Books for Boys
Posted on October 29, 2009 by Miss Britt in Gift Guides, Media
Boys read too
Listen, I don’t subscribe to the idea that there are girl things and boy things. While I may be what is typically called a “girly girl”, it’s by choice and not genetic shackling.
If my kids want to play with dolls, trucks or lab rats, I don’t care, as long as I don’t step on it in the middle of the night.
That being said, I’m probably not going to convince my son to read more by handing him my first edition copy of Sweet Valley High.
The holidays are coming and I think books make great gifts for kids. Books are an especially good gift for boys who are so. not. impressed. with clothes (and really don’t need another video game. Really. Please.)
As of December 14th, I’ll have a 10 year old boy, so the focus of this post is “mid-grade” books for boys. (Most of these books will work for girls as well, obviously, but I wanted to concentrate specifically on ideas for boys today.) Let’s just pretend it’s not called “Buy Her” for a moment.
Gift Ideas For Boys: 10 Books
1. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
From Publishers Weekly:
“When the pilot of a small, two-person plane has a heart attack and dies, Brian has to crash land in the forest of a Canadian wilderness. He has little time to realize how alone he is, because he is so busy just trying to survive. And learning to survive, to plan on food not just for a day but until and if he is rescued, only begins when he stops pitying himself and understands that no one can help him.”
I remember this as an amazing story of a 13 year old boy stranded in the wilderness after a plane crash. Reading the reviews again years later reminded me of the additional back story about a boy whose parents are going through a divorce.
It’s recommended for children 9-12.
2. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Who among us does not remember the first time we read this book – and cried like babies? I remember having it read to me in a classroom and being amazed as all the boys in my class sat beside me and cried just as hard as I did. This is an especially wonderful book for kids with a soft spot for animals.
3. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
More animals, more nature. This book is recommended for “young adults” but I would be happy to see my 10 year old curled up with this classic. What makes this story different from the first two is that it’s told from the animal’s perspective. It’s much more raw and complicated than the first two stories.
4.The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The very first sentence of this book reminds us that we first learned about Huckleberry Finn in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Now it’s Huck’s turn. It’s another great adventure story with young boys as the central characters. If you’re having trouble getting your son interested in reading, having them read a story with a main character they can more easily relate to is helpful.
5. The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald
The first in a series, this was one of my favorite books as a kid. I adored the main character, J.D, and aspired to be as clever as he was. I remember vividly the story of the first indoor water closet and J.D. selling admission to the flushable toilet to his friends and neighbors. To my young mind, this kid was a genius.
6. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
If your child is into mysteries (hint: was Scooby Doo their favorite cartoon?), there’s a good chance they’ll love The Boxcar Children Mysteries. The stories center around four orphans, ages 5-15, and is a great starter for beginner readers. The book was written in the 1942 by a teacher who cleverly used only the 500 most common words in the English language to create a very easy to read, yet exciting, beginning chapter book for 7 and 8 year olds.
7. The Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon
There are dozens and dozens of books in The Hardy Boys series, and this starter set includes the first 6 in the series. The picture at the top of this post? That’s my son, enthralled in a Hardy Boy book and neglecting his beloved Nintendo DS in order to finish it.
8. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
My son read this book recently and we actually had a discussion about how much we would have to get paid to eat fried worms. That may sound like a small thing, unless you’ve had a 9 year old boy – who never wants to talk to his mother anymore. The book is hysterical and disgusting at the same time as the characters concoct a myriad of ways to eat big, juicy worms.
9. Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin by His Good Mouse Amos by Robert Lawson
This was the book that got me interested in history and historical figures, although at the time I just thought it was really cool that this mouse thought he helped Benjamin Franklin do so much. I went on to read more “Insert Important Name Here and Me” books, and the historical events they covered were never more accessible to a young kid.
10. Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
OH, how I cried when Charlotte died. But I don’t plan on telling my son that. Instead, I’m going to lead with “it’s a story about a pig and a spider”. That should lure him in. If not, I’ll mention the potential slaughtering of said pig.
What favorites did I miss?
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Posted on October 29, 2009 by Miss Britt in Gift Guides, Media
I have never heard of the Hatchet, but I kind of want to check it out now. I wonder if it’s good for adults too?
I’m –>this<– close to ordering the Great Brain book just so I can read it again. I used to love those books so much!
I also read the "Anne of Green Gables" series, and the children's illustrated versions of The Three Musketeers, Swiss Family Robinson, and Frankenstein.
@Avitable, How have you never read Hatchet? It’s an entire freakin’ series full of amazingness.
@Avitable, I’ve never heard of the Hatchet either. And I have to agree with you on the Great Brain, it’s an EXCELLENT book that I vividly remember from my childhood.
@Nobody, oh,really good book for kids.
My son has high-functioning autism and didn’t like to read (it was difficult for him) until he found the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series. He started reading them before bed and has all five books, including the “make your own” diary.
@Mary, My son is absolutely crazy about those books! And, truth be told, they are hysterical.
@Finn, Max has gone on to another series now but for the life of me I can’t remember the name (it is comedy too). I have the Magic Tree House and Boxcar books up in my attic (his older siblings are all avid book readers, like his bookworm mom). He just may get a whole box of slightly used books for Christmas!
I *loved* the Boxcar Children books!
Also? I was a “Frog and Toad” fanatic. (Author: Arnold Lobel)
I’m drawing a blank on other non-overly-girly books I enjoyed….? But I’m a huge reading advocate and am in LOVE with my Merriam-Webster’s dictionary! There ya go– encyclopedias! Chock-full of info and you can invest as much energy as you want (skim vs read article)!
Ok, I’m getting carpal tunnel :/
Runaway Ralph!
(Ok, I’m going now… For real)
@Bre, ooh, Runaway Ralph! I haven’t thought about that one for a while!
Check out books by Louis Sachar – Holes, The Wayside School series. Also, The Magic Treehouse series and, if your son likes sports, fiction by Matt Christopher.
I love all of those books and love buying them for my son and nieces to fall in love with.
Other books that are “boy friendly” (and Travis absolutely loves) are Calvin and Hobbes comics; Goosebumps; and, Kingdom Hearts, which are these anime comic book things that you read back to front because Japanese people read things backwards.
I’m drawing a blank on the rest of his faves.
This couldn’t have come at a better time because we’re limiting the amount of video games, movies and junk toys for Christmas this year.
Books you’d think would be badass for boys but are really just too long and complicated to hold their interest for long : Star Wars. They were in the kids section at the library. Total Fail.
@Sheila (Charm School Reject), I loved Goosebumps as a kid! They were so cheesy, hahaha!
My son hates to read, but he loves the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series too.
Another serious he found recently is The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod. They are based on a teenage boy who is half human half vampire. The series starts when he is in 8th grade and will go thru 12th. There are currently 3 books with 2 more coming out soon. Commensensemedia.com recommends these books for 10 and up. I have read the 1st and almost done with the second and they are similar to Twilight but for boys. No romance other than boyhood crushes and dealing with issues boys go thru.
series not serious and they are written by Heather Brewer…I believe she has a website as well.
Bridge to Terabithia! Even though it makes everyone who reads it cry, it’s awesome. The main character, Jess, is an artist and the only boy in a family full of women. He becomes friends with the new girl in town, Leslie, and they create a pretend magical world, Terabithia.
The Dangerous Book for Boys is not a fiction read, but a fabulous book. My son will read it for hours and come up with ideas on what project he wants to tackle next.
http://www.dangerousbookforboys.com/
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