What is there for boys to read after they've outgrown the Wimpy Kid series? I want names.

[Marleny]

Hi, how about There's a Boy in the Girls Bathroom by Sachar and what about Jack Gantos' books and Gary Schmidt's books?

[Catherine]

From Jack Gantos, try Dead End In Norvelt and the sequel, Norvelt to Nowhere. Slightly mature, very funny. Dry wit and jokes about death.

[Megan]

Absolutely agree with the Charlie Joe Jackson series, Tom Greenwald, and the Big Nate books are going down well with my boys at the moment. Andy Griffiths is always good for a laugh.

It partly depends on the age of the readers - because some of my younger boys (11ys) have been happy to move on to Michael Morpurgo, or Morris Gleitzman - Boy Overboard etc...Paul Jennings has some great fun books for boys this age, too.

The older ones have been happy to move on to Holes - I did bribe with the film, at first, but once they got into it they loved it.

Then it starts to get tough - especially the 13yr old boys. They like not too many words on a page, some humour, no talking down to, and instant gratification. A lot of these boys are not that fussed on fantasy, and prefer realistic(ish) fiction. In NZ I have found that some of Vince Fords books have gone down OK - 2MUCH4U....

I was amazed when one of my lads went straight from DOaWK avid reader, to Bluefish - Pat Schmantz, and then on to Mal Peet's Keeper series.

For me, the most important question is why are they reading DOaWK - once you know that, it's easier to move them on.

[Cheryl]

I'm a retired English teacher and I write Arthurian Legend for reluctant readers. My chapters are short and each starts with a sketch. Please visit my Goodreads page to see my titles. Margaret Peterson Haddix's books are also good for boys, particularly "The Missing" series and "The Shadow Children" sequence. My nephew who doesn't like to read got hooked on these.

[Jerry]

The Offenders: Saving the World While Serving Detention! (which was already mentioned in this thread) is mentioned in Publisher's Weekly. http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by...The Offenders: Saving the world, while serving detention!

[Brenda]

Another book I thought of is .

[Catherine]

Haven't read them myself yet, but my 4th graders at a parochial school are really enjoying the NERDS series, which has been mentioned already. They seem very excited about them, recommending them to each other, and I have not heard a complaint about bad language or mature violence. I do plan to read them myself. (soon?)

[Nyssa]

Catherine wrote: "Haven't read them myself yet, but my 4th graders at a parochial school are really enjoying the NERDS series, which has been mentioned already. They seem very excited about them, recommending them t..."

We just bought the 5th (and final one for our kids (11 & 13), plus the whole set for our nephew (10). I've read the first two NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society and M Is for Mama's Boy. They are a very silly, and a lot of fun. I actually plan to read the 3rd one The Cheerleaders of Doom soon.

[Suzanne]

M.G. wrote: "Love Gary Schmidt! His Okay for Now was soooooo good -- neither the title nor the book cover do it justice."

Agreed! Poignant and real. But don't miss The Wednesday Wars The Wednesday Wars or Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy.

[Suzanne]

Posted above about my love for Gary Schmidt (who, by the way, visited my kids' school and had about 500 4th and 5th graders wrapped around his little finger as he spun a long yarn, all in the service of answering the question: what makes a story?). But I'd also add Gary Paulsen, Jerry Spinelli and Louis Sachar. And a book I recently discovered and LOVED: Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie, which addresses not only middle school romance, delicate sibling relations and a heartbreaking encounter with serious illness in the family but also has fantastic details about playing drums.

[Suzanne]

Lorraine wrote: "I love Rick Riordan Series"

Second this...my son read all of the Percy Jackson books over and over until the pages fell out.

[Suzanne]

Just thinking about throwing in a classic...what about Tom Sawyer? There's a touch of romance in there and a lot of adventure. Sometimes the classics feel very slow to kids raised on contemporary fiction, but they take to them when read aloud. My kids are loving Sherlock Holmes stories.

[Catherine]

I agree that the classics have a lot to offer. The reading level, however, is a big leap up from the Whimpy Kid series. There are abridged versions that make the stories accessible at a lower reading level.

[Suzanne]

Agreed, Catherine. I find they are best for read-aloud (at least to start).

[M.G.]

Suzanne wrote: "Just thinking about throwing in a classic...what about Tom Sawyer? There's a touch of romance in there and a lot of adventure. Sometimes the classics feel very slow to kids raised on contemporary f..."

I've always done the same thing, Suzanne. We read a lot of books out loud together that my boys would never pick up on their own. It's getting harder, now that homework seems to go on way past bedtime, but I've started trying to read a chapter of something at dinner, and we check out audiobooks for the time we spend in the car.

[Marleny]

You were looking for books for boys that are "life-in-school related." I think any of Andrew Clements books would fit the bill.

[Laura]

I have noticed that Alvin Ho books by Lenore Look have become really popular for those students who used to be hooked on Wimpy Kid. Other popular choices have been the Warriors and Seekers books by Erin Hunter as well as Mike Lupica's sports themed novels.

[Teddy]

Big Nate is another

[Sarah]

Books approved by my 10 year old son who loved the Wimpy Kid books:

Holes by Louis Sachar
The Great Brain series by John Fitzgerald
Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

[Bridget]

Oh and a really, really funny and clever series that's "Life in School-related" is Gordon Korman's "This Can't be Happening at MacDonald Hall" and the subsequent books, starring Bruno and Boots, two Middle Grade best friends who can't stay out of trouble at their private school! My brothers loved these, and I did too!

[Alba]

Trying to think of books that haven't already been mentioned.

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko I think will fit with your criteria of no adventure.

The "Fudge" Books by Judy Blume (starts with Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing), although it's been a while since I read those, so maybe they're on the younger side of middle grade for you.

[Christine]

By Michael Buckley who did the Sisters Grimm Series

[Sandra]

Some fantastic suggestions listed above, so many great series to read and love, many of which I would have listed myself. Another series that has been around for a long time that both my sons and my kids at school have always enjoyed are the collection of Goosebumps by R.L. Stein. I know they are probably a bit outdated (like me) but they'll keep kids on the edge of their seats,
Zac Power Adventures kept my fourth graders curious enough to keep reading also.

[Bridget]

Yes, Sandra, "Goosebumps" is at our local library and the books are very worn-out by now because readers keep coming back for more. I confess I personally never read them because the covers scared me too much! Maybe now that I'm older, I can handle it.

[Sandra]

Goosebumps may be a little scary but isn't that what most 8-12 yr old boys are looking for? Something to hide under the covers with a torch or in a backyard tent at night. Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. They might be an old series but boys are still boys! Give them a go, you might surprise yourself Bridget.

[Bridget]

hehehe Sandra, you hit that on the head! Ok, I accept the challenge!

[Gee]

Has anyone mentioned the Horrid Henry series? A boy who used to be at the school I work in loved them, and he was a real die-hard, you'll-never-catch-me-reading-a-book sort of boy.

[Marko]

Definitely Horrid Henry series! And what about Mr Gum series by Andy Stanton?

[Gee]

I agree, Mr Gum is hilarious. Once read it to a class of 5-7 year-olds and they were in stitches.

[Brenda]

and are two others that come to mind.

[Megan]

A lot of boys in my class move from DOAWK to Timmy Failure. Also David Walliams is VERY popular, like Roald Dahl popular. He has a dark and slapstick kind of humour the really appeals to boys.

[Jim]

I have a book for boy readers, called Jack's Tales, that will be released in October. It is especially written to hook boys to great fiction that has all of the ''high interest'' elements, however, explores what it means to a boy these days. My website: www.jackstales.com. Thank you:) I have an excerpt on my homepage!

[Sandra]

Hi Jim, good luck with your future release for boys. My series is aimed at reluctant readers, (which are usually boys). The first is already released, the second is due out shortly.

[Bronwen]

Here's a new one, just released. Time Gamers The Chameleon Quest

[Jim]

Hi Sandra,

Good luck to you too! Maybe we can help each other, too.

[Jim]

Favorite author of books for boys in the chapter book/MG arena: Jerry Spinelli-''Maniac Magee'' and ''Loser'' is an underrated book! Now, I hope I'll make Jerry Spinelli proud with my book: Jack's Tales-a book especially written for this demographic-boys who are ready for a little bit more than Diary of the Wimpy Kid. It will be released end of October 2014. My website: www.jackstales.com

[Steven]

I'm 25, so a bit out of it but the seriesI loved were,

Percy Jackson - Rick Riordan
Alex Rider - Anthony Horowitz
His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman - a must read
Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer

these were great books for 12-15 year old me :)

[Scott]

Some great suggestions here! How about 'Peter and the Starcatcher' by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson?

[Kate]

Try Alan Silberberg's The Awesome Nearly 100% True Adventures of Matt and Kraz. Also Gordon Korman's classics This Can't be Happening at MacDonald Hall and Who is Bugs Potter?

[Laurence]

The Metatron Series would be good!

[Andy]

My son loved this series...probably because of the book covers :) I think three books in the series. And I second whoever mentioned Artemis Fowl first.

[Alexis]

My son loved the books I Funny: A Middle School Story and I Even Funnier. It is a story about a middle schooler.

[J. Lee]

Mark wrote: "The Forgotten Door by Alexander Key is an older book, but still a great MG read. Science Fiction.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/..."

I loved THE FORGOTTEN DOOR. It still haunts me!

[J. Lee]

Might I add my own MG Time Travel Trilogy: they all feature a male protagonist. IN THE NICK OF TIME, THE TIME OF HIS LIFE, and ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD.
They are full of cliffhangers and I've had some good results from male readers and adults!
Peace.

[Rebecca]

It suddenly struck me as funny that we are struggling to find books, even adventure books, for boys. I mean, when I was growing up, if a girl wanted adventure, she had to imagine she was a boy. All the heroes were boys, and girls just did social stuff.

Actually, I sometimes think it's not so different now.

[Brenna]

I knew a lot of boys that I grew up with liking Robert Newton Peck (A Day No Pigs Would Die and the Soup series).

[M.G.]

Has anyone mentioned The Mysterious Benedict Society series? My eleven year old, who tends to like action-packed stories filled with sword fights and things that explode, just started reading the series (which is quite different!) and he's hooked. It really appeals to kids who like solving riddles.

[Andrew]

M.G. wrote: "Has anyone mentioned The Mysterious Benedict Society series? My eleven year old, who tends to like action-packed stories filled with sword fights and things that explode, just started ..."

This is quite a fine series; one that is quite thought-provoking. The central protagonist is the kind of "regular" kid that readers can relate to as he relates to the many strange and colorful people who surround him. And then there is a very real villain who must be defeated which adds excitement, even if swords aren't the weapons that are needed here.

[Steven]

I'm a bit biased as it's my series, but I've had great response on my adventure books, The Virginia Mysteries. They're targeted for ages 7-12 and follow two brothers, Sam & Derek, on mysteries with a twist of history.
Summer of the Woods
Mystery on Church Hill
Ghosts of Belle Isle

[S.D.]

Hi, I have reviews of over 50 middle grade readers on my blog. I only review books that I like. check it out.... kidsmystery reviews.com