Boys aged 8-10

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monsterorange

I have been asked to write an adventure book for boys aged 8-10, which I am really excited about, but I am looking for ideas on what they are into. Some suggestions have been:

gross-out stuff (farting, snot, etc)
army
video games (but what kind of video games?)
sports
fantasy (a la Harry Potter)


Does anyone else have any suggestions? I want to make it reasonably modern, but I don't want it to date quickly, so I don't want it to be too 'trendy'.

Thanks!
Carolyn
 

Unique

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Since I Have One....

.....hanging around the house, I'll tell you what he's into:

*cars - anything to do with cars.
*riding bikes - making ramps and jumping; doing stunts.
*swimming - in the pond, in the pool, in the tub - anywhere there's water - he''ll
be in it. (This includes large mud holes dug in the garden and filled with a hose)
*climbing trees
*building forts and clubhouses - keeps them occupied for hours. I don't know what they do in there. I don't ask. As long as it isn't on fire, I don't worry too much.

Good luck!
 

Inspired

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BMX, motocross
extreme sports (they tell me they want to do them, but I'm not sure they'd go through with it)

definitely NOT girls
 

mommie4a

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I have an 11 year old - during the 8-10 years, I'd ditto a lot of what others have posted, though he's a very non-sports oriented kid (though biking and swimming are big).

Very into cars, building tracks - started to get into slot cars a year or two ago; buying collector hot wheels on ebay; chess; science stuff - like building remote control cars and planes, taking things apart (like old phones, computers etc.), magic - a lot of boys this age like magic.

He's a really cerebral kid, probably not totally typical, but don't forget the Gameboys!
 

chelle21

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boys ages

# well I'm not a mother but I did help raised three boys there ages are 12, 16, and 15. I would try motorcross, bike riding, my 12 year old is into action hero figures like power rangers, boxing, building things with his hands, my 16 year old is a kid at heart he likes power rangers, skateboarding, bike racing, and airplanes. My 15 year old is into everything he can get his hands on like motorcross, drawing action figures, playing in the band, football, soccor, basketball, baseball, he also like building things with his hands also.

I hope these help you with what you're writing my house is going to be filled with kids this summer at the age you're writing so if you need any ideals drop me a line I would be happy to help you.


With Warm Regards!
Michelle A Obie/Chelle21
http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-writingforlove
please come in check out my poetry.


 

bestseller

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You've got excellent info above. However, in order to see everyone's input first-hand, I would suggest visiting video arcades, go to the mall, parks, and observe this age group interact. If you have a letter from the company that has asked you to do the book, you can take it to a school by your home and ask the principal's permission to observe the kids during recess, sit in on a class or interview them.

Another great way is to go to the library and check out recent adventure books and talk to the librarian. I'm writing a middle-grade adventure book at the moment and went to the library and by the time I came home, I had so much information, I could see the book developing into a series.

I also got a lot of information from www.write4kids.com and don't forget to google for more information. Highlight, Boys' Life, Guide, are some magazines that feature adventure stories. Hope this helps.
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monsterorange

Wow, what great advice. Thanks everyone! I think hanging out among the kids is a great idea so I will definitely do that. The topics supplied are a great jumping off point though. This age group seems to be crying out for good books, so hopefully I can help fill the void!
 

Liam Jackson

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I coach Little League and Pee-wee football, so I spend time with that age group during the seasons. If you're still looking for input, send a PM and I'll add to the mix. Good stuff above.

Best wishes!
 

Unique

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Books He Picked Himself...

I took my son with me to the library yesterday and these are what he picked for himself:

3 books on bicycle stunt riding. (non-fic)

The Bull & the Firetruck
I Want a Pet
The Best Fall of All
Sidekicks (about soccer)

(These are all fiction. I told him to pick out books he can read himself)

I think I'd keep in mind, too, that boys at that age differ widely in their reading skills. My son will look at a book and if there too many words per page, he'll say, "I can't read that" - even though he really could if he tried. I'm hoping one day soon his confidence level will match his skill level. Until then I just try to instill a love of reading in him by: reading to him, letting him see me read, limiting television, leaving books of all sorts lying around the house, and letting him pick out his own books at the library.

Good luck on your project - a worthy endeavor!
 

Fern

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At age 8 to 10 my boy (now 12) was into Goosebump books, as was his entire group of classmates. He loved the Animorphs books immensely, but I noticed some of his classmates, the same ones that found Goosebumps interesting, were less enthused with those.

Along a more traditional line was Charlotte's Web and Sam, Son of Old Yeller. . .those type books.

At that age, the only girl my son & his little group of friends was interested in was a little girl they had been through all the grades with and was the tomboy type that played base ball with the boys rather than softball with the girls etc. They just counted her as one of the boys.

Forming clubs seemed to be a big thing at that age. They always had a "pact", rigorous admission rules. . .i.e. we all have to like you or you can't get in unless you know a certain football move; everyone dyes a yellow streak down their hair. . .that sort of stuff. These clubs always have kids wanting to get in and having hurt feelings when they aren't included.
 

rosebutterfly

I have 4 sons. Like others have said, one thing they all have done is had their own little 'gang' with a club house. They also used to love playing in fields and woods, making dens and playing army or explorers.
The other passion was computer games. At the ages you mention, they never played with girls, their friends sisters were 'smelly' and cried to much. Each of them would try to out do their friends with tales of how brave they were, how tough ect. They were always hungry, never clean except for 5 mins after bathtime and rarely still. The things they were most proud of was taking a couple of old bikes to bits to make a rickety one, building carts or painting their own skateboards.
Good luck withthe story.
 

Mike Martyn

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At those ages, especially ten, neither of my sons could walk ten feet without spitting, they build crazy rikkity skate board ramps which I would quietly pound a few exrta nails into when they weren't around.

When I was ten, I recall my friends and I practising our swearing, when no adults were around of course. For all I know, my sons did the same thing. I'm not sure that this later bit of info will be useful to you though!
 

stormie

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Skateboards, skateboards, skateboards. And showing off for whomever is around within 100 yards.

They love pizza and hamburgers and fries.

The toothbrush is a thing to be eyed for a nano-second.

Towels, dirty clothes, clean clothes, all get mixed in together on their bedroom floor.
 

Betty W01

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Here's a thought - most elementary school libraries are understaffed and overworked (ask me how I know...). Find out what you have to do to volunteer in one. (For ours, you'd need a background check, fingerprinted, and a visitor's badge each time you show up.)

Explain to the powers-that-be about your book, ask to work with 8-10 year old kids, and presto! First-hand knowledge of what kinds of books boys that age like to read.

If that doesn't work, approach the teachers in that age group and ask them if they could use help on field trips. There are never enough parents free during the day (especially males) to drive or chaperone those.

Finally, go to Jon Scieszka's web site, Guys Read, and see what he has to say on the topic. Scieszka, who wrote The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, Math Curse, the Time Warp Trio series, and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (one of my favorite picture books) and he has a real burden for boys that age who can't find stuff to read. His site is at http://www.guysread.com/ It's slow to load, due to all the bells and whistles he uses to catch a boy's eye and drag him in, but it has a lot of good stuff in it.

Good luck.
 

stormie

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When my boys were that age they loved The Stinky Cheese Man! As former teacher, I can also say the type of books many boys that age took out of the library were non-fiction, mostly sports. And with lots of photos in them.


Gee, Betty, wonder how you know that school libraries need volunteers?!
 
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