What were the big hits this summer for your 8-12s (books)

[roisin]

DS1 (10) has particularly enjoyed:
Hive by Mark Walden
Tunnels by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams
Shade's Children by Garth Nix Ds1 has not read Garth Nix before, but enjoyed this one. Definitely 'top end' of this age-range though, and eminently suitable for young teenagers.
Troll Fell by Katherine Langrish (Third in the series has just been published - Troll Blood)
Over Sea and Under Stone by Susan Cooper - this is an old one actually, but a new one to us. The sequel "The dark is rising" is being released as a film later this year, and ds1 saw the trailer at the cinema.

We are eagerly awaiting the next HIVE book and the new Charlie Higson (Young Bond) book which are both due out next week, also the latest Alex Rider book which is due out in November.

So what have your children been reading this summer?

Well HP7 obviously to kickstart the holiday reading. DD 1 has also read The Alchemyst and is eagerly awaiting the sequel as it ends on a cliffhanger.
Other than that she has read a mountain of Angela Brazils and other ancient school stories with titles like Christine of the Fourth, The Taming of Tansy etc. Luckily due to my obsessive book collecting I have a huge supply.

DD2 has been reading anything about dogs and various little books of Irish legends that we picked up on holiday.

DD3 has been reading Allen Ahlbergs Red Nose Readers all by herself!

Were you in Ireland on holiday Rosa? We are going next summer. What did you particularly enjoy?

The New Policeman by Kate Thompson this (despite rubbish cover and title!) is a great book with an Irish setting

The Alchemyst caught my eye in Waterstones this morning, but we resisted!

None. Have to pay her to read books

That looks really great Roisin. Will earmark for Christmas (or sooner if excuse offers).
We had a good time in Ireland - a day or two in Dublin - the Book of Kells, Dublin Castle, Dublinia - all recommended and then West Cork - islands, beaches, sailing, very Blytonesque. Whereabouts are you planning to go?

We are staying a week in a lovely cottage far West of Kerry - planning just walking, exploring beaches, etc. but also spending a week touring/B&Bing. Probably going to do: Ceide Fields (Mayo), Cragganouwen project [sp?] nr Limerick/Ennis, Newgrange (North of Dublin), and maybe some other bits.

Dh would like to see the Book of Kells, but there's not much else we particularly want to see in Dublin, so undecided as yet.

Where did you stay in Dublin?

Did you see any dolphins/whales off West Cork?

Ooh didn't know new Alex Ryder out soon!!!

(Is that sad of me to be excited about another kids book?)

Roisin, you are so helpful with your knowledge of children's books.

Re fiction, my dds have been enjoying Small Steps by Louis Sachar www.amazon.co.uk/Small-Steps-Louis-Sachar/dp/0747583455/ref=pd_bowtega_1/202-4074795-8653454?ie=UTF8 &s=books&qid=1188239225&sr=1-1 (forgotten how to do time-consuming but much better style links)

and the Hilary McKay Exiles series www.amazon.co.uk/Exiles-Hilary-McKay/dp/0340726911/ref=pd_bowtega_2/202-4074795-8653454?ie=UTF8&s=bo oks&qid=1188239308&sr=1-2

Not sure what else they've be reading. I'm a kind of disinterested parent. Must do better.

What a terrible looking post that is.

Vampirates - 2 out already, but we got the third one at the Edinburgh Book festival on Sunday [smug emoticon]. Also The Wee Free Men (I think) by Terry Pratchard. And the adventure books by Chris Ryan. Looking forward to the new Anthony Horowitz, and also the next in the Cherub series.

DD (9) read HP1 - HP7 consecutively in 6 weeks. She is now re-reading some Jacqueline Wilson books.

The Cherub books - both DS (11) and DD (9) loved these - sort of detective/James Bond books as far as I can tell

Both read the Northern Lights triology in preparation for film

Thanks - ds1 is excited to hear there's a new Vampirates out very soon, we hadn't picked up on that.

DS2 (8) loves reading non-fiction, but won't touch fiction with a bargepole: he's far too cool to be a reader - prefers to throw his lot in with all the naughty boys ... sigh!

MuddleEarth - Chris Riddell (I think). 'Twas on Jackanory last year. DS#1 loved it and then DD got hold of it. I think we renewed it seven times

clarice, your 9 yr old read the Northern Loghts trilogy?

For several years I kept ds1 away from Northern Lights because I didn't think he'd appreciate it fully;
but he sneaked it off the shelves and read it when he was 9

I think he'll get more out of it when he re-reads it when he's older, but in many ways its more accessible than some of the other stuff he's read.

(Am repeating stuff posted elsewhere, but I know roisin will be tolerant ...)

• most of a boxful of Dr Who novelisations
• HP1 to currently-on-HP6
• first Deltora series (Emily Rodda) (currently reading)
• book of poems called Read Me and Laugh (part of a Macmillan's series, better known volumes inc. The Works). This is a real keeper - we've had it for a couple of years and it's very often the choice if we're going out for the day & he wants to take a book along
• the Science Fiction volume from this extraordinarily good value set
• the "Fractions" volume from the Murderous Maths series

Things he hasn't taken to though I would have thought he would:

• Caroline Lawrence's Roman Mysteries
• Stig of the Dump
• Just William (the originals, not the retellings)
• Narnia

I suspect these are all next, though.

DS1(9) who usually wades his way through books has been surprising light on reading this summer (but we've been out and about a fair amount) He's got himself hooked on Asterix books atm, and has read all of DHs that were at MILs and I think all of the ones in our local library. It might have been because his 'homework' this summer was to read some new (to him) books and I think having to do it might have put him off?

Oh yes I'm very tolerant Bink!

Has anyone come across the 'control your own destiny' Doctor Who books? Are they any good?

DS1 (10) - avid reader normally - read loads during the first 10 days (starting with HP7 of course), but then didnt' really read much for the next few weeks. He's just been enjoying doing loads of outdoorsy stuff, and also playing on his DS a lot.

Anyway, this week he has returned to normal reading habits

These are the ones I mean

Those sound wonderful! and just what ds would like. Ages ago we had a Goosebumps book which similarly went off in different flowchart directions, and he loved it - read it over and over until he'd tried out all the variables.

Book People/Red House really is inexhaustible, isn't it - marvellous outfit. I'm waiting for The Book People's set of Puffin Classics to come back into stock.

Message withdrawn

Ds (6) the Zac Power series

dd 11. Harry Potter, the Roman Mysteries, and a fab book called Cassie Ever After by Hilary McKay.