Books for a very reluctant 13 year old?

[PipersDream]

DS dislikes reading. He skims over either comic books or reference books, randomly reading passages which he thinks looks interesting. I'd like to get him a couple of books to put on the kindle app on his phone so he has something to look at on long train journeys. Any suggestions for something not too complicated that might hold his attention?

Sounds like graphic novels might be his thing? They're a good halfway house for reluctant readers (as well as being an art from in their own right of course).

I don't know much about them tbh but I know The Guardian has a 'graphic novel of the month' feature

https://www.theguardian.com/books/series/graphic-novel-of-the-month

What about starting him off with the first in a series? As then he might feel gripped and be willing to read the next one. Has he read Alex Rider or Skullduggery Pleasant?

try something like one piece. korean and japanese manage sort of stuff. my kids both into them

Do graphic novels work well on the kindle? We only have paper versions.

I want something suitable to try out the dyslexic font to see if he finds that easier to read.

@ThinkingAgainAndAgain no, he hasn't, will look. Thanks.

And it's completely counter intuitive and will break your heart if you're a reader-but don't apply any pressure. Not everyone likes reading! My ds stopped reading fiction at about 14 and didn't start again til he was about 20!

You could try Jon Ronson. Works for a lot of reluctant boy readers.

Skullduggery is popular with that age range.
Audiobooks may be more of a winner if he is dyslexic in which case try the Libby app if your local library runs it.

If not, short stories, Roald Daul ghost stories are often a hit as they are a bit gruesome.

@CurlewKate I don't want to apply pressure. More that after 5 hours on a train with him the other day I want to be able to say "Well, read your book if you're bored!" Like a back up option to stop my brain exploding at having to listen to him the whole way!

He likes audio books, but won't wear headphones unfortunately.

What's wrong with reference books? If that's what he likes download some non fiction.
Also if he likes comic books - buy some actual paper copy comic books - he can take those on a train.

@Needmorelego there's nothing wrong with reference books. It's just impractical to take them on a hike. He doesn't need extra stuff to carry. I'm looking specifically for something he can read on the kindle app on his phone.

@PipersDream can't you down load non fiction on a kindle?

Yes to audio books.

I work in a college library where 95 per cent of the students come to us as 16 are reluctant readers. We have a stock of Barrington Stoke books. They do a range of fiction which is short and dyslexia friendly font/paper etc.

Manga or graphic novels are also sometimes a hit.

Hope he finds something he likes. Just keep offering with low pressure.

Does he like board games? That might be something for the train. Mini/magnetic versions of checkers. Or card games like Uno.

No, he hates board games and card games. Usually refuses to play.

Again, audiobooks are not practical on a train with a child who refuses to wear headphones.

@Needmorelego most reference books have photos and diagrams in. Do those even work on a Kindle? And on the app? I don't know, I bought one right when the app came out and it was unreadable.

@PipersDream I was thinking more of non- fiction rather than fact book type books. Would he go for that?
What type of reference books does he like? Is he into cars, Star Wars, sports, random facts, Pokémon, animal facts.....there will probably be some non fiction books out there connected to what he likes.

Fiction - try the Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy? Dated, but still funny.

Non-fiction - Randall Munroe's What If? series has been very popular with my DS.

I'm wondering if maybe a physical book might be better. Presumably he does other things online, so this would make books distinct. It's odd that he pores over reference books, but maybe that's a hint that you could figure out what he finds interesting and buy him non-fiction books about that. Maybe biographies? Just make them short books.

Actually, if he'll be stuck on long train journeys, try confiscating the phone and just have a small pile of books there.

We have loads of physical books at home, ones that he likes, that's not an issue. This is purely for when we're on the train and I'm not carrying books on a hike/day trip.
He likes e.g. all the Eyewitness DK books. Favourites are reptiles, volcanoes, weather, science, inventions, space. Also Star Wars, animals and ships.

How about a magazine?
There's ones aimed at his age like How It Works, Science and Nature etc or ones aimed at adults but perfectly fine to read like History Today.

Try David Eddings, I leant one to my non reading housemate a few years ago and her read all of them. Then he reread them.

Project Guttenberg has free books you can read in multiple formats https://www.gutenberg.org/

What is he interested in?

Collections of short stories might appeal rather than a book, you can often get them free.

Has he read Harry Potter?

What about Dickens? You can get a collection for 99p.

@sashh no he hasn't read it, I read up
until half way through OoP and hoped he would continue but he didn't. We have all the audiobooks which he's listened to several times. I might suggest he "reads along" with the book in front of him, but again that's not something to do on public transport, that's for home.

There's no way he'd be able to read Dickens, I don't think he'd understand half the vocabulary or style. It would need to be something he can read easily if there's going to be any chance he will actually read it.

@PipersDream he might like the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz. Teenage spy who has various gadgets (some a bit dated now like a transforming CD player) but they are fun.
In one of the books the character Alex actually goes into space.
"Stormbreaker" is the first in the series.

With my DS (reluctant reader) I started off with not books - Top Trump cards / magazines (cost me a fortune!!) and non fiction
Anything is better than nothing!

(Former school librarian!) Any TV or film he likes?

In short start off with anything but books!

And don't start him off on Dickens! Good Grief!
Non fiction is still reading

And then what about those books where you choose what page to go to - can't remember what they're called - the ones where you see a cave do you go into it turn to page 6 or you don't page 8

Choose your own adventure by Ian Livingstone

I've always loved fact vs fiction and still do!

I suggest subscribing to some of the science/nature magazines on the phone or physical ones.

I prefer information not entertainment (though it feels like both for me) from the media I consume, so it's magazines, Documentaries, Biographies and Google for my reading list. Hobbies, friends and parties are for the entertainment.