Reading and boys

[mimmum]

I'm sure this question has been asked many times before, but here goes. My ds who is 8 years old is a very competent reader, but as he was reading his school book last night, he is currently on a corgi young reader, he told me he just doesn't enjoy reading. While I'm sure that this is not that unusual for boys it did make me feel quite sad. What got your ds interested in reading, any recommendations? He hates "Horrid Henry" by the way. We tried the "Humphrey" books but he found them a little dull. He did enjoy Enid Blyton's "Far Away Tree" but the books were just a little too long. Thanks

Have you tried the Horrible Histories series. My DS loves them - funny but factual too, and you can dip in and out rather than slog all the way through.

Roald Dahl is also popular.

My DS is 8 also, and struggled a bit with reading when he was younger, but now really enjoys it.

My ds enjoyed Roald Dahl books and also the Worst Witch books which were read to the class but then he re-read them at home.

Now, he seems to read a lot of fiction books about football.

I saw someone on here once say that it doesn't matter what they read so long as they read, which makes sense to me. So is he into comics? Doesn't have to be trash - maybe start with TinTin and let him find stuff from there. Or is it about him finding the right book for him - have you tried the Hiccup books by Cressida Cowell, or Captain Underpants? Depends on what he's into really.

dorlinh kindersley do a fab range of star wars books and ds 1 is loving them. They also do lego stories - not so great imo but he still likes them. Lots of other books for different levels of reader.

Roald Dhal good, the twits, george's marvelous medicine, magic finger etc.

We do the school reading and then we go off and read for pleasure using our own books.

sorry!! really need to preview before posting!

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
Captain Underpants

What about comics and magazines or factual books instead. DS at that age was far happier to have something like the Guiness World of Records to dip into than stories to read

I agree with the suggestion about comics. I hate buying the ones with freebie plastic tat but DS enjoys the National Geographic Kids and any football comic. There is also First News.

first news looks really cool, ds like newsround...

What are those 'Beast Quest' series books like that I keep seeing in the Scolastic book club?
I've been tempted to get some for my nephew - they say they're aimed at children who enjoy computer games as they're a similar sort of format, with similar adventures and enemies.

I second Captain Underpants. My 7 year old DS loves them and I think they're pretty funny too.

He also likes National Geographic Kids magazine. It's a great magazine if your child is interested in science and nature.

My friend's 7 year old son loves Beast Quest. They look pretty trashy, but he loves reading them.

Oh that National Geographic Kids magazine looks great.

If he enjoyed "Faraway Tree", what about Secret Seven? They are probably a bit shorter and if they are too long, you could always alternate chapters/pages - you read one aloud, he reads one to himself. They are shorter than Famous Five, which is the other one I would suggest. DS2 also liked Flat Stanley and Charlie Small books. (In fact he still does!)

My son is a fabulous reader, he is 7 and the school ignore him!I get all the books I can to feed his book a day habit, I go to charity shops aswell as libraries. He has enjoyed these books:

Cressida Cowell: Viking series ( V .funny)
Steve Cole Astrosaurs and Cows In Action
E. Blyton: Secret 7 and Adventure series
All R. Dahl especially Going Solo ( scared to death by Boy accounts of boarding school canings)
Now trying The Roman Histories and Just William
Had a nasty experience by being given Morpurgos Private Peaceful by teacher who had not read it . Its a really harrowing account of the trenches of WWI. taught to yr 8 ( 13-14) Other Morpurogo that is good is the Butterfly Lion.

DS enjoys Beast Quest but insists on reading them in order and that is a pain in the bum, so I tend to avoid them.

He's enjoyed

Oliver Moon
Horrid Henry
Dirty Birty
Flat Stanley
Astrosuars
Jeremy Strong
Captain Underpants
Witch in training

Yes re factual stuff, and comedy too - all of the Horrid Histories/Horrible Geography/Murderous Maths/Dead Famous/Horrible Science series have gone down brilliantly here. Libraries always have them, or you can get bargain sets from the Book People.

mimmum I agree with suggestions for Nat Geo kids and First News, both very well written and enjoyable to both sexes.

Both my ds love the Beast Quest series but have now run out of books - also Astrosaurs, or the Spook's Apprentice, oh and Roald Dahl and Dick King-Smith are favourites too.

My Yr 1 ds is a good reader (lime band), but would rarely read fiction for 'pleasure'. However that seems to have changed in the last few days since he discovered Geronimo Stilton (Scholastic Books). In 2 days he has read 80 pages, walked round reading, woke up early to read, etc etc. He absolutely loves it - and best of all there are 41 of them! Short chapters, colourful text - brilliant! Only downside is American spelling for 'centre' and 'theatre' etc which may confuse but to see him enjoy reading so much was fantastic.

DS is in Y4 and dislikes most of the toilet humour that seems to dominate fiction (and non-fiction for that matter) aimed at boys his age. He loves Jeremy Strong, but mainly likes to read non-fiction, by preference nature or car-related.

Otter - How lucky are you to aviod the tiolet humour stage - sometimes it feel that my 2 dcs will be laughing at the world poo till they're hundred!

You're a bad man, Mr Gum series by Andy Stanton. Great series (six in total,I think) Funny, and cleverly written. DS 7 loves them.

I read them to DS, they are recommended for 8+

Are you a member of a library?
Take him and let him browse f as long as he likes and see what he seems interested in.

8 you say. I'm afraid, therefore, that the answer is Beast Quest, as someone already said. Try the library, there are 42 of the buggers!