Books for 8.6 year old ds (year 4)

[hippipotami]

Just a quick one (as I feel I am hogging this board with my thread on dd's bad habits)

Ds is nearly 8.6. He is in Y4. He has been reading things like Horrid Henry, and virtually the whole Jeremy Strong range for the past year. These are now too easy for them, and his teacher wants him to move onto harder books. We tried him on Terry Pratchett's Truckers before Christmas, and he did not get on with it. Firstly he does not do 'fantasy adventure worlds' and secondly he found it hard to read.

So, what do you recommend? Would the young James Bond series (forgotten the name) be any good? Or Harry Potter?

I think he is a distinctly average reader, and will be put off by books too hard for him. But of course neither can he pootle along with Jeremy Strong for ever, he needs to go onwards and upwards doesn't he.

Oh yes, teacher helpfully had no suggestions - just told him to get some more challenging books from the library and this left ds a bit confused. (and me too, hence me posting here)

Secret Seven were a good stepping stone for DS2. He loved the fact that they were 'chapter books' with 'proper' stories. DS1 was a far more confident reader so was fine with Harry Potter at this stage.

Secret Seven, of course! And I have just remembered I loved Famous Five at that age too!