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?

When my db was at school over 50 years ago he struggled a bit and was very reluctant to read. The teacher who was ahead of her time told my mum to let him read whatever he wants. My mum would buy him comics to read which he enjoyed and before long he was a fluent reader. In his fifties now he always has a novel on the go. It doesn't matter what your son reads Op as long as he enjoys it. You can't force someone to read and enjoy novels if that's not their thing.

I read a newspaper every morning as a child. The reader's letters and dating ads towards the back were totally captivating 😁

Public libraries have lots of graphic novel ebooks which can be read on a phone or tablet, and you can also borrow magazines on a range of subjects.

You could try downloading the Libby app to have a look.

If he doesn't take to it, it's free to try.

Illustrations don't work very well at all on my kindle paperwhite. I should think a graphic novel would be a total non-starter.
Katherine Rundell is worth a look.

Graphic novels are OK on the more tabletty kindles but TBH I'd get him to choose a magazine in the newsagents in the train station and let him read that. Or, as a PP said, sign up to the ebooks at the local library and let him choose what he wants. Or buy him some headphones he finds comfortable (one of my DDs has earpods, the other has great big headphones, they like what they like) and tell him if he wants to listen to a book or podcast or music on a train he needs to use earphones.

As he likes DK eyewitness, how about the pocket versions? There are loads and they are a portable size.

I agree about Roald Dahl (preferably unedited by the woke secret police!). Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is another good recommendation. You often hear middle-aged scientists or philosophy professors say it was the book that first sparked their interest in the subject.

Adrian Mole? The Hobbit? Tintin? Personally, I loved Asterix at that age. How about M. R. James' short stories?

My son was similar at that age.

I think the only novels he ever read himself were the Skullduggery Pleasance books and then he got very into Manga and lite novels (which he reads in Japanese!).

Maybe a bit young but he also liked Murderous Maths and then things like Alex's Adventures in Numberland /some popular science books.

Nonfiction:
Horrible Science/History/Geography
Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze?
Why is Snot Green?
Kay's Marvellous Medicine
What If?
Fiction:
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life-James Patterson
Holes-Louis Sachar
The Enemy-Charlie Higson (gory)
Gone-Michael Grant (gory)