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Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

books for year two boys - Marina? Roisin? Anyone?

57 replies

puddle · 07/11/2006 11:27

You've both given me some great ideas in the past for books for ds and it's now coming up to Christmas and I would like put some more on his christmas list.

He's reading pretty well on his own now (currently tackling Harry Potter, reading alternate chapters with me) and I'd like to encourage that further, so some books he can read alone but also some more comlicated ones for me to read to him.

We've just had the Cressida Cowell ones and he loved those. Greek myths went down well too and the Narnia books.

Any ideas/ recommendations?

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spykid · 07/11/2006 11:36

The Jack Stalwart books are a quick read, spy stuff. on offer here

Spiderwick Chronicals

Lemmony Snicket.

Ds1 loved 'You're a bad man Mr Gum'. GReat humour

Ds1 is currently reading Peter Pan in Scarlet and loving it.

Here

puddle · 07/11/2006 11:38

ooooh spy stuff sounds good spkkid!
We make up spy stories with ds as the hero - he loves all that.

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spykid · 07/11/2006 11:40

Sorry, 'on offer here ' should have been a link!

We had them from Redhouse a while back but can't see them now.

amazon have them though

porpoise · 07/11/2006 11:41

Astrosaurs series?
The Roman Mysteries series?
Flat Stanley?
Danny Champion of the Word?

spykid · 07/11/2006 11:41

very funny

Tinkerboo · 07/11/2006 11:43

Blimey puddle I thought the thread was for 2yr old boy so when you said he reads well on his own I nearly fell off my chair!
I was chatting last week to a lovely 16yr old lad currently doing history and classics A levels who LOVES reading. He told me that what got him started was a series of books called Red War set in a medievil abbey with knights etc. Apparently it's a series and he was hooked and read all of them lots of times. I can't remeber who wrote then but he reckoned they're in all book shops. he said he got into them at about 8yrs reading independently. My eldest DS is 6 but I mentioned these to him and he's keen for me to try and get them, he's into history and knights etc.

I am currently reading him Charlottes web (his independent reading is not up to this yet) and he is really enjoying that. we recently read Danny Champion of the World which he loved and now the stage on is on near us so it's really nice we're going to have a special outing to see it, just the 2 of us.

Sorry long reply.

Would welcome any recommendations back.

puddle · 07/11/2006 11:43

Don't know the roman mysteries poproise (have done the rest from your list).

Who by?

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Marina · 07/11/2006 11:45

Definitely recommend the Astrosaurs, ds has loved those too!
Also successful have been some Michael Morpurgo (The Butterfly Lion and The Wreck of the Zanzibar were recommended to us as suitable for younger readers)
Matilda, by Roald Dahl
If he is making good headway with Harry Potter, have you thought about Just William or Jennings?
And, from here, we've read and enjoyed Varjak Paw and the Grrk books
Ds has My Family and Other Animals coming as his Xmas read and I think we might also try some E Nesbit - Five Children and It, perhaps.

Marina · 07/11/2006 11:45

Does Porpoise mean the Caroline Lawrence novels maybe? These look great, but a school librarian pal thought they were best for nine and up.

spykid · 07/11/2006 11:46

The monster shop series good too.

Grrk

Charley Bone....bit of a Harry Potter rip off IMO but ds liked it.

Ditto the Roman mysery series.

DS1 aged 8 keen to start the edge Chronicles but am not sure if way too old!?!?

porpoise · 07/11/2006 11:46

caroline lawrence
Tinkerboo, think the series you're talking about is Redwall. Great books but probably more for 8years +

Marina · 07/11/2006 11:47

We have just done Charlotte's Web. Had forgotten what a magical book it is
Ds enjoyed Stig of the Dump with dh btw, and we might try some Rosemary Sutcliffs too. Maybe Brother Dustyfeet for starters
Oh, and Paul Berna. Mostly o/p now but maybe from the library - great adventure yarns set in postwar France

porpoise · 07/11/2006 11:49

Jeremy Strong books are good reads in silly slapstick boy humour kind of way.
Yes, Grk is great. And Stig of the Dump.

puddle · 07/11/2006 11:49

lol tinkerboo, no not quite that advanced.

I can really recommend the Cressida Cowell books - how to train your dragon etc - ds loved them. We also got him a book of Greek myths which he is very keen on - think it was the orchard one, with a sun on the front cover. He also loves the Marcia Williams comic books style books - she's done one on Robin Hood and one on king arthur.

We're also getting ds that big Wizards Companion (? may have got the title wrong) hardback book for Christmas - it has all sorts of spells and bits and pieces in it - he's a bit Harry Potter mad at the moment.

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spykid · 07/11/2006 11:50

Michale Morpurgo, I believe in Unicorns.....loved this one

Marina · 07/11/2006 11:51

Marcia Williams v popular in our house puddle - Bravo Mr William Shakespeare might be worth a go

spykid · 07/11/2006 11:51

ooo Puddle, got ds the dragonology and Pirateology from that series....ds has to kepp taking them back from his grandad

Marina · 07/11/2006 11:52

Oho, if he loves wizards, maybe try him on some Diana Wynne Jones The Worlds of Chrestomanci.
Her novel Howl's Moving Castle was beautifully translated into film by Hirao Miyazaki - two hours long and ds AND dd were transfixed from start to finish

Marina · 07/11/2006 11:54

Can't remember if you have already got Geraldine McCaughrean's Britannia storybook - full of stuff like Hereward the Wake, Robert Bruce, Boudicca, Grace Darling, right up to the Amoco Cadiz
Really excellent book with bedtime-story-sized tales of Britain's past

puddle · 07/11/2006 11:54

Ah, Marina! We hve done some of the Justr William ones (again recommended by you and a vain attempt to overthrow Horrid Henry) but he wasn't that engaged - he likes the Martin JArvis cd though in the car. May try again with those.

Sig of the dump! I LOVED that as a child, will def investigate that one.

We've just read Charlotte's web again too - I get too choked up though and dp has to take over on the sad bits. (I can't even read the end of peepo without crying though)

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puddle · 07/11/2006 11:57

Don't know Diana Wynne Jones at all. Will investigate that history one - it sounds right up ds's(and my) street.

Spykid I think our dss would get on you know....

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spykid · 07/11/2006 11:59

Puddle

We both get so excited when we go into Waterstones.....sad really!

Tinkerboo · 07/11/2006 12:05

puddle lol at Peepo!
Still in early chapters of Charlottes web and now fearing continuing reading. I remenber loving it as a child but can't remeber what happens. Could guess given the clues tho...oh dear.
Thanks porpoise, was I misunderstanding him during the whole converstion? he must have thought I wsas pretty dim
I might get them to save for when ds is a bit older or I'll just forget again.

Loving all these suggestions. loads sound just the sort of thing Ds would love. he loves history, real life stuff and comic book stlye.

I tend to buy loads from the book club forms from school, the box sets like Roald dahl and Dick Kingg Smith are graet value and there's always soemthing waiting on the shelves to read.

clerkKent · 07/11/2006 12:15

DD (age 8) enjoyed having The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents, Terry Pratchett read to her - not wizards, but certainly magical. Or maybe I enjoyed it and she listened dutifully.

She re-reads Jeremy Strong regularly, but seems to have moved on from Horrid Henry. We tried the Narnia series, but both got bored with the Horse and His Boy.

TheHighwayCod · 07/11/2006 12:16

helo
GRK
the greek myths book was good

famous five ds loved them