Books for kids

[Trillian]

Youngest - the boy, completely different ........ can't get him to read full stop.

hope thats the case for my kids if i have any, just get them library tickets and leave them there for a couple of hours

 

[alicat]

Any reading they enjoy is good even if you think it's tripe. Have you tried Roald Dahl or CS Lewis?

 

[Fnaar]

Any reading they enjoy is good even if you think it's tripe. Have you tried Roald Dahl or CS Lewis?

Yeah, they've read those...thanks for suggestions above folks... in fact, they are all avid readers, and go to library regularly, but it's just that they fixate on this popular stuff, which IMHO is a pile of tripe, like eating biscuits instead of yer dinner, if you get my drift!

 

[Dayvo]

My nieces really enjoyed Astrid Lindgren's 'Pippi Longstocking' when they were younger.

http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/Article____11230.aspx

 

[Milo]

War and peace?

 

[Aint Skeered]

My daughter (10yrs) absolutly loves this author.
to date never read a bad one.
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/michael-morpurgo/

 

[Night Train]

I would suggest Philip Pullman's Sally Lockhart series:
The Ruby in the Smoke
The Shadow in the North
The Tiger in the Well
The Tin Princess

A wonderful read along with his dark trilogy as mentioned earlier.

 

[sheddy]

Ours (boys) enjoyed the Alex Rider and the Diamond Bros series by Anthony Horowitz
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Horowitz

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Astrid Lingren's Pippi Longstocking books are great. I loved them when I was that age.

 

[Globalti]

Our son aged 9 is mad on the Anthony Horowitz books, he will read until 10 pm if we let him.

He has also read all the Series of Unfortunate Events books by Lemony Snicket - these would appeal more to a girl as they're more psychological and less about blowing things up and hitting people on the head with frying pans. The first 3 Unfortunate Events books have been made into an outstanding film.

 

[surfgurl]

I run the library at the school where I work.
I'd second all the authors that have already been said.

Jeremy Strong writes nice stories for the younger age group. I think they are illustrated by the same person as the Jacqueline Wilson books.

Some kids go through phases of not wanting to read fictions. Any of the Doring Kindersley reference books are good, they come in all topics. Guiness World Records is always popular. Kids love to be able to dip in and out of books. Have they got a particular interest that you could find some reference books for?

Lucy Daniels writes animal stories about a girl whose parents are vets. They all have cutesy titles like Pig in the Playpen, Lamb in the Laundry and so on. They are formulaic, but kids often like the familiarity of the stories. They would suit younger kids.

Older kids may prefer to get stuck into adult fiction. Good readers tend to get fed up of being talked down to in books aimmed at kids. Pick up a few in a charity shop and leave them lying round the house.

 

[Arch]

Dunno how 'girly' it needs to be, but I loved Jan Mark's Thunder and Lightnings. It's about a friendship between two boys, and aeroplanes, but the themes of friendship, moving on, and loss of the familiar are universal. Well, I liked it and I'm a girl, albeit one into planes and boyish stuff.

 

[Dayvo]

Probably very dated now, but I enjoyed the 'Jennings' books by Anthony Buckeridge. More suitable for mischievous boys, but girls might enjoy them too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Buckeridge#Jennings_novels

I read them all!

 

[Trillian]

Older kids may prefer to get stuck into adult fiction. Good readers tend to get fed up of being talked down to in books aimmed at kids. Pick up a few in a charity shop and leave them lying round the house.

hitch hikers guide to the galaxy?

 

[Dave5N]

From 8 if they are bright (and I bet they are with you as a Dad..) try the classic stuff - Louisa M Alcott, M Twain, etc