BOYS READING: How to move them on from 5-8s books to more demanding novels?

[roisin]

OK, as many of you know I'm passionate about children's literature, and children reading.

Both boys became very fluent readers at a very early age. DS1 was precocious and read very advanced literature at a very young age (not necessarily an approach I would advocate.)

DS2 has equally precocious reading age scores, but is very reluctant to read novels full stop (reads endless non-fiction).

I am aware that he has not yet become a lifelong reader and IME if he doesn't get there soon society/culture will take over and he will not become one.

Atm he will not read anything more demanding than the likes of:
Horrid Henry
Astrosaurs
The Grk books
Cressida Cowell
Beast Quest
Ghosthunters

Nothing wrong with any of this I know, but how do we bridge the gap to Horowitz, Charlie Higson, Michelle Paver, Georgia Byng, Jenny Nimmo, etc?

I think the Horowitz Diamond Brothers series are fantastic - side-splittingly funny. Ds1 reads them, but I don't think he really appreciates them: he takes some things rather too literally, and they are not zany enough for his sense of humour.

Hmm....I'd like to see the studies....My family is full of happy successful male scientists, none of whom spend much time reading fiction, because they are too busy reading non-fiction. (Lots of female scientists in the family who all read lots of fiction) I think one has to be careful not to push children too hard into things when what they are chosing to do is really ok too or they will just fight it all in the end. My 6 year old ds can tell you all about the history of Venice and Pompeii (can you tell we went to Italy this summer) and has had long debates with dd (4) about the origin of the earth (he's arguing Big Bang and she's going for the God thing).
Glad to know that about Holes...I had not read it yet. I have however read the Harry Potter series and think that all but the first two or three are far too dark and violent for an 8 year old. Last night spoke to father of boy in my ds' class who told me that his son (who is 7) had read ALL the Harry Potter books this summer...

I missed this before, roisin. I don't think anyone has suggested Philip Ardagh, have they? He writes non-fiction and fiction, so that might help. Ds loved the Eddie Dickens trilogy, but he liked it partly because it was so funny, and that's the reason he loves the Diamond Brothers, so maybe that won't work. I was thinking that it might be worth tryong to take him to see some authors at a Book Festival, like the one here. We saw Antony Horowitz and Philip Ardagh this August and both were fantastic showmen (not always the case with authors of course). It might just pique his interest?

I'm afraid this thread has long since ended but I'm facing the same issues with my DS and I found the Giglets ebooks were extremely useful in getting him to read. They're shortened classics and as such are easier than the real thing but more interesting than the Enid Blyton stories. My DS was not too keen on Enid Blyton, he said they were all the same story :-S

My DS loved the Magic Roundabout books by Eric Thompson and so did I.

However, he only re-reads that he have been read to him before, or ones that have a link to something he is really interested in i.e Pokeman or TV offshoot, etc, which makes me want to scream .

The Phantom Tollbooth was a big hit in our house at that age, and Muddlearth by Chris Priestley (I think) was read til it fell to pieces. We live near an outstanding children's bookshop, they are brilliant at recommending next steps. I just bought lots of different things and kept going until something stuck. One of my son's favourite books at age 8 was Dr Doolittle by Hugh Lofting which he chose himself from a school fair, which I'd never have chosen for him.And don't forget comics!

Why do you want to? Let then read what they want to read!