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Original poster

Your (children's) Recent reading recommendations for 9s-14s please? (boys or unisex not girly)

56 replies

roisin · 29/04/2007 16:02

I'm about to place an Amazon order, and am wondering if there are any recent big hits which have slipped under my radar?

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hewlettsdaughter · 29/04/2007 22:05

Sorry, that should be Susan Cooper's Victory. Read it with my ds recently - we both enjoyed it.

Original poster
roisin · 29/04/2007 22:13

Beetroot - yup loves Lionboy++
Hewlettsdaughter - I think I may have already bought a copy of Victory and have it upstairs in the 'forthcoming presents cupboard'. I've certainly looked at it before on Amazon.

I'm favourably inclined towards it both because of the Susan Cooper Shakespeare one, and recently read and enjoyed Secrets of the Fearless, which is set in a similar period.

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hewlettsdaughter · 29/04/2007 22:18

Is there anything in the Shakespeare one that would be difficult for a nearly 8 year old to understand/connect with, do you think? (he's an advanced reader - coped fine with Victory but I haven't introduced him to The Dark is Rising yet).

Original poster
roisin · 29/04/2007 22:24

No, absolutely fine. It sounds to me as though Victory is very much a parallel to King of Shadows in style and plot; so I'm sure he'll be fine.

DS1 has read 'noddy' versions of Shakespeare (it deals with performances of Midsummer Night's Dream), and has visited the Globe. This made the book more real to him, I think; but it doesn't assume or require background Shakespeare knowledge.

(Is your ds a Doctor Who fan, and did he see the Shakespeare episode in that?)

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tealady · 29/04/2007 22:29

dragon rider
was a big hit with my ds(9) and the Eager series by Helen Fox here

hewlettsdaughter · 29/04/2007 22:31

That sounds worth getting hold of then - thanks. My ds is very keen on going to see the real Victory in Portsmouth sometime soon!

DS didn't see that Dr Who episode - in fact we haven't let him watch any yet. I think he is less mature in terms of watching stuff than reading (I may be wrong).

hewlettsdaughter · 29/04/2007 22:32

I have been wondering about some of Cornelia Funke's books, tealady.

Jomist · 29/04/2007 22:34

Ds1 is 13 and loves Darren Shan and Antony Horowitz. Darren Shan books are about vampires apparently, but Ds2 at 10 is really into them so they can't be too frightening.

bubblicious · 29/04/2007 22:38

Good book that I recently bought for DD(12) and I have enjoyed reading it too and a few friends and that is

Malorie Blackman

Cloudbusting

Its all in poetry and a good quick read probably wont take longer than an evening but brilliant! honest a real worthwhile to read!

tealady · 29/04/2007 22:39

My son read it non stop when he first got it over a year ago and he has read it three more times since then. He was really sad when he finished reading it the first time because he wanted it to last forever.

Marina · 29/04/2007 22:41

We are loving this at the mo, recommended by Edinburgh friends.
Ds now wants to visit Loch Ness

pointydog · 29/04/2007 22:43

oo that looks interesting, marina

Marina · 29/04/2007 22:45

Lots of chances to do mad Scottish voices for the fairies and distillery owners pointydog, and it's a really original story

Original poster
roisin · 30/04/2007 07:45

Hewlettsdaughter - Cornelia Funke: Dragon rider is great (I love Thief Lord too) ds2 is 7, and a fluent reader; but not at all gripped by the reading bug iyswim. He will read non-fiction tilt he cows come home, but requires a lot of encouragement or a very exciting book to persevere with a 'real' novel.

and Dragon rider worked for him recently.

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Original poster
roisin · 30/04/2007 07:45

thanks for the other suggestions on here: I think I'll try and get hold of some through the library.

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DDav · 30/04/2007 10:13

Whilst many of their books are aimed at younger children, Independent Publisher Barefoot Books does have a few fantastic titles for the older reader, and some great ones for boys.

Mine love 'The Adventure of Odysseus' - fast paced, exciting and a great early introduction to the classic. 'Tales of Wisdom and Wonder' (includes CD of stories too) plus others.....

Take a look:
\link{http://ddavenport.mybarefootbooks.com

DDav · 30/04/2007 10:15

oops, link didn't work:
\link{http://ddavenport.mybarefootbooks.com}

SueW · 30/04/2007 11:08

Thief Lord is excellent.

stleger · 30/04/2007 15:24

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy. It is selling well in Ireland - got a copy for dd1 who is 13, her friend borrowed it and has had the nerve to return it without telling me if it is good! I work in a bookshop and am always worried about selling things which look nasty in case of nightmares.

hewlettsdaughter · 30/04/2007 17:14

Am going to investigate Dragon Rider, Thief Lord and Dragonfire for my ds.

Do any of you know Angie Sage's books Magyk, Flyte and Physik? DS rocketed through the first two of these recently (a sure sign that he enjoyed them).

DDav, I know of Barefoot Books - we have some of their publications for younger children.

pointydog · 30/04/2007 17:18

"Magyk, Flyte and Physik"

all those ys and ks are a bit offputting

hana · 30/04/2007 17:21

my nephew ( 12) really liked the young james bond books ( think there are 3)

and also, he like the series of books written by Andy McNabb - thin there are also 3

hewlettsdaughter · 30/04/2007 18:03

I know what you mean pointydog but ds thought they were great

pointydog · 30/04/2007 18:35

o yes - just my own personal anti-fantasy spelling thing

SueW · 30/04/2007 19:17

We downloaded Magyk from audible but DD wasn't partic keen.

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