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Primary education

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

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Original poster

Reading and boys

46 replies

mimmum · 25/02/2010 13:08

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

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OtterInaSkoda · 01/03/2010 15:40

Mrsmatey - he's just really squeamish and finds farts revolting rather than hilarious, for example. I have no idea where it comes from, mind!

Batteryhuman · 02/03/2010 19:41

Comics did it for mine. Beano and Dandy are cheap but there is huge choice in specialist shops and on line. Joke books and fact based stuff also went down better than fiction for a while.

JustMoon · 03/03/2010 10:45

My DS loves reading Astrosaurs, Beast Quest, Roald Dahl, Jeremy Strong books etc.

Go to a Waterstones and speak to a youngish male member of staff - I did this and the guy was so knowledgable and made some great suggestions as to what he could read and what to move on to.

MrsBartlet · 03/03/2010 12:57

I think the key to getting him to love reading is to get him to love books. Do you still read to him? We read to our 9yo ds quite a lot every night and still sometimes to our dd (who is nearly 13) when she can fit it in around homework etc.

bruffin · 03/03/2010 14:04

From what I read it is not reading to them that gets them to love reading, but for them to see you reading for pleasure.

DS really didn't get into reading novels until he was nearly 13, although he did use to listen to a lot of story tapes from the library.

peanutbutterkid · 03/03/2010 14:33

Another vote here for Astrosaurs (and Cows in Action). Asterix comics. Anything by Anthony Horowitz (Diamond brothers, Alex Rider). The original Railway Series. Simpson's annuals and comics.

I agree about regular visits to library being best thing.
42 in the Beast Quest series? Pah, that's nothing. You try getting hold of all 98 of the Biggles books (which 10yo DS is determined to plow thru).

Soups · 03/03/2010 15:50

My 8 year old is currently reading, then re-reading the Calvin and Hobbs cartoon collection.

Acanthus · 03/03/2010 19:49

Peanut - and if your library is like ours, you can only have 6 reservations in progress at one time!

MrsBartlet · 06/03/2010 10:55

I agree with you bruffin - seeing adults around them reading for pleasure is also a key factor in getting children to love reading. It is also supposed to be especially important for boys to see the men around them reading. I don't think it is a case of doing one thing or the other - I think a combination of all these things are what will lead to children loving reading.

Clary · 06/03/2010 11:59

Beast Quest
Mr Gum
Secret Seven (shorter than Faraway Tree)
Barrington Stoke series of books
Jeremy Strong
yy Cressida Cowell and Captain Underpants

I agree tho there is a gap for really good books for boys of 6-7-8 (plenty out there for girls IME).

1ucy · 06/03/2010 15:29

My ds loves Astrosaurs, the Beano, Star Wars books - anything that grabs him as a fun read.

He reads quite a bit whilst on kids' websites. This used to bother me, as I'd think he's need to be reading 'proper books'. As soon as I realised it doesn't matter what he's reading, as long as he's reading, his reading has really taken off.

It's also a confidence thing - now he's becoming an independent reader he's much more happy to pick up a book on his own.
I found some really good tips for reluctant readers here

sylar · 07/03/2010 15:32

Dinosaur cove? 10 for £10 on bookpeople at the moment

Original poster

mimmum · 17/04/2010 22:11

Hi I know this is an old thread but just wanted to share breakthrough with ds. He finds long chapter books quite difficult to get through but he really enjoys childrens poetry. Its shorter and can be funny esp Roald Dahl poetry etc. Just pleased there's something he actually enjoys reading!

OP posts:

houseofboys · 18/04/2010 22:31

Gladiator Boy series? reads like a computer game IMO but goes down well with 6 year old DS.

gordonpym · 19/04/2010 16:20

All the Akimbo books, by McCall Smith.
Really nice stories. Adventures in Africa, facing lions, crocodiles, elephant, .... Well written and enjoyable

dooodle · 19/04/2010 17:11

Refreshing to hear its not only my son who doesnt enjoy reading.He is 7 and its like pulling teeth to get him to read.

squashpie · 19/04/2010 20:46

Wow! I think getting your DS to love poetry is brilliant. If anything will nurture a love of the sound and dexterity of language, poetry will.

Out of interest , mention was made of there being plenty of excellent books for the age 6-7-8 bracket for girls but not for boys. What books for girls are there for this age bracket? My cousin's DD is approaching this age and similarly facing a problem maintaining interest in reading.

DilysPrice · 19/04/2010 20:56

I wouldn't actually agree that there's a lot of really good books for girls - there are a huge number of books targetted at girls, because they tend to read more than boys and so are a bigger market, but a lot of them are toothgrindingly awful commercial product. The best books, as you'd expect, are pretty gender neutral stuff like Roald Dahl, Dick King Smith, Secret Seven, Anne Fine, and Harry Potter and Narnia at the upper end of the range.

Of the No Boys Allowed stuff, only the younger bits of Jacqueline Wilson (you need to be careful with her, because she writes for a very diverse age range) and Malory Towers really leap to mind as good (not excellent) - but I'm sure I've forgotten other stuff.

Top tip is the Rough Guide to Children's Books (age 5-11) - really handy.

applepudding · 19/04/2010 21:58

DS (8 nearly 9) has enjoyed reading a series of books about a boy named Marvin Redpost (sorry I can't remember the author), and also two series of books about boys football teams, one is by Alan Durrant I think. I'm not saying they are particularly well written but as others have said, anything which gets children, especially boys, reading for enjoyment.

He has recently been introduced to Harry Potter at school and is about to start the second in this series reading at home - but I think this is going to be a book for shared reading as it is a lot longer than those he normally reads to himself.

Frizbe · 19/04/2010 22:00

Lots of boys are more visually stimulated, comics/graphic novels are great for this as they get the pics and the story to read

JustMooching · 20/04/2010 17:18

My DS (6) is a fab reader and loved most of the books listed above but what has got him actively picking up books to read to himself are the Beast Quest books. I think they are tripe but he LOVES them and will spend his pocket money on these rather than toys

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