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What do your 8 yo boys like to read?

22 replies

sameagain · 29/06/2009 20:37

DS1 (8) enjoys reading. ATM he goes to bed at 7:30, at the same time as DS2.

DS2 really needs his sleep, DS1 not so much, but he's quite happy to go, so I've kept their bedtimes the same (for as long as I can get away with it) because it makes life easier for everyone.

Once in bed DS1 will often read, also a good reason for him to go early, but he reads such rubbish!

It will be Star Wars comic strips, Horrid Henry or (worst of all) Captain Underpants. I think his reading is reasonably good for his age and certainly don't want to discourage him, but I do wish he'd read something with a bit more quality. He has read some Roald Dahl, but isn't over keen and enjoyed the Iron Man, but mostly keeps returning to Captain Underpants, which, apart from anything else, has some horrible language in it, which he will repeat!

What did your boys progress onto after HH or Captain U?

OP posts:
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moodyblue · 29/06/2009 22:06

My ds turned 9 yesterday. He reads a lot and loved Adventures of Charlie Small, Jack Stalwart, Hank Zipzser, Marvin Redpost (all character names) he's just moved on to Eoin Colfer book - The Supernaturalist and some books called 'Awfully Beastly Business'. Whenever I've tried to get him to read more 'worthy' books he's resisted cause of the length so I let him get on with it now as I'm just glad he's still enjoying reading.

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bruffin · 29/06/2009 22:51

Ds wouldn't read much non fiction at that age. Captain Underpants was the first book he sat and read. He read a lot of non fiction. He like books he could dip into like the Guinness Book of Records ,Jackie Chan or Horrible Science magazines.
If you push him too much you may put him off. Ds at that age would listen to story tapes which we got from the library.
At 9 he did start reading Harry Potter but it wasn't until just before his 13th birthday that he started reading novels and he has become a bit of a book worm.

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HairyMuff · 29/06/2009 22:55

Just discovered these books here Agent Alfie that my 8 year old DS loves. They're funny to read, about a boy at a special school for spys. Make me chuckle out loud.

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seeker · 29/06/2009 23:23

Try Cressida Cowell - the Hiccup Horrendous Haddock 111 stories. My ds loves them. He's also working his way through the Famous Five, and also the first harry Potter was a big hit.

Don't worry about the quality - it's a bit amazing for an 8 year old boy to enjoy reading at all........

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cornsilk · 29/06/2009 23:27

My ds's absolute favourite is Horrid Henry but he's read them all now. He's working his way through Roald Dahl. Has read most of Captain Underpants and some Eoin Colfer, various Jeremy Strong. Also Geronimo Stilton - really enjoyed those.Our library has a good selection of books for boys so we tend to dip into them most of the time.

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LunarSea · 29/06/2009 23:36

ds1 isn't much of a fiction fan - but he's liked some of the easier Michael Morpurgo books, Dick King Smith, and the Narnia series.

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serenity · 29/06/2009 23:43

DS2 used some of his money from his 9th birthday to buy the Primeval books (proper chapter books) I was quite surprised tbh. Until recently he wasn't much of a reader. I'm going to see if he wants to read some of the hardback Doctor Who ones next (big fan).

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onebatmother · 29/06/2009 23:50

DS 7 adored Jack Stalwart - read one a night till they were gone. Started the young bond ones - you know the ones - but I suspect they're a little too old.

Apart from that, endless 'facts' books..

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onebatmother · 29/06/2009 23:50

Oh and Dr Who, and Sarah Jane Adventures.

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TwoIfBySea · 29/06/2009 23:53

Dts love the Beast Quest books, Astrosaurs and the Tashi books. They also read magazines, Star Wars, Doctor Who and the such.

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neversaydie · 29/06/2009 23:56

Finn Family Moomintroll and Charlie Bone got ds reading to himself and enjoying it. Plus the earlier Harry Potters when I refused to let him see any of the videos until he had read the books

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Goblinchild · 30/06/2009 00:04

Non fiction, especially Horrible Science and Horrible histories.
I've had to buy a lot of extra non-fiction for my class because the boys choose it as a home book, and they're not allowed to take NF out of the school library for home.

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TheFallenMadonna · 30/06/2009 00:04

Old Ladybird books (especially history ones), Enid Blyton Enchanted Wood and Famous Five stories, The Wombles (Elizabeth Beresford), Dr Doolittle. I really want to find some Jennings stories for him. I bought some from a jumble sale when I was a child and loved them. I hope they're as I remember...

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onebatmother · 30/06/2009 08:30

Forgot about the Spy Dog books, and Max Flash. Spying, in general, is a Good Thing.

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LIZS · 30/06/2009 08:44

Magic treehouse series

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slummymomma · 30/06/2009 09:52

Michael Morpurgo (particularly the ones with war in), Famous Five, Cressida Cowell, Roald Dahl and those history books where they're told in the first person - My Story I think.

He's also started on the fighting fantasy books - Warlock of Firetop Mountain etc. Quite good as they have to roll dice and do sums as they 'fight' through the book.

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bluesushicat · 30/06/2009 18:53

I personally prefer captain underpants to horrid henry - better style of writing and certainly more descriptive! ds1 is 8 - he loves non-fiction - horrible science, history, geography, the knowledge books etc but has also enjoyed astrosaurs, varjak paw and the outlaw varjak paw, roald dahl, spiderwick chronicles, Roddy Doyle - rover saves christmas, Diary of a wimpy kid, David Melling - shadow goblins, puddle goblins etc, Cressida Crowell and has just got some 'Young Bond' books and 'Alex Rider' books.

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blametheparents · 30/06/2009 19:02

Charlie Bone books
Jack Stalwart
Beast Quest series
Spy Dog series

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bloss · 30/06/2009 19:09

Message withdrawn

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Niecie · 30/06/2009 19:27

DS1 is 8, nearly 9 and has read these in the last 2 yrs (some of them read as bedtime stories so we read a bit and he reads a bit more afterwards)

  • Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III series
  • Sir Gadabout - not difficult to read and I find them amusing too.
  • Famous Five
  • Harry Potter 1-4
  • Most Jeremy Strong books
  • currently reading the Inkworld series which is fairly hefty but good.
  • Muddle Earth
  • The Phoenix and the Carpet
  • Stig of the Dump
  • Beast Quest (I don't think they are very well written but he can read one in a sitting)
  • Spy Dog series
  • Jiggy McCue series eg The Toilet of Doom
  • Horrible Histories for a touch of non-fiction.
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Mutt · 30/06/2009 19:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BottySpottom · 02/07/2009 23:24

Alex Rider
Harry Potter
Anything really ...

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