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Funny book recommendations for an 11 year old boy who's lost his reading habit....

22 replies

beachyhead · 24/01/2013 20:53

He went hell for leather on various books as soon as he got his kindle last Spring for his birthday, did all the Hunger Games books, all Percy Jackson and all the David Walliams, but now he's gone off reading altogether.

He started the Charlie Higson series but found it a bit too much and wants something funny and a bit lighthearted to read.

Any ideas? I just want to kick start his habit again...... He's not into Harry Potter, he's done most of the Horrible Histories pre-kindle. He likes history, wildlife, Romans, Greeks etc

Help....Thanks

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grants1000 · 24/01/2013 21:58

Tom Gates are great, definitely light and funny with illustrations, like David Walliams. My 10yo nearly 11 has read them all. He also likes Dorling Kindersley history books, Greeks, Romans etc, he likes the detail, diagrams, mechanics etc and there is still lots of reading.

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grants1000 · 24/01/2013 21:59

He also dislike Harry potter and anything mythical!

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pinkthechaffinch · 24/01/2013 22:02

The Giggler Treatment by roddy Doyle. It had made by 11 year old ds laugh and laugh .

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beachyhead · 24/01/2013 22:03

Oh I'll have a look at Tom Gates.

He is a good reader, just a bit off the boil....

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acsec · 24/01/2013 22:03

Are the Mr Gum books by Andy Stanton too young for your DS? Or The World of Norm books?

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timetosmile · 24/01/2013 22:05

Wimpy Kid? Laugh out loud funny. DS 12 read first them a few years ago but comes back to them again and again. I hear him in bed snorting with laughter.

Has he just started High School? Bet he's just plain exhausted after school!

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Mutt · 24/01/2013 22:07

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timetosmile · 24/01/2013 22:07

Terry Pratchett?

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Waswondering · 24/01/2013 22:07

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Mutt · 24/01/2013 22:07

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CiderwithBuda · 24/01/2013 22:15

Not funny books but has he tried the Cherub series by Robert Muchamore? DS loves them. We went on holiday last year and he only brought 3 with him and read them so avidly he finished them half way through the holiday. Refused to try anything else and just reread those three again straight away. He now has all of them and has read the whole series at least three times.

He also loved the Wimpy Kid ones.

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beachyhead · 24/01/2013 23:03

Oooh. might try James Herriott (I loved those!) and Middle Years looks good. He's got all the Wimpy Kid books and just sort of petered out after a couple of books... Thanks for these suggestions. Will load up the kindle after small boy consultation.

Yes, he's in the second term of Senior school and I'm worried that reading is less cool than it was. Also, they can't take Kindles into school, so he gets into a book, then he has to pick it up at home...

Also, it's Kindle versus YouTube in this house at the moment!

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hanahsaunt · 25/01/2013 09:02

Ds1 (12, y7) is just getting into Terry Prattchet (though I suspect it will be ds2 who really gets into them). He's also enjoyed Gerald Durrell - My Family & Other Animals recently which is very funny. He's not averse to a bit of Agatha Christie ... The Caroline Lawrence Roman Mystery series is very good.

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BloooCowWonders · 25/01/2013 09:50

Can he listen to audio books? The whole family falls abou to Anthony Horiwitz's Diamond Brothrrs books read by Nicholas Grace. Eg The French Confection, I know What you did last Wednesday etc.
Great fit our dc 12, 10, 6 and the adults :)

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alwayssomething · 25/01/2013 12:36

Another vote here for the Wimpy Kid books - light and funny!

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Mutt · 25/01/2013 16:23

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Waswondering · 26/01/2013 09:41

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ThreeBeeOneGee · 26/01/2013 09:45

Easy, funny books: Origami Yoda series & 'Everything's Amazing, Sort Of' and its ilk.

Exciting books: Henderson's Boys series by Robert Muchamore, Gone series by Michael Grant, Young Samurai series by Chris Bradford.

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SheepCantFly · 26/01/2013 09:47

Definitely the Jiggy McCue books by Michael Laurence Smile

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beachyhead · 28/01/2013 07:47

Thanks so much for all of these... Am busy researching with him. Luckily I got an Amazon voucher for Christmas, so I suspect a chunk will go on his new books.. Grin

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vixsatis · 28/01/2013 11:32

"Spud". I can't remember the name of the author but you can search it on Amazon. Very funny South African Boys' school story: my 11 year old and his friends all love it

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lljkk · 29/01/2013 17:50

The Donut Diaries, series of 3. Age appropriate and the funniest of any books DC have brought home in last year.

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