My almost 9yr old is into:

Trash Packs
Bey Blades
Might Beanz
Go Go's
These new creepy crawly things that when you put them on the wall they crawl down.
DS games such as Pokemon, Cars2, a racing car game.
Pokemon swap cards
Pokemon toys
Lego
Teck Decks
Toy snakes and dinosaurs.
Something cool from the National Geographic shop, best bet would to be go into one and ask the sales person on what kids of this age are into. They are usually onto it.
You can buy eggs that you have to dissolve and dinosaur is in it and grows with water.
A dinosaur excavation kit, it's like a clay block they have to tap and brush away with tools provided.
Ninjago

HTH