Both my kids and all my grandkids have read it, or had it read to them.... It's a lovely book

I have not read it, but I have heard of its reputation.
It is said to be one of the best children's books of all time.

I thank you very much for replying to my inane thread. i was simply sitting back and recalling my day .....................it is a lovely book isn't it?

It is a lovely book Brisket... and like Soozy says... so simple, yet so beautiful....

Another good one (but more recent) is the Gruffalo  Soozy. Have you read that one?

Good to hear some youngsters are still interested in stories from books instead of the dreaded internet stuff.

My nephew loves this book

Absolutely  And also the Gruffalos child (which i think i like even better).

Hi Soozy
This is how my Daughter started and it mushroomed into what she does most of the time now
In fact I'd say that reading is her number one passion now (just behind music)
She must have read hundreds of books by now and and she is only 12, in fact she was reading at GCSE level when she was 9 which makes it a nightmare to find her suitable subject matter
Nourish it now and your grandson will reap the rewards in endless hours of enjoyment

Yes And sorry for calling you Sozzy Soozy

Get em young...........that's what I say too   Didn't do me any harm. I remember walking round the flat following as mam washed floors on her hands and knees reciting stuff from books.  Hark at me who has no kids 

Books offer an escape that even travelling can't Pam
I've loved the places that a good book and my imagination have taken me

Yep, I often wish I could read like I used to. Too tired now, or just can't switch off 

I have been all around the world with books. Although not widely travelled I have seen other cultures through reading. If I had to choose from TV, music, film or books I'd choose books hands down. Nothing like a good read IMO.

I read every night, once I have signed off here....I can't imagine a world without books...

Maybe I should try that Baz, I really need something to calm myself down before I go to sleep I think 

The heirs and spares at Cosmo Towers all liked this at some stage of their lives:

I hated The Very Hungry Caterpillar book 

Thankfully my kids weren't right keen on it either.

I did however have to read every Mr Men book (we had the full set) hundreds of times..  (I still find myself quoting them...  "Mr Neat & Mr Tidy...   Tidy & Neat"...  


Two of my kids all time fave books were The Cats Cake   and   Back Soon..





I always read my kids a story at bedtime..   I didn't always manage to do the school reading with them (I worked full time)..   but bedtime stories I did do.

My daughter first got into reading by herself thanks to Jacqueline Wilson books (I remember the first one she read...   she couldn't put it down, and read it in one sitting).   Now 18 she is a big reader..  and tackles books that are way too hard going for me.

Its harder with the boy though...   there is less reading material for boys - in terms of getting them a book that they can't put down..    The only ones I have found for him that he will read additively are The Jamie Johnson Series, the Goal Series & The Football Academy series (yeah.. there is a common theme).

Daughter is a huge Harry Potter fan and the boy has tried to read her HP books a few times.. but he loses interest.

If anyone knows of any decent books for boys aged 13 ish..    do tell! 

Me too . Unfortunately i read less since frequenting these forums but ......................I always have a book on the go - it just takes longer to get through them these days. Can't imagine not having a book (or two) on the go,

*goes to see what age its aimed at*

Young 'uns Ditty.  I can recall reading it to them and then as they got older they still pulled it out of the bookcase.

Girls are so much easier than boys IMO, One of my sons has no interest in reading (he;s dyslexic) the other one loved all the Famous Five and Secret Seven etc.  - He also loved Harry Potter and got me interested - but you say you're boys not into it.

Lord of the Rings maybe? I don't know ...................boys are bloody difficult full stop IMO.

*sigh*

Might have missed the boat with that one then!


There really is a gap in the market...   decent reading material for young teen boys.. stuff they can relate to.

What about the James Bond books by Charlie Higson.  No idea what age they're aimed at but probably a boy kind of book...?

Re:  books for teenage boys.  Google it, Ditty - there's listmania on Amazon which might help

I used to love the Famous Five & the Secret Seven when I was a kid.

& Malory Towers books.


I don't think Lord of the Rings would do it for him Sooz...   (we did The Hobbit at school and it nearly killed me! )

There are alot of attempts to tap into the minds of 13 yr old boys ...  but most of them really miss the mark.    As I said..  there are a couple of series of books about young boys that are footballers that my son & all his friends love..   but that seems to be about it.

Boys are difficult, I agree.    

Damned hard to fathom sometimes!

A very lame suggestion but ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,agatha Christie?

I will!    

Its been a while since I last did it..     but thats how I found the Goal books & the Football Academy books..    by finding listmanias that included the other series he already liked.

bagsy you suggest that one to him 

David Arnold, Phillip Reeve, Phillip Pullman - all seem to be popular for older boys according to Amazon.

Had all the Blyton Mallory Towers, Twins of St. Clare's etc., but got a big telling off by my junior school teacher for reading them.  She was a right old cow.

Me too!

We have the Phillip Pullman books (daughter owns them)..   

one of the issues is, he will take one look at a big book (as in a lot of pages), with small type and thats it..    he doesn't give it a go.



I have made a note of Phillip Reeve & David Arnold though, will have a gander at those,

ta Cos xx

I so realised that was wrong the moment I posted it , I enjoyed it as a teen but it's a diffrent world.

My son enjoyed books that were sort of socially relevant ...................I can't remember the names of all of them (and maybe he's a bit young) but ..........Pavement For my Pillow was one (about homelessness) and there was another one about drug addiction (can't remember the title)


Actiually SCRAP ALL THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He's thirteen ................you are sooooooooooooooo right- there is (and always has been) a gap in the market for teen boys. Harry Potter filled a void for some but not all.

Have you thought about Graphic Novels? There are some good ones and any reading is better than none at all. IMHO.

Robert Ludlem, Sven Hassel, Stephen King, Graham Masterton,James Herbert, George E. Simpson, Arthur C. Clark...........
If a 13 year old boy can't enjoy at least one of these authors, then I guess they don't like reading

 

Nail on head!!  


So until someone taps into writing books about Playstation games such as Call of Duty Black Ops or WWE Wrestlemania, I will probably have to just keep my eyes open for football related ones.

I agree..    and yes he does have some cartoon strip type books (there is a series called Captain Underpants - he has quite a few of those books)

I also buy him annuals..   Wrestling ones, Formula 1 ones... etc.


And..   he will read the sports section of the paper.