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Books That Appeal to Boys
The "Big Three" for my grandson have been:1) The "Wimpy Kid" series, the 5th book of which will be out in October;
2) The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan; 5 books followed by a sequel without Percy called "The Heroes of Olympus, Book One: The Lost Hero", coming out in October;
and
3) The Harry Potter series - he's almost finished with Book 4 , Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
In addition, he has enjoyed Rick Riordan's The Red Pyramid and the Geronimo Stilton series. He enjoys most books when he's being read to, but these are the ones he reads constantly on his own. (I'm just including his choices of the past 9 months or so.)
For those who may not have seen it, Jon Scieszka, known as the author of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales , the Time Warp Trio books, and many others, has a web site called Guys Read at:
http://www.guysread.com/
The purpose is "to help guys become readers by helping them find texts they want to read." He lists lots of books that boys (and men) enjoy.
My sons favorites lately have beenHow to Train Your Dragon
Geronimo Stilton Collection
The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse: A Chet Gecko Mystery
Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom
The Spiderwick Chronicles Box Set
I look forward to seeing what other ideas others may have. Most of these books he has only yet listened to on audiobooks but loves to listen over and over. I would love some ideas for a reluctant reader along the level of Nate the Great series.
I have a 9 year old son and some of his favorites are:The Boxcar Children series
The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
Lots of books by Andrew Clements
The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton
Juster
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater and of course
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Artemis Fowl, and Midnight for Charlie Bone are series with a common theme. Apparently many boys (like my 14 year-old son) like the idea of having a more exciting life than the one they're currently living. I, and all three of my sons, enjoyed the entire Animorphs series by Katherine Alice Applegate. For older children she has Everworld Books I & II which is only 12 short but intense books long. My youngest enjoyed them last month and I'm going to try to read them soon.
Also try classic science fiction, like Asimov's Buy Jupiter and any of the robot stories The Complete Robot or Lester Del Rey. (The reason I say classic sf is because it's more likely to be cleaner, only G- or PG-rated.)
I don't have sons, but I do teach...I just read The Big Fieldby Mike Lupica and think that this (and probably the others by Lupica) would appeal to older boys (say 5th grade and up). They are sports books. Matt Christopher is also popular as mentioned by Abigail.
Books I've seen 3rd grade boys enjoying the past few years (besides Diary of a Wimpy Kid) are:
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown...now a series of books...
The Spiderwick Chronicles Box Set
A to Z Mysteries
It seems as boys get older that they seem to like 5 main types of books (in general...obviously not all kids fit in one of these groups...and some read books from all of these groups...so this as helpful as a generalization can be...)
*nonfiction...older boys have loved Seymour Simon, Russell Freedman and other nonfiction books
*fantasy and/or science fiction: Fablehaven, Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia etc.
*sports books: as mentioned above...sure wish I could find some better sports books for beginning readers though! If anyone knows of any, please share.
*action/adventure: books by Gary Paulsen, Will Hobbs, etc.
*comic books
Oh, and I read Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of MysteryBunnicula to my 3rd grade class last year and they loved it. I've read a sweet book called Donovan's Word Jar to my class for several years and most of the boys liked it.Some books that I think boys in upper grades might like (but I don't know of any that have read them...just think from my own reading that they might like them):
Mergers by Steven Layne...I loved this book...it examines what the world would be like without different races/cultures in a suspenseful novel and shows the beauty of our unique backgrounds in an unpreachy but thought provoking way. I wouldn't give this to kids under about 5th grade though.
Everlost Part of a trilogy that I've found interesting... the kids have died and are stuck on Earth but in a dimension where they can't interact with those who are living...
This Side Of Paradise A crazy dad tries to force his family to be perfect... definitely for an older reader, but full of suspense. I'd preview it before giving it to my child.
Bud, Not Buddy I loved this book! Several of my fifth graders (about 6 years ago) also loved it.
Matt Christopher has books for younger readers as well, Jenny. The Dog That Stole Football Plays was a funny one! I assume you mean young chapter books - there are, of course, a ton of picture books.We have Donavan's Word Jar, which I liked, but it didn't seem to grab my grandson. I've got Bud, Not Buddy, but I'm hanging on to it for another year. (My grandson's starting 3rd grade next week! And his new teacher says I can come in and read! Hooray!)
That's good to know, Wilhelmina. I will check out Christopher's books for younger readers. Thank you. And yes, I did mean young chapter books. Although I definitely need to add more picture books about sports as well.Yeah, I would hang on to Bud, Not Buddy for little longer. I'm so glad that your grandson's teacher will let you come in and read! How fun for everyone! I would love to have parents or grandparents come in and read.
I appreciate the great suggestions here! My two sons are grown but I do a little reading tutoring on the side so I'm always on the lookout for good boy books.Here are some books I've read recently that I think boys would like:
Picture Book
Shark vs Train
Nonfiction
Bad News for Outlaws
The Day-Glo Brothers
Middle Grade
Kid vs Squid
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
The Seventh Level
Woods Runner
Powerless
Raiders' Ransom
Young Adult
The Maze Runner
The Knife of Never Letting Go
Ship Breaker
Hunger Games - Yes! I've talked to several boys who really liked this book. It certainly has great action and suspense and (thankfully) a not-too-girlie cover.
Lana, YES! I just used Shark vs Train in storytime and the boys loved it. Anything with vehicles for younger boys is a big hit. My son is also into dinosaurs right now.For older boys, adventure is the big ticket. Anything with Star Wars from chapter books to graphic novels to non-fiction spaceships. They can't get enough. They also ask for Magic Treehouse and Magic Schoolbus books.
I get many ideas for older boys from my aunt and three cousins. They read aloud as a family. They've suggested Eragon, Inkspell, and the Hunger Games.
OT: I really wish I knew how to link books. I love that feature!
Lana, I just put The Strange Case of Origami Yoda on hold at the library for my 8yo son. He likes star wars and just started an interest in reading on his own so I'm hoping he might like this one. Thanks for the suggestion :)
Courtney, to add a link, when posting a comment click on add book/author on the top right of the comment box. hope that helps!
Tasha wrote: "Courtney, to add a link, when posting a comment click on add book/author on the top right of the comment box. hope that helps!"Thank you! I'm still a newbie. I love being able to go right to the book when it is suggested.
Tasha, I hope you and your son enjoy The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. My daughter (age 9) and I read it together and we both absolutely loved it!I read something on the author's website that said he ran into some legal roadblocks trying to get permission to use Star Wars names. Finally one of the big-time execs gave the manuscript to his 8yo son and asked him if he thought it was okay. The boy read it and said, "Do it!"
Lana, that is so great! I can't wait to get the book and see if my son likes it. I'll let you know what he thinks.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is at the top of my Christmas list for my grandson! I love that the exec knew to go to a REAL expert!
I haven't actually tried it out on a real boy yet, but I think The Gollywhopper Games has lots of boy-appeal. It's a really fun read about a boy competing in a televised competition run by a toy company (that happens just to have fired his father who was falsely accused of embezzlement). Some of the challenges he faces take the form of puzzles that the reader can try to solve to. The descriptions of all the toys and games that the company makes are quite fun and inventive. It's sort of like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets The Hunger Games, but for younger readers (and without any killing or oompa-loompas).
I just added Powerless by Matthew Cody to my list as well. It sounds great! (Your link took me to the wrong book, but I found it at this link.) Thanks for the great suggestions!
Thanks for mentioning that, Wilhelmina. You figured out what I meant! I think I fixed the link. I don't know why it does weird things like that sometimes. Oh and one more YA book I wanted to mention:
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. (Hope I got that link right!)
Emily, I see that The Gollywhopper Games is written by Jody Feldman, who also wrote The Seventh Level. I'll definitely have to read it!
I almost missed Abigail's great question about what makes a "boy book." I'd like to add a few of my thoughts.Most stories have an external plot (exciting/tense/scary things happen) and an internal plot (relationships, emotions, introspection). The best stories are have strong external and internal plots (Harry Potter, Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, etc).
Girl books tend to have strong internal plots and relatively mild external plots (romances, books like Are You There God It's Me Margaret). Boy books tend to have the opposite (James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, thrillers). Both kinds of stories have conflict, tension that builds, resolution, but the main energy of the story comes from outside with boys books (action, adventure, quests) while it comes from inside with girl books (emotions, relationships, personal growth). All stories have a some of both, good stories have a lot of both, girl stories are heavy on the internal energy, boy stories are heavy on the external energy.
I'll be the first to admit that this is a huge generalization with many exceptions. People should read what they like without having to worry about whether they're reading the "right" books for their gender or whatever. But I do think this is an interesting way to think about books (and movies).
Re what makes a boys' book. I've worked with and known both boys and girls and the main difference I've seen is that for boys there needs to be at least one featured male character he likes and/or identifies with. If all the characters are girls and women, most boys I know are not interested. The boy(s)/man-men don't have to be the main protagonist, but they have to have a large role in the book.
Good points Lana and Lisa! One more thought to add to what has been said, plus what I mentioned earlier. I've found that some boys who just aren't that turned on to reading have become really excited about reading when introduced to quality nonfiction. In my professional development the past couple of years, they have talked a lot about how most people spend significantly more of their time reading nonfiction (newspapers, magazines, emails, etc) than fiction. So as teachers and as parents, it is wise to make sure there is a good mix of both... to prepare kids for the future, but also to excite the young boys who are really turned on to reading by finding great nonfiction about animals, space, electricity, or whatever they are interested in. For a couple of years, my nephew wanted his mom to read him books about music...he knew (at age 5) more about musical instruments and composers than I do as an adult because his mom followed his interests and read tons of nonfiction. Just a thought....
I have found it difficult to identify books including male characters that are realistic fiction. There seem to be more fantasy books (especially) targeted at boys. The ones that my son and his friends have enjoyed so far are:The Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan
The Roscoe Riley series by Katherine Applegate: Roscoe Riley Rules #1: Never Glue Your Friends to Chairs
The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread and others by Dicamillo, Kate
A to Z Mysteries
The Giants and the Joneses
The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne
The Stories Julian Tells
A bunch of the books by Avi
The Redwall series (on audiobook)
The Martin Bridge books by Jessica Kerrin
Classics like the Henry Huggins series by Beverly Cleary, Homer Price, Hatchet, My Side of the Mountain Trilogy, The Bears on Hemlock Mountain, some of the Roald Dahl books, Abel's Island, Edward Eager's books, The Chronicles of Narnia, and My Father's Dragon.
Some that we haven't tried yet, but I think will go well are: The Door in the Wall, The Mysterious Benedict Society, the Stink series by Megan McDonald, Lloyd Alexander's books, and the books by Christopher Paul Curtis.
Meg
Well put Jenny, I certainly have been trying to include those nonfiction books that are of interest to my son. We have a couple of science books that are of interest and we get the national geographic kids.
There are obviously books that will appeal more to boys and books that will appeal more to girls. However, many so-called girls' fiction would, I think, interest some boys as well, and vice versa. I think it's important to try many different types of books and not to pigeon hole either the books or the readers. WIth that in mind, I think that some boys might be scared off from trying a book that is specifically labeled as girls' fiction. Maybe we should stop or at least somewhat diminish labeling books as specifically for girls and specifically for boys.
I would hope that none of us would ever refer to a book as a "boy book" or a "girl" book when talking to an actual boy or girl! It should be about broadening the list of possible suggestions, not limiting them.
Wilhelmina wrote: "I would hope that none of us would ever refer to a book as a "boy book" or a "girl" book when talking to an actual boy or girl! It should be about broadening the list of possible suggestions, not l..."Definitely, I agree. But, I have heard it used, unfortunately.
Good reminder though - when talking to people outside our group we might want to take care, not use the shortcut idiom 'boys' books' but instead carefully say something like 'book that tends to get more boys to read' or something like that (if and only if the need arises of course). For example when I talk to my bookcrossing friends irl, we all have lots of sons and only one daughter so we tend to get a little careless.
A great list. My son did not like the diary of a wimpy kid but he has totally embraced Harry Potter and since he has read those ones several times he has branched into the Charlie Bone books (mentioned by Cheryl above) and the Eragon books. He really loves the older Hardy Boys but hasn't enjoyed the newer ones.Oops, forgot to do the links. here ya go:
Midnight for Charlie Bone;
Eragon & Eldest;
The Tower Treasure
With a new movie about to be released he is interested in trying Guardians Of Ga'hoole Box Set #1-4
My son is 8.5 yrs old so books with kissing in them do not appeal so he really did not likePendragon Book One: The Merchant of Death (I don't know if there is kissing throughout - I doubt it but the first chapter the main character does go on...)
Given my son's love of books I was surprised that he did not enjoy Inkheart but again he dropped it after the first 6 chapters.
My grandson, when asked what he would grab if the house was on fire, said:1) his 12-week-old baby brother, and
2) his Harry Potter books.
Wilhelmina wrote: "My grandson, when asked what he would grab if the house was on fire, said:1) his 12-week-old baby brother, and
2) his Harry Potter books."
Mina, I love that!!!
Gundula wrote: "There are obviously books that will appeal more to boys and books that will appeal more to girls. However, many so-called girls' fiction would, I think, interest some boys as well, and vice versa...."I agree with you 100%, Gundula, and I apologize for the name of this thread! I was zipping along, and not really thinking about the impression it might create, in readers coming into the discussion after the fact. I think we all agree that the key thing is to spark a love of reading in children, boy and girl, and that (as Wilhelmina says), we want to expand the book choices available to young readers, rather than limit them. Yes, some things seem to appeal more to boys, and some to girls, but it is never a hard and fast line for every boy and girl. I will rename the thread...
I'd forgotten about the fact that nonfiction books are appealing to my young son. He's really interested in science, sports and cars so he loves nonfiction books about those subjects.
Abigail wrote: "Gundula wrote: "There are obviously books that will appeal more to boys and books that will appeal more to girls. However, many so-called girls' fiction would, I think, interest some boys as well,..."Abigail, this was in no way meant as a criticism. I actually don't think you need to rename the thread. I was just making a comment about how sometimes we tend to try to steer readers into certain directions. I was actually remembering my own childhood, when my grandmother read the "Nesthäkchen" books to me, but did not allow my brother to listen in, as this was supposedly girls' fiction. I don't know if he would have liked the books, but he should have had the opportunity to listen to the stories being read.
Thanks for clarifying, Gundula. I still feel, having now considered the matter, that it might be best to avoid using the terms "boy books" and "girl books," as that might discourage readers who would otherwise have given a given title a try. Like I said, I wasn't really thinking when I named this thread. Even in my own review of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, I used quotation marks around "boy book."
Abigail, thanks - the old name kept making me do a (humorous) double take "good boy books = books for good boys - naughty boys don't get books...." Obviously you didn't mean that but I still giggled every time I read it.
Cheryl wrote: "Abigail, thanks - the old name kept making me do a (humorous) double take "good boy books = books for good boys - naughty boys don't get books...." Obviously you didn't mean that but I still giggl..."Cheryl, I did the same humorous double take as well, "books for good boys" (I was wondering what books appeal to bad boys). But, seriously, I think the rename thread is great and it's always good to get children (both boys and girls) interested in reading.
Here are some books that ds has liked: "Captain Underpants" series (loved this!!!! Occasionally too gross for me.)Roald Dahl books--I was surprised how much he remembers.
Alvin Ho books (by Lenore Look, I think?)
He is also really into comic books, which I encourage.
Some other really good books were "Stories Huey Tells", "My Father's Dragon", "Mouse and the Motorcycle" series.
I also hate dividing it into girl books/boy books, but I do notice that ds does gravitate to certain things, whereas I gravitate to opposite things! LOL For example, he doesn't really like fairy tales. I noticed they changed the story of Rapunzel to a more boy oriented format ("Entangled?") DS hates princess movies with a passion so I have say I think this may be a wise marketing tactic....
My grandson also hates princesses in any way, shape, or form. I blame Disney for this - they have marketed the Disney princesses to the point where I find them unbearable!
My son likes all the 'boy' books like Charlie Bone, Artemis Fowl, and Percy Jackson, but he also recommends:Bridge to Terabithia
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
The Monument
and the Animorphs and Everworld series by Katherine Alice Applegate
Wilhelmina wrote: "My grandson also hates princesses in any way, shape, or form. I blame Disney for this - they have marketed the Disney princesses to the point where I find them unbearable!"Definitely agree with that assessment, Disney has a lot to answer for.
I actually really love most of the Disney princess movies (the theatrical released ones, not the direct to DVD) and don't see anything wrong with marketing the films to one group. (Though I agree the marketing tends to get a bit out of hand.) That said, I do think it's a great idea to try to put in more aspects to appeal to boys, too, though. Why not!? ;-) I think the Disney/Pixar ones tend to have more across the board appeal but those aren't the usual princess fare.
Lana wrote: "Picture Books: Shark vs. Train".I agree! I just read this one and think it would really appeal to boys. It's great fun and has a wonderful (not over the top) message about friendly competition and that we are all good at different things.
I agree with the comments above that indicate that boys tend to go for books featuring a boy/male protagonist. And that they tend to enjoy more fast-paced/action type stories--not that they can't enjoy something thoughtful or emotional, but I think there needs to be some action interspersed. Here are a few I really enjoyed that I think would be fun for boys, too:
Middle Grade
Larklight: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space and sequels
Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians
Eva Ibbotson's Island of the Aunts & The Great Ghost Rescue
Silverwing
My 14 yo loved the Silverwing trilogy, and is planning to read several of Ibbotson's works since enjoying Secret of Platform 13.
Here is a blog post from a literary agent on the subject of "Voice and Character in Boy Books" (specifically for Middle Grade). Thought some of you might be interested in her viewpoint, and also the various authors mentioned:http://kidlit.com/2010/08/18/voice-in...
Children's Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (other topics)Captain Underpants Boxed Set (other topics)
The Stinky Cheese Man: And Other Fairly Stupid Tales (other topics)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (other topics)
The Red Pyramid (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Matt Christopher (other topics)Rick Riordan (other topics)
Jon Scieszka (other topics)
Norton Juster (other topics)
E.B. White (other topics)
More...
But also: what is it, do you think, that makes a good "boy" book? What qualities must it have? As someone who reads lots of "girl" fiction, both vintage and contemporary, I'm hoping to learn a lot!