Need some MG recommendations

In general, you can't go wrong with things that are comedy and action, or comics for that matter. There are a lot of Marvel and DC novelizations for that age. Also, I've been impressed at what's coming out of James Patterson's Jimmy line.

If you're looking for a specific character, I dunno. Kids really love Alex Rider or any other kind of kid spy character.

You might try non-fiction, too. Boys tend to enjoy that more, and it might help him explore his interests more.

My nephew just turned 9, and he loves Horrid Henry. He enjoys diary of a wimpy kid, and beano and asterix comics.

The Wimpy Kid books by Jeff Kinney might appeal - they're quite easy to read as there's a mixture of text and pictures. It's enjoyable by a wide range of age groups (mostly 8-12 but I rather enjoyed the one I read and I've got kids in their target age range*), and by confident readers and less confident readers alike.

*Yes I raid their bookshelves shamelessly

BradCarsten said:

My nephew just turned 9, and he loves Horrid Henry. He enjoys diary of a wimpy kid, and beano and asterix comics.

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My younger daughter loves Horrid Henry. I've been a Beano and Asterix fan since childhood - my kids seem to rather like them too.

My 10 year old brother really loves the Wimpy Kid series, so I recommend that. He also loves the Captain Underpants books (something about saying underpants really makes him giggle). I'd also recommend the Roald Dahl books. They are usually very kid friendly, but may be more difficult for a new English speaker to read. If helping with English is a focus, I might suggest some of the ESL picture books that have both languages on the pages. The stories themselves will no doubt be beneath him, but they can be a great tool for learning language. I used them myself when I was learning German. Best of luck!

neandermagnon said:

My younger daughter loves Horrid Henry. I've been a Beano and Asterix fan since childhood - my kids seem to rather like them too.

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I've just started working my way through my Asterix collection again. They never get old. I would read that and beano to my nephew when he was about 5, and he would sit there laughing his head off at all the fart jokes. Normal people hand down antiques and rings, but I guess my beano collection is our family heirloom that will be passed down from generation to generation

Judging solely from library circulation, the Origami Yoda series (Tom Angleberger) might be a decent choice; they're not about Star Wars, but feature some characters in origami form. (Jeffrey Brown does some fun Star Wars-themed illustrated MG stories that might appeal if he's a fan of the franchise.)

And definitely look into comic books; the pictures might help understand the words if he has issues.

BradCarsten said:

I've just started working my way through my Asterix collection again. They never get old. I would read that and beano to my nephew when he was about 5, and he would sit there laughing his head off at all the fart jokes. Normal people hand down antiques and rings, but I guess my beano collection is our family heirloom that will be passed down from generation to generation

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My Beano collection from back in the day didn't make it... I think I literally read them to pieces. My Asterix collection's pretty tatty as well. I've had to replace a few due to them literally falling apart. I started reading Asterix when I was six but I'm pretty sure none of the copies I owned at that age made it to my present collection. The first Asterix book I ever read was Asterix and the Big Fight and that's one of the ones I've had to replace and the replacement is looking tatty... going to see how many of them survive prolonged contact with my kids, lol

My kids are 3rd generation Beano readers as both me and my dad subscribed to it as kids. But none of the actual comics we read survived... maybe we should've been a bit more careful because I'm sure the ones my dad read would be worth a lot nowadays, in good condition.

Hi Sissy,

Late to the question but if his English is good, then I wouldn't worry about it.
We all start off with low comprehension/vocabulary. His dual language may not be as a crutch as it may seem.

After Wimpy Kids, I would suggest diff route and to try Fablehaven. Female/male sibling combo with lots of adventure.

M

The Phillip Reeves and Sarah Macintyre books, Pugs of the Frozen North, Cakes in space (others too I've forgotten). These are gorgeously written and illustrated.