

Yes - all 3 boys did.

My nearly 9 year old would read all day long if I let her! She likes 'diary' style stories.

Oh yes! My 9 and 13 year olds devour books. We do a raid and return (as in we redonate what we bought the previous visit) on the local charity shops most weeks.

The book people catalogue arrived this morning and DS(9) has circled £47 worth of books he wants (and isn’t getting!)

9yo DD would spend her life with her nose in a book if we let her.

Oh dear. This thread is making me envious. I can’t get either of mine to read - one in particular is extremely reluctant, despite the fact we read lots, provide lots of variety of books to enjoy etc. I find it frustrating!

You'll get a biased opinion on MN but yes, both of my two have always read loads. Dd's idea of a great holiday is a pile of books, and the book shop down the road is her third favourite place in the world ;-)

She's 12 and her favourite genres are dystopian/fantasy (hunger games/Rick Riodan/bloody Tolkein) although she also enjoys a bit of sci-fi and classics/classic 'girl lit' (Anne of Green Gables/Noel Stretfield/Jane Austen, just finished ReadyPlayer One on her older brothers recommendation)

Oh yes. Reading is a bedtime habit here and in the summer they stay up for hours when engrossed in a good book.

My 9 & 11 yo DS both love reading - they have sometimes been known to put down a screen for a book... I'd estimate that they would easily read 2-3 hours a day in the holidays, especially on 'at home' days?

They love 'series', preferably including a bit of danger, adventure, peril, gadgets & inventions. They've enjoyed Percy Jackson, Alex Rider, HIVE. Anthony Horowitz, James Patterson, David Walliams, in general liked. Some Michael Morpurgo. Charlie Higson. Andy Stanton for silliness. My two prefer a 'real life' element to the books - not keen on Lord of the Rings or Redwall type stuff. My older one has recently enjoyed Jules Verne and also Lord of the Flies and liked the Narnia books - so they have also liked more traditional reads too.

They like to re-read stuff too. My older boy will eat through re-reads of younger/easier books alongside his 'new' book.

Yes, both DC love reading (aged 7 and 10), both independently and being read to.

DS loves Harry Potter, Rick Riordan and similar. He also liked reading the Narnia books recently.

DD is currently into The Worst Witch, and this year she's read lots of the Tom Gates series; she likes everything, really, whereas DS has always been a bit more discerning (basically he doesn't like books without a strong, complex plot).

Both of them share an all time favourite in the Arabian Nights stories - they must have been read 1000s of times in this house over the years! The illustrations are definitely part of the attraction.

Mine are 11 and 13 and have been reading for most of the day and we are about to go to the library. Lots of fantasy. I would suggest you read everything for this age group since it can be pretty repetitive and so you would need to ensure you had something different to offer.

DD would read all day if I didn't make her watch TV and play on the iPad sometimes (serious).

My 12 year old is an avid reader. He's currently on the Hitchikers 'trilogy in 5 books' and has a stack of waiting books gleaned from my shelves and charity shops. Reading Rick Riordan has lead him to a lot of mythology and mythology based books

@SisterNotCisTerf

Try ebay :) you can get secondhand books for well under £5 a lot of the time.

8yo Dd loves reading - Tom Gates (though she’s growing out of those), Big Nate, Wimpy Kid, Dork Diaires (which I loathe, way too many OMGs! and Squees!), Jacqueline Wilson at the mo. She likes real life people and preferably school-based in some way.

But I think there’s a very big difference between what you read at 8/9 and 12.

I recently read an article about kids reading, bemoaning the fact that Wimpy Kid is the most popular amongst secondary aged kids, and discussing that the language used is the same in every book. Say what you like about JK Rowling, she increased the complexity of HP as the series progressed and her original readers (and the characters!) aged.

Thanks sword

Our charity shops mostly do 5/6 books for £1 but I think i’ll try eBay for some of the books he has circled.

My ds loves reading. We buy lots from charity shops. They seem to have surprisingly good conditioned books for a fraction of price.

Dd1 did at that age, although she doesn't often now she's in her later teens.
Dd2 has always had her nose in a book since she first learnt to read, and is no different now.

Ds is the only one in that age bracket currently. He reads for fun sometimes. I read him a chapter at bedtime (the girls wouldn't have let me at that age as they much preferred to read to themselves) and if it's one he's enjoying then he reads on afterwards and in the morning. He's just read through James Herriot vet books.

My 8 year old (nearly 9) motors through books, she probably reads for approx two hours a day.

My 12 year old likes science fiction, fantasy and dystopian fiction. Reads mostly books aimed at the 13+ age group, but also reads some for age 9-12 (mostly rereading series he read when he was 9 or 10), and some aimed at adults.

He prefers complex language and themes, written at an adult level, but with adolescent protagonists, and content that is still teen appropriate. Currently reading His Dark Materials for the third time.

Ive got two ds'- 12 and 10. Both read - the 12 year old avidly. He likes Rick Riordan, Terry Pratchett, Derek Landy, Tolkien etc. I vary his diet by introducing him to stuff I read and loved - currently the "Roll of Thunder" trilogy by Mildred Taylor.

Ds2 likes Tom Gates, Gene Kemp, Judy Blume(Fudge series), Harry Potter and is currently trying Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, which I think he's a bit young for.

DD1 devours books, DD2 runs a mile if you suggest they read a book, although loves being read to.

Both boys here read voraciously. DS2 reads so much he is writing he is own story. The both love it.

My son does not read fiction unless it really grabs his attention- challenge for the author!