Read aloud book for a 10 year old boy who struggles reading.
Hello I am in search of a book to read my son who struggles with reading and says it’s boring. I need something that he can fall in love with. No picture books. Maybe an adventure but up for anything. Thanks
What non-book things does he like? Dinosaurs? Cowboys? Comedy?
My son was really into Dragons. I used that to get him into reading.
MBO_EF on
Artemis Fowl
quickbrassafras on
Wingfeather Saga.
Or for an easier reading level, Tracey West has a dragon series
Ireallyamthisshallow on
>No picture books
Is there any particular reason ? Something like a comic might be exactly what he is after – either a physical one or using an app to just trial them. He may find them more exciting and even be lured in to reading without knowing he’s doing it. Books with heavy usage of image (including entire picture books) can be a great way to get into reading, be a source of great discussion, and build reading skill such as inference making them a better reader.
Beyond that, it might be worth trying to understand what/why he struggles with and why he finds it boring (the former probably causes the latter). If you can address that, you’re likely to have more success than just trying books which may or may not grasp his interest and he may feel forced to read.
To answer your question though, if they’re books you’re going you read to him any book appropriate for his age is a possibility. Something like *The Hobbit* is tried and tested. The *Alex Rider* series often grasps boys imagination, as does *Percy Jackson*. It may be he’s not a boy who’s interested in adventure. Something like *Charlotte’s Web* may be more up his street if he’s interested in animals.
boxer_dogs_dance on
Black and Blue Magic, Hatchet, My Side of the Mountain, Dork Diaries, The Adventures of Dunk and Egg, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of Nimh, Good Night Mr Tom
Bechimo on
How about classic sci-fi written for young boys in the ‘50-60s.
Have space suit will travel (about a 10 year old boy) & Tunnel in the sky are old favorites
Just_Browsing_2017 on
If he’s even the least bit interested in Star Wars, try the Origami Yoda series. Good stories, positive role models, and not too hard to get through. They were my favorites to read with/to my boys and *I* was sad when they finished them 🙂
waterbaboon569 on
The Wayside School series by Louis Sacher aren’t an adventure but they are super silly and I still love them. Sacher has several books that can kind of “age up” with him, too, that are generally less silly than Wayside School but still solid.
He might also enjoy books like Mouse on a Motorcycle by Beverly Clearly, or Jeremy Thatcher Dragon Hatcher and/or My Teacher is an Alien by Bruce College. The Magic Tree House series might be a little young for him, but if he’s struggling with reading those might be a good option to give him some successes under his belt.
When my brother was that age, he really loved the Leven Thumps series by Obert Skye, as well
patch_gallagher on
I loved The Hardy Boys. They were easy to read and every chapter ends with a cliffhanger
friendly-sam on
Artemis Fowl book series.
freerangelibrarian on
The Akimbo series by Alexander McCall Smith. An African boy who lives on a nature preserve has adventures with animals.
The Great Brain books by John D. Fitzgerald. Humourous stories set in 1800s.
Logical_Seat_8 on
Artemis Fowl, or Wings of Fire.
Crendrik on
I recommend the Hobbit if he hasn’t encountered it yet.
justatriceratops on
Gregor the Overlander series?
Neona65 on
This was about the age my son got interested in Harry Potter books. I read a chapter a day to him that year.
Wot106 on
Series of Unfortunate Events, Snicket
Bluesbunny33 on
Percy Jackson, Brandon Sanderson, try introducing him to audiobooks. When fathers encourage reading it raises test scores in boys. There was just a study done a few years ago that suggest that boys and men only make up at the very most 35% of readers and came to the solution that if fathers and sons read together it would boost their reading comprehension and writing skills. Which is important. My husband never liked reading because he’s dyslexic and when I introduced him to audiobooks last year in October we read 32 books by the end of the year and started this year with Moby dick. We are on book 52 now. It makes a huge difference if a father takes time to read with their son’s. Girls and women tend to think reading is a hobby and 80% of young girls list it as something they enjoy.
chellebelle0234 on
Kings to the Kingdom by Garth Nix
Taste_the__Rainbow on
I am currently reading Alcatraz vs The Evil Librarians to my 8 and 10-year olds one chapter per night and it’s pushing all the right buttons.
savemysoul72 on
This is an old one, but perfect for his age: The View from the Cherry Tree by Willow Davis Roberts
ModernNancyDrew on
Warrior Cats series
The Egypt Game
Harry Potter
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
CanadianContentsup on
The Flashback Four series by Dan Gutman. They’re funny and about a group of boys.
The Redwall series.
If you take him to a public library, the Librarian could ask him pertinent questions and come up with something. Don’t dismiss anything, Mom! If he likes graphic novels, Adventure series- it doesn’t matter as long as he enjoys them. Do they still make Mad Magazine? Satire opens your mind.
erniebarguckle213 on
The first novel I ever read just for fun was Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve (I think I would’ve been 12 when I read it). It’s a post-apocalyptic sci-fi adventure that’s got a ton of stuff that I think a 10-year-old boy would like. Cities that movie on wheels. Airships. A cyborg. Sword fights. A secret weapon of mass destruction. A girl with an epic scar who wants revenge against the man who killed her mom.
unlovelyladybartleby on
The Menagerie by Tui T Sutherland
gomelgo13 on
Bud not buddy
lyr4527 on
Harry Potter. My dad read it to my sister and I at that age. We did read aloud for the first four books, until we were older and sufficiently obsessed that we wanted to read the new books as quickly as possible after they came out.
M_Pfefferi on
Salman Rushdie’s “Haroun and the Sea of Stories”
piqued-pinapple on
The Rangers Apprentice series by John Flanagan.
Uulugus on
Skulduggery Pleasant! The books are funny, dark, (but age appropriate) and full of action, Magic, and cool characters. I seriously COULD NOT get enough of this book series as a kid. I couldn’t believe how cool it was.
Gregor the Overlander. It’s the book that made my reluctant son into a reader at about that age.
Now he is a librarian. True story.
atthebarricades on
He’ll be almost the same age as Harry Potter starting at Hogwars, should be perfect! You can read to him or you can listen to the audiobook together and read along, it will be exactly as the book, Rowling was very adamant about that. The new illustrated editions are gorgeous and might make it more engaging for him.
atthebarricades on
By picture books I assume you mean graphic novels? I wouldn’t avoid those. Parents who don’t let their kids read graphic novels because it’s more images than text just contribute to making reading boring for the child. If he shows interest in graphic novels, please let him read them. They’re a great way to garner a habit of reading for pleasure.
Reasonable-Score2233 on
How about manga? Lots of kids in Japan love manga. There are tons of different themes so if he likes sports, he could read something like Haikyu, Aoashi, Bluelock. Adventure? ones are for example Naruto, My hero academia, Pokemon.
34 Comments
What non-book things does he like? Dinosaurs? Cowboys? Comedy?
My son was really into Dragons. I used that to get him into reading.
Artemis Fowl
Wingfeather Saga.
Or for an easier reading level, Tracey West has a dragon series
>No picture books
Is there any particular reason ? Something like a comic might be exactly what he is after – either a physical one or using an app to just trial them. He may find them more exciting and even be lured in to reading without knowing he’s doing it. Books with heavy usage of image (including entire picture books) can be a great way to get into reading, be a source of great discussion, and build reading skill such as inference making them a better reader.
Beyond that, it might be worth trying to understand what/why he struggles with and why he finds it boring (the former probably causes the latter). If you can address that, you’re likely to have more success than just trying books which may or may not grasp his interest and he may feel forced to read.
To answer your question though, if they’re books you’re going you read to him any book appropriate for his age is a possibility. Something like *The Hobbit* is tried and tested. The *Alex Rider* series often grasps boys imagination, as does *Percy Jackson*. It may be he’s not a boy who’s interested in adventure. Something like *Charlotte’s Web* may be more up his street if he’s interested in animals.
Black and Blue Magic, Hatchet, My Side of the Mountain, Dork Diaries, The Adventures of Dunk and Egg, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of Nimh, Good Night Mr Tom
How about classic sci-fi written for young boys in the ‘50-60s.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinlein_juveniles.
Have space suit will travel (about a 10 year old boy) & Tunnel in the sky are old favorites
If he’s even the least bit interested in Star Wars, try the Origami Yoda series. Good stories, positive role models, and not too hard to get through. They were my favorites to read with/to my boys and *I* was sad when they finished them 🙂
The Wayside School series by Louis Sacher aren’t an adventure but they are super silly and I still love them. Sacher has several books that can kind of “age up” with him, too, that are generally less silly than Wayside School but still solid.
He might also enjoy books like Mouse on a Motorcycle by Beverly Clearly, or Jeremy Thatcher Dragon Hatcher and/or My Teacher is an Alien by Bruce College. The Magic Tree House series might be a little young for him, but if he’s struggling with reading those might be a good option to give him some successes under his belt.
When my brother was that age, he really loved the Leven Thumps series by Obert Skye, as well
I loved The Hardy Boys. They were easy to read and every chapter ends with a cliffhanger
Artemis Fowl book series.
The Akimbo series by Alexander McCall Smith. An African boy who lives on a nature preserve has adventures with animals.
The Great Brain books by John D. Fitzgerald. Humourous stories set in 1800s.
Artemis Fowl, or Wings of Fire.
I recommend the Hobbit if he hasn’t encountered it yet.
Gregor the Overlander series?
This was about the age my son got interested in Harry Potter books. I read a chapter a day to him that year.
Series of Unfortunate Events, Snicket
Percy Jackson, Brandon Sanderson, try introducing him to audiobooks. When fathers encourage reading it raises test scores in boys. There was just a study done a few years ago that suggest that boys and men only make up at the very most 35% of readers and came to the solution that if fathers and sons read together it would boost their reading comprehension and writing skills. Which is important. My husband never liked reading because he’s dyslexic and when I introduced him to audiobooks last year in October we read 32 books by the end of the year and started this year with Moby dick. We are on book 52 now. It makes a huge difference if a father takes time to read with their son’s. Girls and women tend to think reading is a hobby and 80% of young girls list it as something they enjoy.
Kings to the Kingdom by Garth Nix
I am currently reading Alcatraz vs The Evil Librarians to my 8 and 10-year olds one chapter per night and it’s pushing all the right buttons.
This is an old one, but perfect for his age: The View from the Cherry Tree by Willow Davis Roberts
Warrior Cats series
The Egypt Game
Harry Potter
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
The Flashback Four series by Dan Gutman. They’re funny and about a group of boys.
The Redwall series.
If you take him to a public library, the Librarian could ask him pertinent questions and come up with something. Don’t dismiss anything, Mom! If he likes graphic novels, Adventure series- it doesn’t matter as long as he enjoys them. Do they still make Mad Magazine? Satire opens your mind.
The first novel I ever read just for fun was Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve (I think I would’ve been 12 when I read it). It’s a post-apocalyptic sci-fi adventure that’s got a ton of stuff that I think a 10-year-old boy would like. Cities that movie on wheels. Airships. A cyborg. Sword fights. A secret weapon of mass destruction. A girl with an epic scar who wants revenge against the man who killed her mom.
The Menagerie by Tui T Sutherland
Bud not buddy
Harry Potter. My dad read it to my sister and I at that age. We did read aloud for the first four books, until we were older and sufficiently obsessed that we wanted to read the new books as quickly as possible after they came out.
Salman Rushdie’s “Haroun and the Sea of Stories”
The Rangers Apprentice series by John Flanagan.
Skulduggery Pleasant! The books are funny, dark, (but age appropriate) and full of action, Magic, and cool characters. I seriously COULD NOT get enough of this book series as a kid. I couldn’t believe how cool it was.
I was a huge fan of the Alien Adventures series starting with [Aliens Ate My Homework](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/343301.Aliens_Ate_My_Homework) when I was a kid.
Gregor the Overlander. It’s the book that made my reluctant son into a reader at about that age.
Now he is a librarian. True story.
He’ll be almost the same age as Harry Potter starting at Hogwars, should be perfect! You can read to him or you can listen to the audiobook together and read along, it will be exactly as the book, Rowling was very adamant about that. The new illustrated editions are gorgeous and might make it more engaging for him.
By picture books I assume you mean graphic novels? I wouldn’t avoid those. Parents who don’t let their kids read graphic novels because it’s more images than text just contribute to making reading boring for the child. If he shows interest in graphic novels, please let him read them. They’re a great way to garner a habit of reading for pleasure.
How about manga? Lots of kids in Japan love manga. There are tons of different themes so if he likes sports, he could read something like Haikyu, Aoashi, Bluelock. Adventure? ones are for example Naruto, My hero academia, Pokemon.