I am trying to help my grandson become a happy reader, I need suggestions for book titles~?

Question

Hi all. My grandson is now 11 years old and has difficulty with reading. His teacher recently gave him the book series "Shutterman" and he actually loves it! Do any of you know of other books that are of a similiar plot and at a comparable reading level? I would truly appreciate your help in finding books that will catch his attention and inspire him to read more. Thank you all, in advance.
Lynn~

Yes, I sure did mess this up! ughhh me! The name of the author is Wendelin VanDraanen and she wrote the Shredderman series! I have tried Narnia, Harry Potter and although I love C.S. Lewis, my grandson didn't. :-( His reading level is below average for his age and grade level).

Answer 1

I don't know the book you mentioned, but here are some that should hold his interest.They are especially geared to boys.

My Side of the Mountain
Sugar Creek Gang series
The Great Brain
Bruno and Boots series by Gordon Korman
Treasure Island(might be too hard, I am not sure)
Henry Reed,Inc.
Dear Mr. Henshaw or anything by Cleary
I heard Hank the Cowdog series is geared to slightly younger readers and I heard they are awesome.
The Boxcar Children is also geared to slightly younger readers (8-10)
The Moffats
Charlotte's Web
Me and the Weirdos by Jane Sutton was one of my favorite books at age 9. It isn't in print, but you might find it at your local library.It still cracks me up.
Tornadao (a dog book)
Petey by Betty Cavanna
Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
Shiloh

Answer 2

Do you mean he's reading novels by the author Neal Shusterman or an actual series entitled 'Shutterman' (which I've never heard of)?

If you mean the former, these novels might interest him:

'The Dark is Rising' sequence by Susan Cooper- this is a series about children having the power to save the world from a Darkness. It's great because it brings in Celtic myths and legends into the storyline.

'Artemis Fowl' by Eoin Colfer- these are a humourous series of books about a thirteen-year-old criminal genius and how he discovers the world of fairies.

Harry Potter by JK Rowling- I think every child love this series and if your grandson hasn't read them but enjoyed the films, it could be worth trying the books.

'The Door in the Lake' by Nancy Butt- this is a story about a young boy who vanishes for two years only to turn up again without having aged. It has a sci-fi/mystery slant to it.

'The Chronicles of Narnia' by C.S. Lewis- a well-loved fantasy series that's sure to absorb most kids.

'The Power of Five' series by Anthony Horowitz- these are a fantasy series about a young boy who has the power to stop a great evil conquering the world but only if he can unite with four other Chosen Children. This is something I'd have a skim before buying as it might be a bit above your grandson's reading level but the story itself might be one that keeps him involved enough to motivate him to try.

I'd also check out other books that Neal has wrote (http://www.storyman.com/)

Answer 3

Harry Potter

Answer 4

Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story
by Mary Downing Hahn,

Bigger by Patricia Calvert

Wait Till Helen Comes: by Mary Downing Hahn

Shiloh by Phillys Reynolds Naylor

Answer 5

Goosebumps books. I've got a kid who read EVERY single one when he was about that age, and he did it with a passion. That made him a self-starter as far as the reading addiction goes.

Me, I just did Dr. Seuss when I was younger and it got me hooked.

And I'll be reading Seuss to my granddaughter in a few years, probably when she hits 4-years old.

You've already got my A+ rating for a cool grandma already. But just try a Goosebumps book and see if he likes it. Otherwise, hit the library and let him pick out a bunch of different stuff. Enthusiasm for reading is the best thing you can share with your grandson.


PS: My brother only liked Mad Magazine when we were kids.. He is now a very respected English professor, and I'm the kid with a stack of unpublished novels in the closet. Go figure...

Answer 6

I'm not familiar with that book series. But you might see if THE LIGHTNING THIEF would work. It's by Rick Riordan, and it's a great series of books. Really funny. Really exciting. The first two books in the series are The Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters. The third is due out this spring.

Answer 7

I have no idea what that is, but some good children's books could be Chronicles of Narnia. He can always try to read Harry Potter, he may need a little help with them though, but they are really good.

Answer 8

Have you looked at the books by Jim Kjelgaard? He wrote a whole series of dog books, starting with one called "Big Red". My nephew loves these books because they deal with hunting and the outdoors. Kjelgaard's series covers all breeds of dogs, many of the books from the dog's view. "Snow Dog" and "Desert Dog" are two of my nephew's favorites. The first tells the story of a malamute in Alaska, the second an abandoned Greyhound.

Answer 9

check the list of books on Nancy Springer's web site. She is an award winning YA writer. Her books are excellent.

http://www.nancyspringer.net

Answer 10

Try the "Hank the CowDog" series. They aren't hard but, they are good for that age level. It should boost his esteem to know that he's getting better.