Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Original poster

Boys and reading

29 replies

katelyle · 03/06/2007 22:06

There seems to be a huge range of books for 6 year old girls to read, but very little for boys, if you don't like Horrid Henry and Captain Underpants. ANyone got any suggestions?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
elasticbandstand · 03/06/2007 22:10

when i was looking, some years ago, but not very many, there was a very good leaflet in the library, books for boys.
how aobut jeremy strong?

millie99 · 03/06/2007 22:11

Harry and his bucketful of dinosaurs

TenaLady · 03/06/2007 22:15

Is this for reading themselves or for you to read to them?

What kind of boy is he, spiders and snakes or a Harry Potter type with an interest in magic and sorcery?

KerryMum · 03/06/2007 22:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TenaLady · 03/06/2007 22:22

I was recommended the Spiderwick Chronicles, which went down well. (to read to him)

roisin · 03/06/2007 22:25

Cressida Cowell's dragon books are great for this age

As are Joshua Doder's Grk books

IMO although the bookshops are full of pink sparkly girly books for all ages, the other literature - usually suitable for boys and girls - is far superior than the sparkly fairy/unicorn/horsey books.

cadelaide · 03/06/2007 22:29

adventures of jack stalwart?(can't remember auther, sorry)

cadelaide · 03/06/2007 22:29

author

mynaughtylittlesister · 03/06/2007 22:33

Not sure its everybodies cup of tea, but my DD really enjoyed this book. Dirty Bertie. You get get it in small paperback as well as a bigger version. I think its either for boys or girls. It really grabbed my DDs attention. Sorry dont know who the other is because we have lent it to a friend (who is a boy)

Original poster
katelyle · 03/06/2007 22:35

We don't have a problem with books to read aloud - it's books for him to read for himself that I can't find. When my dd was 6 she read her way through the entire Animal Ark series (thank heavens I didn't have to read the awful things aloud!) but there doesn't seem to be anything similar aimed at boys.

He's not at the Series of Unfortunate Events or Harry Potter stage for independent reading yet, although he enjoys listening to both. Also the Cressida Cowell - we are big fans of Toothless in this family!

OP posts:
pointydog · 03/06/2007 22:38

Toby Tucker series by Val Wilding, Hiccup the Viking by C. Cowell, teh Grk series about Tim and his dog Grk by Joshua Doder.

I've heard people complain about how there are so many girly books and none for boys and I didn't believe it so I did a bit of research. People see all the Fairy books and think, 'o there's nothing for boys'. There's loads!

cat64 · 03/06/2007 22:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

pointydog · 03/06/2007 22:41

Vivian French books

1dilemma · 03/06/2007 22:44

The Hobbit? Can't remember if this is fine (to read to him). I think there is a real need for easy versions of boys books like Huck Finn, Peter Pan, Swallows and Amazons type stuff (I know there aren't only for boys!)

mynaughtylittlesister · 03/06/2007 22:44

Dirtie Bertie is a paperback that he can read himself. From memory it has about 60 pages and 3 different stories in each book. There are 3 books in this series! DD cant wait for me to get next book!

pointydog · 03/06/2007 22:50

har! Just noticed roisin's post. Exactomundo. Loads of modern books just as suitable for boys as girls.

Original poster
katelyle · 03/06/2007 22:56

I agree that they SHOULD be suitable for boys and girls, but at the just-past-readling-scheme-age, the gender demarcation is pretty extreme. I tried really hard to get ds to play with dolls and I failed. I don't thing I'm going to get him hooked on reading with a pink glittery copy of Hepsibah the Happy Fairy! Much though my 70's feminist soul would like to!

OP posts:
jennifersofia · 03/06/2007 22:56

Famous 5?

pointydog · 03/06/2007 23:00

But Kate, all the books roisin, I and some others have mentioned have main characters who are boys and are aimed at roughly 6 year olds.

We're not suggesting fariy books

mymatemax · 03/06/2007 23:52

ds is 7 & much prefers non fiction, he'll sit for ages reading his encyclopedia, every so often reading out bits to us.
He also loves books about Romans, space & any sport.
We just let him read whatever is interesting him.

ScummyMummy · 04/06/2007 00:01

The Guinness Book of Records is good.

I think my boys would love those Grk books- haven't seen those before. They are passionately dog loving at the moment.

roisin · 04/06/2007 16:07

ds1 actually went through a phase of reading the pink sparkly unicorn books

... so he didn't notice the gender demarcation stuff!

Seriously though, as pointydog has said the books recommended here are not girly books: there really are loads of fantastic books out there.

The most heavily marketed books are certainly Captain Underpants, Horrid Henry, and Astrosaurs ... but you don't need to look very far in a good bookshop or library to find other material.

hannahsaunt · 04/06/2007 16:24

Ds1 (6.5) loves lots of Enid Blyton - Secret Seven, Famous Five, Faraway Tree books and Wishing Chair books in particular.

mimsum · 04/06/2007 18:57

ds2 lurves the pink sparkly unicorn books too and he's normally allergic to anything girly ..

SoMuchToBits · 04/06/2007 19:11

Ds aged 6 really likes non-fiction books about things like diggers, trains, fireengines etc. What he would love would be fiction books about those sort of things, but most seemed to be aimed at much younger children (e.g. Thomas the tank Engine,etc).

Most of the boy type fiction books seem to involve things like pirates, football etc, which he isn't into at all.