books for boys - recommendations?

[Tanza]

What are boys aged 8-10 reading in East Dulwich? Any recommendations post Harry Potter and Roald Dahl?

Charlie Bone series is going down well with my son. Any other thoughts welcomed.

[espelli]

These are some of the books that I have recommended and/or read to classes when I taught that age range.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Spiderwick Chronicles

Beast Quest

Wayside School Series by Louis Sachar (almost anything by him really)

Lemony Snicket Series

Lionboy Trilogy (although quite sophisticated - nearer age 10 than 8)

Horrid Henry books

Horrible Histories

Captain Underpants

Alex Rider books

Anything by Anne Fine

Hopefully there will be something there to tempt him!

[Polly D]

He's not in East Dulwich but my 9 year-old nephew is madly into Jack Stalwart and Famous Five.

[EDmummy]

My 9 year old has just got in to Children's Miscellany. Lots of random facts. Same type of things I used to discover pouring over my Childcraft Encyclopedia when I was this age.

[Tanza]

Those are great, thank you - hadn't heard of most of these books. I'm just sorry books like the fantastic 'Wolves of Willoughby Chase series that I loved as a child are almost certainly going to be deemed too 'girly'.

[Fuschia]

Useful thread!

Our 6 yo is a good reader and devoured a horrid henry box set and I have just ordered captain underpants for his birthday.

Will have a look at the some of the other suggestions.

[iaineasy]

jonathan livingstone seagull, was and still is one of my all time faves at that age and also The silver sword if your son is a good reader at 10!!

hugs

[mumra]

Try the 'Mr Gum' books by Andy Stanton. A brilliantly written and funny series that captures childrens imaginations (especially boys)with the fantastically funny characterisations from around age 7 upwards. The first one is called 'You're a Bad Man Mr Gum' and I know Tales on Moon Lane stock them. Worth a peep at the website to get a feel for what type of books they are. www.mrgum.co.uk A bit of a modern Roald Dahl I'd say.

[Ondine]

Agree with above and add

Eoin Colfer

Michael Morpurgo

Jeremy Strong

Enid Blyton

I have girls but these are/were all very popular and seem quite gender neutral

[Fuschia]

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/steve-barlow-and-steve-skidmore/whizzard.htm

[Carrie]

Roald Dahl

[EDmummy]

Definitely Mr Gum books - the kids roll in the aisles.

[JessicaCT]

Silverfin (young Bond - Charlie Higson); Skellig; Goodnight Mr Tom; Artemis Fowl; Michael Morpurgo (though quite heavy on animals)

and I will second Lemony Snicket and Mr Gum. Both have very distinctive prose styles.

Recently revisited my childhood fondness for Blackhearts in Battersea (sequal to WofWC)with my daughter and realised the language was really hard. A sort of cockney/Restoration mash up.

Is the Ogre Downstairs by Diana Wynne Jones still in print? Two groups of step siblings given chemistry kits which turn out to be magic. I used to love that one.

How To Be Unemployed - the White Collar Way

[Tanza]

My son also loves the Dragon Detective Agency series by Gareth P Jones. The first one is 'The Case of the Missing Cats'. I'd say this one is equally good for girls and boys, stars a girl but that didn't seem to put my son off.

[alieh]

A Canadian author that probably isn't well known here is Gordon Korman. These are perfect for boys or girls in this age group. The ones that I remember off the top of my head are:

This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall

Go Jump In The Pool

Beware The Fish

No Coins Please

Don't Care High

The Twinkie Squad

I have such vivid memories of these books. He has continued publishing loads since these, but I haven't read them since growing out of the demographic myself!