,David is the 11-year-old son of my friend Kim. Kim and I met in London when our babies (David and Sara) were around 6 months old and we would take them to French class. Right now I'm thinking -- why on earth did we feel it was important to take our tiny babies to French class? But at that moment in time, we believed baby French class was absolutely crucial for their development. Oh well, I'm thankful for the fact that we had such fun-filled days. And I got to meet such a dear friend!Kim recently moved to Amsterdam with her family. When I was paying her a visit the other day, and we were chatting about everything and nothing, she told me about David being such a fond reader. Pim and Sara are really into reading as well. So I was really interested in what David had read and loved. Kim kept recommending books to me that all sounded so awesome! I couldn't even keep track. Therefore I asked her if perhaps David would want to share his top ten books for boys 10 to 14 years old with us, which he was so happy (and proud) to do!Here's what Kim says:I have to say that David is a very good reader for an 11 year old and has a good comprehension of the English language for his age. Some books might not appeal to parents immediately, title wise, but all were checked beforehand by us and also often recommended by his fabulous school librarian who always encourages the school (boys) to read even if that means finding books that excite them and get them drawn into the magical world of reading. This has put some weird and wonderful books on David’s reading path over the years and all these books below have been thoroughly enjoyed by him.Here we go, not in any particular order, as David loved reading them all!

Top ten books for boys 10 to 14

1. Death or Ice Cream by Gareth JonesLarkin Mills is a town with secrets and mysteries... A place with an exquisite ice-cream parlour and an awful lot of death. Albeit a dark, this is also a funny and brilliantly strange novel. This well written and according to David compelling, but also funny alternative read is a breakaway from the normal children’s series.2. The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt (translated into English from Dutch)First published in the Netherlands in 1962, this tale of the knightly quest of a 16 year old squire named Tuiri, who answers a desperate call for help. As a result, he finds himself on a perilous mission to delivery a secret letter to the King who lives across the Great Mountains. A letter upon which the future of the entire realm depends. A captivating and simultaneously beautiful written tale of faith and chivalry.3. Laura Marlin MysteriesA well told book series full of excitement and adventure about the 11 year old detective Laura Marlin, which was awarded the Blue Peter Book Award in 2011. Currently there are 4 books in the series: Dead Man's Cove, Kidnap in the Caribbean, Kentucky Thriller and finally Rendezvous in Russia.4. The Double Axe by Phillip WomackThe first instalment in Philip Womack’s Blood and Fire series, which cleverly reworks classical myths. It is a thrilling tale of adventure in which young readers will learn more about classical mythology. David can’t wait for the next instalment!5. Urban Outlaws series by Peter Jay BlackPage turning thrillers about 5 extraordinary kids, The Urban Outlaws, who are living in a bunker hidden deep beneath London. They outsmart London crime gangs with lots of gadgets... And then hand out their dirty money through Random Acts of Kindness.Currently there are 5 books in the series. First there's Urban Outlaws, secondly Blackout, then there's Lockdown and Counterstrike, and the newest, Shockwave. David received Shockwave as a Christmas present and as it was the final book of the series, he read it in one day curled up in front of our fire. Clearly an awesome read. Yet at the same time it is always a bit sad to read the final book of a great series one thoroughly enjoyed reading...6. The Hobbit by JRR TolkienThis is a well known classic in children’s literature. The unforgettable story of Bilbo, a peace loving Hobbit, who embarks on a strange and magical adventure. David cannot wait to be old enough to read The Lord of The Rings! Over the last year, he has read The Hobbit twice. We have a beautiful illustrated edition by Harper Collins.7. The Everest Files and North Face both by Matt DickinsonBoth books follow eighteen-year-old Ryan Hart on a thrilling journey to the dark side of Mount Everest, while on a gap year for a charity in Nepal. Beautifully written book, which emerges you into the lives of the local Sherpa's and the mountaineers at their gruelling attempts to climb Everest. Interestingly, the writer Matt Dickinson is an experienced climber himself.8. House of Secrets Trilogy by Chris Columbus and Ned VizziniA trilogy about three siblings, who’s family is forced to move into a mysterious new house in San Francisco. They end up embarking on a journey to retrieve a dark book of untold power, which then enrols them into a roller coaster of an adventure.The trilogy exists of House of Secrets, Battle of the Beasts and finally Clash of the Worlds.9. Dragon Shield Trilogy by Charlie FletcherA thrilling action packed trilogy in which Will and Jo plunge into a world where statues come to life and dragons and heroes battle. The trilogy consists of: Dragon Shield, The London Pride and in addition The City of Beasts.10. Harry Potter and The Cursed Child by JK Rowling, Jack Thorne and John TiffanyThis in our house much anticipated official script book of the original West End Production and the eighth story of Harry Potter, set in time nineteen years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In spite of being a bit of a different read as it is in script form, the book is still full of all the magic of the Harry Potter series.It is crucial to have read all the books in the series of Harry Potter before starting this book script. Therefore, David re-read all the Harry Potter series in a period of 2 months before finally reading the script. But I am sure this will not be the last time he will read the magical gripping Harry Potter series!I hope this is helpful. David and I really enjoyed putting together his Top Ten books for boys 10 to 14 of the past months!Kim xxx