Inspire me- books for a 6.5 year old boy good reader

[freetrait]

Just looking for insipiration really. He's enjoying Astrosaurs as the moment. Any other ideas?

[WallyBantersJunkBox]

The Goosebumps series are ok if he doesn't mind a scary story.

Captain Underpants is the favourite book choice of most boys at that age?

DS was an advanced reader like yours and he liked Secret Seven books, Captain Underpants, Roahl Dahl books, Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

I was back in the UK last week and he chose a set of David Walliams books after a quick flip through them in WH Smiths.

By the time I'd had my pot of tea and Victoria slice in the M&S cafe he had reached chapter eight of Gangsta Granny so that one seemed a hit. DS is 8 now but the David Walliams ones are a very easy read.

[Queenofknickers]

Yes yes YES to David Walliams, famous five, diary of a wimpy kid and Mr Gum series.

[Periwinkle007]

I only have girls so no experience of boys but I know friends boys have enjoyed the David Walliams ones so thats another vote for them.

Obviously Roald Dahl but also Dick King Smith, Charlotte's Web is ok for boys as it isn't girly I don't think, Some of the Usborne non fiction time traveller ones might appeal depending on his interests.

The Enid Blyton something of adventure books were favourites of mine, I preferred them to Secret Seven and Famous Five, there are about 6 of them, Ship of Adventure, Castle of Adventure etc. He might like the Worst Witch ones as well.

[freetrait]

Thanks all. DS has tried some Roald Dahl but it's not his cup of tea for some reason, maybe he's not mature enough. He can read it fine, but seems reluctant which is unlike him (has been trying George's Marvellous Medicine).

Captain Underpants, we have a couple, might get some more, thanks for the reminder. Thanks for the tip re Enid Blyton, those adventure ones sound like his taste.

I've stayed off Diary/Mr Gum/David Walliams up till now as I wanted to make sure he tries them at the right age, more in terms of his maturity so he can really enjoy them, but perhaps it's time. Thanks!

[AllOverIt]

My 6.6 yr old DS is an advanced reader and reads at Y4 level. It's so hard to did appropriate books that have enough challenge but are appropriate for their age.

DS likes Beast Quest books, has devoured the first three Harry Potter books and also likes Mammoth Academy. He's read all of Roald Dahl, bar The Witches as it freaked me out a bit! He's read Mr Stink by David Walliams and loved it.

[StellaNova]

The Willard Price adventure books? I liked them at that age but they may be a bit dated nowadays. (Arctic Adventure, South Sea Adventure etc).

[StellaNova]

The Children of Green Knowe? King of the Copper Mountain? The Hobbit?

[SeagullsAreLikeThat]

Sorry to hijack but Stella - thank you for mentioning King of The Copper Mountain: I have been trying for years to buy that book but have never been able to find it in print but when I read your post, I went on to Amazon and have just bought it! I loved that book as a child. The two books which have stuck with me most from childhood are that one and Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, which I found in a bookshop a few years ago. Thanks again for the reminder!

[StellaNova]

Seagulls, I am reading it to my five year old DS at the mo and pleased he likes it as I loved it when I was little!

[freetrait]

AllOverIt, that's the problem here too. DS's reading is probably about Y4 level, but his maturity is definitely not! I'm not so worried about challenge rather great books to love and enjoy. Of course a "great" book when you are 6 is different from one when you are 8 .

Thanks for the other suggestions everyone. Fantastic to have things a bit off the beaten track and that others have loved. I'm off to look up those Willard Price adventures .

[jojane]

My 6 year old (with reading age of 14+) loves non fiction books - horrible histories, horrible geography, Osborne lift the flap books eg science, how things work etc, has lonely planet not for parents travel book etc.

[jojane]

If he's into skylanders there are a couple of fiction books, spryros doom of something like that, can't quite remember but can look in ds's room.

[Periwinkle007]

thats interesting you say about Roald Dahl, I always think they require quite a bit of maturity to really 'get' them and I have looked at a couple of the easy short ones for my daughter (the crocodile one is done now with colour pictures etc) but I really don't think she would take to them at all.

yes the adventure Enid Blyton ones I always remember as being great fun - 4 children again I think and a parrot called Kiki? something like that.

We have the Mammoth Academy set of 4 books (Book People cheap) and they do look quite good but DD hasn't tried them yet. What about the humphrey the hamster ones? there are quite a few of them, some quite short and some a lot longer. I think he is the class hamster and he keeps escaping to have adventures.

[freetrait]

Thanks jojane. DS has just got into Horrible Histories and likes science books too. It's great to see him enjoying them. .

He's not particularly into skylanders, although did read a freebie that came with a magazine. I think the problem with some of the suggestions (just looked up) is that for DS they are overly long at the moment. Whilst his reading is excellent, he doesn't have the maturity/stamina/interest (whatever it is you need!) for books that long yet.

Keep suggesting though folks! Thanks.

[SeagullsAreLikeThat]

Stella, will let you know what my DS thinks when it comes!
Another great set we discovered is the Will Solvit adventures. We got the first one free on the front of a magazine and I nearly put it in the charity bag but then DS asked me to read it. I was sceptical at first, it's about a ten year old boy who becomes an adventurer, all sounded a bit too Ben10 to me but it was brilliant! Captivating, educational and most importantly for me, really easy to read aloud. Each book is a mixture of normal text, comic book style pages (hardly any), pictures that you decode with the enclosed codebreaker and a fact file based on the theme of the adventure - the Stone Age, the Romans, Robots etc. We've now got the full set and DS loves them.

[freetrait]

Ah, The Enormous Crocodile is a favourite in our house, for both kids (4 and 6). But that's me reading to them rather than them reading. We have it on audio CD in the car too. They both like the younger RD ones like The Giraffe, The Pelly and Me and Fantastic Mr Fox and DS loved Esio Trot.

So Roald Dahl is not a complete no go. BUT this is all me reading, or listening to the CD (Stephen Fry does a great Enormous Crocodile and Hugh Laurie reads The Giraffe, The Pelly and Me). Somehow when DS had a go at reading James and the Giant Peach or George's Marvellous Medicine himself he didn't take to them (James was too scary, not sure about George)...

[SeagullsAreLikeThat]

Apologies, freetrait, I was posting more from the pov of reading aloud rather than books your DS could read himself , they might be too long but still worth a shot.

[SeagullsAreLikeThat]

"They" being the Will Solvit ones. Gosh, I need to stop and go to bed I think.

[lljkk]

Michael Morpugo, Muddypuddle farm series or something like that.
Horrid Henry (perrenial fave).
All those "My cute little hamster is really a clever space alien" books.
Jeremy Strong.
Jacqueline Wilson books for under 7s.
Dick King Smith, Anne Fine, The Magic Tree series.

[freetrait]

Just had a look seagulls (Will Solvit) and it looks just the sort of thing that DS would love. Thanks! Probably about the limit re length but we can share it if necessary (we read a chapter/he reads etc). Have put one in the good old amazon basket.

[Sunnymeg]

The Spy Dogs series are good and the stories are age appropriate. Also Astrosaurs and Dinosaur Cove are worth looking at. I loved Enid Blyton when I was a girl, but when I bought her books for DS, I found that they now seem old fashioned.

[Sunnymeg]

Sorry didn't mean Astrosaurs, I meant the cow series by the same author!

[lljkk]

Don't forget comics, they are very engaging & anything that keeps loves of reading alive is good by me. Asterix, Calvin & Hobbes, TinTin esp.

[freetrait]

Yep, Astrosaurs is go at the moment. This follows Horrid Henry (that lasted about a year . Will look up Spy Dog, thanks.