Suggest an easy-to-read book for an 11 year old boy?
Can you guys suggest an easy-to-read book for an 11 year old boy? He’s having a hard time sitting down
Can you guys suggest an easy-to-read book for an 11 year old boy? He’s having a hard time sitting down
Hatchet
I Survived series.
The Choose Your Own Adventure books!!!!!
What has he liked in the past?
Books with minimal amount of pictures. We are teaching him how to read books without pictures. He’s a special child, if that helps
@Cassandra can you give some specific books so we get an idea of reading level. Also, what are his interests? Also, I have to admit that even as an adult I sometimes like some pictures in my books! They help me understand better, lol!
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Graphic novel versions of Harry Potter we’ve found on the internet. He likes comics more than books. But his teachers have told us he has to learn how to read books without drawings or pictures
@Cassandra , I understand. I would definitely try the Choose Your Own Adventure books.. Also Secrets of Droon series. Also My Father’s Dragon series.. And try Tales of a Fourth Grade NOTHING, Alvin Ho, Wayside School books, and also the Boy/Girl battle series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.
Have you tried Anthony Horowitz? Both my kids loved his books. They were so good that I read them too ?
@Cassandra As a teacher I would rather children were reading and enjoying the experience; it doesn’t matter whether the book has pictures or not the important thing is to encourage the enjoyment of reading. Would he enjoy going to the bookshop or library to choose his own?
@Pippa I’m a teacher too… I was going to ask if he liked reading- base it around what he likes. My brother is 50+ and his main source of reading lately has been graphic novels. As long as he can read the books needed for school/ his own reading should be books he enjoys!
It’s for their school project to represent a fiction book and summarize it for the whole class.
@Cassandra are the Train your Dragon series -too easy for him?? They are good fun with some pictures. (There’s the movies too to help visualise characters)
The teacher allowed him to choose books as long as there are no pictures :/ They cannot accept that he has a special condition and gets irritated with books that have no drawings. This was the first time a teacher did not care about his condition. He (teacher) said he was just being fair to the other boys
@Cassandra wow. Just wow. I’ve been teaching for 25 years and have worked with special needs kids, this makes me so sad. Maybe try to find 2 versions of the book- one without illustrations and maybe one to read beside- say a graphic novel/ picture version. Some books can have this.
What books would his teacher recommend since he has put these boundaries in place??
Yeah, I know it sucks. I’m planning to talk to the principal if their treatment to my cousin doesn’t get any better. As for the books, Percy Jackson is suggested. It’s an easy read and quote “Even a child with a special need will be able to read it” I don’t think they understand that every kid is different. I will try your suggestion. Thanks! ?
Secrets of Droon might be the easiest on my list.
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I’m also a teacher. This teacher that won’t let students read books with pictures is doing a huge disservice. Reading levels of illustrated books can be very high. I did a Donors Choose just for graphic novel, because that is what boys love. With that said the Artemis Fowl books are amazing.
🙁 I don’t agree with the teacher except perhaps if the goal is to help him develop stamina for reading. All the ELA tests have lengthy passages for kids to read without help. But this kills any love of reading to take away the graphics entirely. He may always prefer visual media to text and opt to be a graphic novel fan to get his reading in… In order to comply for now with the teacher directions and complete his assignment maybe a book that he can pair with an audio book would help him to get through it.
@Kris I think.he is probably in the Phillipines.b
My boy is good at drawing. He makes his own comics. And his current story is about a magical sword that can grant your wishes as long as you sacrifice a life. His story’s goal is to teach kids to always choose kindness over greed and anger. He’s maybe having a hard time reading full novels but he can draw and write his own comics. I wish the teacher would slowly guide him into reading full novels. I’m maybe asking too much though
@Carmel in the UK a teacher would be in a lot of trouble for not providing appropriately challenging work…… for every pupil ….equal opportunities means work should be relevant for each child…..it should not be the same for each one….. every child is different and therefore work should be differentiated. All the very best to you….. and all pupils in this situation…… you should definitely challenge the teacher via the senior managers.
@Cassandra, obvs the adults suggesting Percy Jackson haven’t read it. Percy wouln’t be able to read the book himself, without accomodations- he’s dyslexic. I bet your kid would love The Lightning Thief graphic novel. Good luck with the school powers that be. ?❤️
@Pippa I was a SENCO in London, Australia is very similar. However, I’ve met many teachers who simply live and practice from years past where this was the way. 1 curriculum for all. Lazy teaching.
@Carmel you’re right…..it’s very sad. It’s that child’s only chance.
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks or the Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan
Dan Gutman’s Weird school books. Or a lot of my kids st my school, like Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.
My son learned to “read” or comprehend by listening to stories. Audible or your library.
What about comic books? 11yos love comics and there’s so many to choose from these days.
Yes, he reads comic books. But his teachers have told us it’s time for him to be indulged in books without pictures/drawings
Oh :/ have you thought about audiobooks? It might help smooth the transition. A humorous series like Captain Underpants or Wimpy Kid could keep his attention, then you can provide the books once he’s hooked or as a read along. I don’t remember specifically if those have drawings though, I think Captain Underpants might.
Find a book based on his interests. My son loved Hardy Boys and Tom Swift type stuff. But he also was very interested in science. His school had a reading incentive program where they read 100 books and then would get a T shirt. Worked repeatedly because kids grow. They also had a special prize for reading 100 non-fiction books. He’s the only kid in his grade school to ever work for that one. Took him 3 years, because he mostly read science books meant for adults. But if the kid likes sports, find him a book about his favorite sport. If he has a special interest find him a book that meets that interest. If he has a favorite movie based on a book, or a book related to his favorite movie like Star Wars, or Star Trek or whatever is the trendy movie these days find that. I’m afraid I’m way too old to know what an 11 year old would like in current books. And my kid started reading at age 3, so that’s a challenge I’m not familiar with. He was insatiable. He’d read the label on cereal boxes if he didn’t have anything more interesting. I did end up having to help teach him to read. What we did was start out reading every other word. First him then me. And then we worked taking turns on sentences and then paragraphs. Once he knew he could do that he just took off. We made it fun. The thing I found was my son’s challenge was they school was not teaching phonics. I taught him phonics and that’s how the reading a word in turns got him going. Maybe your kid doesn’t know phonics? My sister had the same problem with her daughter who was in the same school as my son. I’m not sure how she got past it But we thought not knowing phonics was her problem too.
Oh has he tried Geronimo stilton? While it still has pictures, the stories are charming and they get so engrossed with the stories that they don’t always look at the pictures. I mentioned Anthony Horowitz. My 9 year old queued for 3 hours to get his autograph on her book as she thought he was so good. ? Jo Nesbo. Ali Sparkes. David Walliams. There are so many amazing authors. It just needs to be something that sparks an interest. Good luck. I hope you find something!
Oh yes! Those books! Used to collect them when I was a child. I think I still have them somewhere
Harry Potter series?
Really depends what he’s into….. maybe non fiction?
I used to teach emotionally disturbed middle schoolers…best book ever…Maniac Magee. As a teacher I loved reading it aloud. You might try that. It is such a great book on so many levels. Read it to all three of my boys, as well.
It is by Jerry Spinelli. He has written several other books for young people…especially boys.
Diary of a wimpy kid is what got my son to start and love reading…
My son was majorly into Horrid Henry at that age and went on to the Rick Riordan series of Percy Jackson and all the other Rick Riordan books. Try one of those – Horrid Henry is quite an easy read and the things he gets up to might hold your sons attention- good luck
https://pin.it/ryrgzqlci2eobo
Indian in the Cupboard books
I loved the goosebumps books when I was that age
The first three Harry Potter books are easy reads. Also Magic Tree House books or boxcar children. Horrid Henry and The warrior cats books are easy to read as well.
I loved the Dark is Rising sequence as a kid, by Susan Cooper, so.much so I just reread it last month.
The Boxcar Children? It’s a series which might be fun.
The Day My Bum Went Psycho by Andy Griffiths.
Absolutely hilarious, entertaining and kid friendly despite the title. Highly recommend
My 9 yr old really loved the Warriors series. He got the suggestion from his 11 yr old cousin.
In addition to what I mentioned above, Encyclopedia Brown,!
Lawn Boy
I have a 10 year old boy. For the longest time he’s preferred graphic novels. Finally branching out. He just read The Wild Robot & is now reading Restart.
My son really liked the Artemis Fowl books
The hardy boys?
The Wimpy Kid books are great
The Hatchet
The Percy Jackson series and all the other spinoffs from that series. They are pretty action packed but have humor as well.
Came here to recommend these too!
James Patterson’s Maximum Ride series has short chapters, loads of action, and a “family” of lovable characters, a group of mutant kids. It’s my go to for students who are struggling to find something to read. Think he would really like it.
Andrew Clements and Gordon Korman are both great authors for this age. Also Carl Hiaasen.
My son loves the I Survived series..
The Fourth Stall. It’s a series and it is hilarious (for adults and 11 year olds alike).
Does he like science fiction? My sixth grade students …both boys and girls…..liked the series that included THE WHITE MOUNTAINS, CITY OF GOLD AND LEAD, and POOL OF FIRE. The boys seem to be especially into science fiction.
I loved John Christopher’s Tripod series! Didn’t realize they were still around as I read them in the 70s, on a recommendation by my younger brother.
Manga, start him on manga. Naruto, One Piece, something like that.
The I survived books were a hit with my reluctant readers. Jedi Academy books are fun.
diary of a wimpy kid . my kid loved it !
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. Something else you might want to try is to read him the first chapter of several books you’d like him to try. Sometimes the read aloud will engage them when just reading won’t. That’s what I did with a 10-year-old student who didn’t like reading. Read him the prologue and first chapter of Maniac and he liked it so much that he borrowed the book from me and has been reading ever since.
Michael Vey by Richard Paul Evans.
My kid loved the Hunger Games Trilogy ❤️
He’s 10, almost 11 in 4th grade
THE LITTLE PRINCE
Try the Goose Bumps series, Captain Underpants, Encyclopedia Brown. All are good. My nephew did not read until he tried Goose Bumps.
My daughter, who was not interested in reading for the longest time, finally found a love for it with the Gregor the Overlander books.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregor_the_Overlander
No.3 son liked the how to train Your Dragon books by Cressida Cowell when he was eleven.
Are there many pictures??? I was trying to think if there were???
Time Warp Trio series by Jon Scieszka. Serious giggling with these books!
audiobooks!
Don’t know if this is already on here, but my brother likes Captain Underpants when he was a kid.
My male students love the Wings of Fire series. It now also comes in a graphic novel version.
Steve Sheinkin has a whole series of hysterically funny history books just for boys like your son. Quick read. Entertaining. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2190306.King_George?from_search=true
The Crossover series by the amazing multiple award winning Kwame Alexander. Alexander writes especially for boys with short attention spans. He says more boys would read if there were more books that could be finished in less than 4 days. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18263725-the-crossover?ac=1&from_search=true
The Magic Tree House Books….my grandson loves them!
Also the Track series by Jason Reynolds. He, too, writes especially for boys who don’t like to read. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28954126-ghost?ac=1&from_search=true
Depends on what he likes. My first thought is David Eddings’ Belgariod.
How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg. A book only a tween or teen boy could love. Very funny fascinating informative short essays about weird deaths from history. Very specific descriptions (i.e. gross) of the bodies. Your son will go nuts and rush to read the sequels! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9111463-how-they-croaked?ac=1&from_search=true
Hardy boys
I remember what tickled my son was collections of Jokes. They are short but the kid keeps on reading. Or maybe a collection of short stories. Something like Sherlock Holmes for instance. They are chapter books, but they don’t last long from a kids perspective. Any short story collection .
The only thing about joke books is…then they stop and tell you every joke ??
Very true. But perhaps a small price to pay for getting a kid to read. They WILL move on to other books and they do outgrow it in about 10 years
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series or Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.
Alex rider series by Anthony horowotz
Hatchet is my suggestion, too
Hank the Cowdog series
Harry Potter, Percy Jackson
Theodore Boone series