The Hardy Boys Series
Girls have Nancy Drew; boys have the Hardy Boys. Follow brothers Frank and Joe as they investigate the exciting mysteries in Bayport (an amazingly crime-infested town).Although they frequently encounter great dangers, their pluck and, of course, hardihood, allow them to emerge unscathed and solve every case. The series has gone through many iterations, but the ones published between 1927 and 1959, largely written by Leslie McFarlane, are absolutely the best and the only ones worth reading. Beginning in 1959, the books began to be revised in effort to make them more PC, remove anything too violent, and attract readers with a shorter attention span. The result were sanitized, dumbed down books that McFarlane considered “gutted.” So buy the vintage books or those from Applewood Books which has reprinted the original 1-16.
The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle
I’m pretty sure every boy goes through a knight phase. Stories of swords, armor, wizards, and dragons are the perfect fuel for a boy’s imagination. And there are few better vehicles to stoke that imagination that Howard Pyle’s rendition of the legendary stories of Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. It is surely not the most accessible book; Pyle used the kind of archaic English true to that time, but difficult for ours. But he also wrote it with the young reader in mind, and so a dedicated boy will not find the task of reading and understanding insurmountable, and the book is packed with illustrations to provide visual interest. Of course, also check out Pyle’s The Adventures of Robin Hood, probably the better book (but knights are cooler, so they got the shout out).
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
There are times where the movie is so famous, so classic, that people almost forget that a book version exists. Such is the case with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But while the movie (the original, of course) is a genuine gem, the book, as it always is, is even better. Dahl has a knack for taking the things that fill kids’ imaginations and building a story around them. Every boy loves candy, and every boy would love to tour a candy factory as fantastical as Willy Wonka’s. Charlie Bucket gets a chance to when he finds 1 of the 5 golden tickets that allow entrance into this world of wondrous, sugary delights. A book with a message that everyone can get behind: Snotty brats will eventually get their comeuppance while the good in heart will be justly rewarded.
The Thief of Always by Clive Barker
Clive Barker for the younger set. In this engrossing fable, ten-year old Harvey is bored with his life until a strange being shows him the way to the enchanting and magical Holiday House. Each day cycles through all four seasons, and the children can celebrate Halloween every evening and Christmas every night. It seems like a place of endless fun and excitement, but of course, not everything is as it seems…..
That Was Then, This is Now by S.E. Hinton
For a lady, S.E. Hinton sure knew how to tap into the mind of a teenage boy. In That Was Then, This Is Now, she returns to her favorite subject-seemingly parent-less boys trying to find their way in an unkind world. Characters from The Outsiders show up in the story as do the similar lines between Socs and Greasers. But while this book is not as good as that classic, nor is it a trite regurgitation of it. The plot instead is quite compelling-two boys, Byron and Mark, who are life-long friends with a bond like brothers, reach a crossroads in their friendship. Mark is being pulled into the violence and crime of the streets, while Byron wants to make something of himself. Their friendship is changing and Byron must decide a question that pains every man, “When does loyalty end?” Believable and real right up until the not so-happy ending.
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Everybody love Dickens’ Christmas Carol (I wonder what he would have thought about his work being turned into 3-D!). And everyone is assigned Great Expectations and/or The Tale of Two Cities in high school, and yet poor David Copperfield is often ignored or mistaken for a modern magician. Which is a shame-it is just as good, on some days I might say even better, than his more famous works. And it’s a perfect starting point for a boy who is ready to dip his toes into Dickens. Certainly more challenging than a choose your own adventure book, but quite possibly the thing to change a boy’s mind about “classic” literature. Dickens story is a coming-of-age tale that does not make the common mistake of unrealistically having a boy come of age all at once. Instead we are allowed to experience the great humanity of David Copperfield and the wonderful cast of characters that challenge him, love him, and help him grow into a man.
Heart of a Champion by Carl Deuker
Like Mike Lupica, Carl Deuker manages to mix the kind of pitch-perfect accounts of sports action that is the hallmark of sports literature, with realistic and compelling characters and plot lines. The Heart of a Champion combines baseball with a story about the influence and impact of fathers on their sons, making this another classic entry in that distinctively male genre of stories: baseball as life. Seth’s father died when he was six and his difficultly in coming to terms with his death has set his life adrift. But then he meets Jimmy, who has a father problem all of his own-his dad is overbearing and an alcoholic. Jimmy’s friendship helps Seth get on track with baseball and school, but when his parents divorce, it’s Jimmy who’s life starts to fall apart. The boys’ choices soon lead them in very different directions.
Blue Skin of the Sea by Graham Salisbury
Next to Gary Paulson, Graham Salisbury was one of my favorite authors as a boy. Blue Skin of the Sea is set in Hawaii in the 1950s and 60s and follows the life of a teenager named Sonny Mendoza and his cousin, Keo, as they come of age. Despite coming from a family of a long line of fishermen who braved the ocean for their living, Sonny fears the ocean, but doesn’t know why. At its core, Blue Skin of the Sea is about the self-realization every young man must go through as they make their way from boyhood to manhood. At least that’s what I got out of it when I read it as a 12 year old.
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
Like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Old Yeller is a great book that is often obscured by it’s cinematic counterpart. But instead of popping in the DVD, give your boy the book to read. Often remembered as a story of the bond between a dog and a boy, it’s really a coming of age story. 14 year old Travis Coates lives with his family in the hill country of Texas during the 1860′s. When his father must leave home for a time, he leaves Travis to “act a man’s part” and take care of the family. He does his best, but comes to need the help of, and love, Old Yeller, a dog who wanders into their lives. But when Old Yeller gets rabies, Travis learns firsthand one of the most difficult virtues of true manhood-sacrifice.
The Art of Manliness by Brett and Kate McKay
Okay, so I’m a little biased about this one. But I honestly think our book is a must-read for boys and young men. It’s never too early for a boy to start thinking about and learning what it means to be a man. Even if you’re good parents, it’s hard to think of everything a boy needs to know. Help your son learn essential classic skills and manners and become part of the generation that will revive the lost art of manliness.
These 50 books just scratched the surface. There are a TON more great books for boys out there. Share your favorites in the comments. But remember to look through all 5 pages before you do-those who suggest a book that’s already on here will get 50 lashes and their comment deleted. And yes, this list is Western-centric, so please suggest some great young adult literature from your favorite obscure Mongolian author.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis
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Books I enjoyed as a kid included “The Great Brain” series by John Dennis Fitzgerald, and the Tom Swift Jr. books (very similar to the Hardy Boys, but with many high-tech toys).
+1 for the Count of Montecristo – probably not a book to get someone interested in reading, but a great adventure story. Picked this one up around 8th grade, because it was the biggest book in the library, but it held my interest to the end.
Tom Brown – both his nature books and personal biographies
Ray Bradbury – Martian Chronicles are the best for boys, IMO. Originally printed in Playboy, but since collected into books more likely to be found in the school library
I’ve been trying to figure out which Knights of the Round Table I read as a boy forever and I finally did! Thanks for including this in the list– I was actually hoping that you put it on there for boys. Incidentally– the manly man with the manly mustache John Steinbeck had this to say of King Arthur and his knights which I absolutely agree with:
“My feeling of nobless oblige, and any thought I may have against the opressor and for the oppressed came from this secret book.”
If you’re mentioning Heinlein, why not _Have Spacesuit, Will Travel_? A young man finds a way to get a spacesuit, and from there . . .
100 comments already, but I can’t help but add “By the Great Horn Spoon!” I loved that book growing up. A young boy and his butler sneak off to California during the Gold Rush to find their treasure. I loved that book growing up.
A recent discovery, which I would recommend for both boys and girls, is Arthur Ransome’s “Swallows and Amazons” series (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swallows_and_Amazons). There are 12 books in the series, written mostly in the 1930′s.
Every single book by Roald Dahl is pure gold. Danny the Champion of the World and Fantastic Mr. Fox are fabulous too:)
all quiet on the western front?
catcher in the rye?
the great gatsby?
it’s like this cat?
johnny tremain?
kidnapped?
Wow–someone else remembers The Great Brain series? Man, I hadn’t thought of those in AGES. LOVED ‘EM!
Without reading all the other comments, I have to add that I enjoyed the “Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators” series better than the Hardy Boys, and pretty much any of Heinlein’s “juveniles” are ones I still re-read over and over again today.
“And in the name of gender-neutrality, teachers are foisting books on boys that they simply do not like.”
I don’t think gender-neutrality plays too much of a role as to why boys don’t read – the majority of books ARE written for young boys. Trust me, it’s much, much harder to find a book for a young woman that treats her as intelligent, adventurous, and courageous than it is to find a similar book for a young man. Some boys simply won’t read a book without a male protagonist while girls are more likely to just appreciate a good story – female authors know this. Just ask Hinton, Lowry, Banks, and George. When J.K. Rowling began the Harry Potter books, she was a single mother with a young daughter – why are the books not about Harriet Potter?
Other than that minor quibble, great list. Many books on here my father enjoyed, I enjoyed, and now my kids do too.
Rumble Fish should be there for sure!
Also liked the Hitch Hiker Guide to the Galaxy at a young age even though you might miss some of the references..
Great list….Thanks for reminding me of My Side of the Mountain. Loved that book and am going to track it down again. Couple of of other suggestions:
Call it Courage by Armstrong Perry – flat out my favorite book until I was about 12 or 13.
A Day in the Life Of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Papillon by Henri Charriere – read it in the 7th grade when I bought it through the school book catalog. Led to some great conversations with my father and his seven brothers.
Tarzan of the Apes – Read the story and find out about the real Tarzan. The entire series is great and veers off into serious sci fi and fantasy territory. Pretty much anything by Edgar Rice Burroughs is great.
later.
While this is a pretty good list, a lot of the older titles are a REALLY hard sell, at least at the middle school. Howard Pyle? The Chocolate War? I’ve had boys return these with a mistrustful gleam in their eyes. No Anthony Horowitz or Gordon Korman? Thanks for the list, though– it’s always good to have other opinions.
Has anyone mentioned The Yearling by Marjorie k. Rawlings? One the best coming-of-age and boy-and-animal books out there. And what about Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli? And the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, although new, deserve to be on every boy’s list.
No Ayn Rand?
I started reading Louis Lamour when I was in 4th grade. They are great books and I even read the walking drum to my son while my wife was still pregnant with him!. He got to the point where he would start kicking and “sword fighting” as I put whenever I started to read it at nights!!!
Martian Chronicles is number one. Maniac McGee is number two (even better for younger boys). And though its not fiction I really like 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens which really inspired me, taught me a lot and entertained me.
Hatchet and Ender’s Game are absolutely essential too so thanks for including them.
Hatchet and Ender’s Game are absolutely essential too so thanks for including them. Really, any Gary Paulsen books are excellent. And the Adventures of Doctor Doolittle will rock the socks off any boy, or person in general. The book, so vastly different in setting and quality, completely puts the movie to shame and doesn’t have a bunch of annoying innuendos and tawdry humor.
The first edition of the Boy Scouts Manual is available for free from Project Gutenberg here: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/29558
I always got a kick out of the Encyclopedia Brown Series. Good young detective books and a little more readable than The Hardy Boys for younger kids.
I have to say that I love seeing the books that I loved as a kid on this list. The Chronicles of Narnia were my favorite. I’ve probably read them each at least five times. James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory were two that I loved also. Roald Dahl had such a way with writing that made me feel like I was actually in the story. I wish young men would pick up books again and read. I think if those of who want to live as true men mentor the next generation to be real men, the future will be a good deal brighter.
I didn’t see this one listed, but “Nick of Time” by Ted Bell is a very new book that was written to inspire adventure in young boys. My 11 year old son and myself really enjoyed the book. It is a good page turner.
For Boys who love Baseball you have to try any books by Matt Christopher like the Home Run King.
If you like Hardy Boys you may like the Tom Swift books.
I’ve read most of these as a child, a lot of others that aren’t on the list, but we all have different influences.
I’m really surprised that The Hatchet was on the list. I thought that was the biggest waste of 48hrs I’ve ever had. Then again I was forced to put down The Hobbit and read it in grade 7. The thought that a 13 year old kid didn’t know how to survive by himself irritated me. I’d been spending weekends up in the woods behind my house since I was 10 and building fires since I was 7. The fact that it took him a week to figure out that you had to put the spear into the water first is what really got me though. It’s like the kid never took a science class or observed the world around him. And yes, 15 years later I still hold this resentment. The book irritated me that much.
The Space Trilogy by CS Lewis is awesome and has good Christian meaning.
-Out of the Silent Planet
-Perelandra
-That Hideous Strength
Wonderful mix of modern and classic books for boys. I look forward to turning to it when my 12-year-old is looking for his next read.
I would say that some of my favorites would be:
White Fang by Jack London.
The Earthsea Triology by LeGuin.
Later it became anything by Dean Koonts, Cussler and L’amour.
I agree with the Louis Lamour post, the “Last of the Breed” is an amazing story of the adventure/survival type for any teenage boy. Also, Lamour’s shourt stories are excellent in the way that he truthfully protrays life in many aspects. Mainly, because he lived through many of the settings. “Education of a Wandering Man” is a great book for anyone to read that really had a hard time in school because he shows that not everything you learn in life is learned in school (as society would have you think, nowadays). Life is out there for learning, enjoy it.
i love the tarzan book its great babe xx]
I read “My Side of the Mountain” three or four times! Great book. I think I could read it again today and I’m 52 years old.
i appreciate your list. regarding c.s. lewis and the chronicles of narnia…so what if it is a christian allegory. jesus was about as manly as it gets. the dude took a beating, a roman flogging, and extreme body trauma that would have made any dude whimper like a girl scout….what’s more is that he didn’t have to, but chose to for the salvation of man. very manly if you ask me….
You have many good listings, but should also include the Historical Fiction collection of G. A. Henty. These are now in public domain and can be obtained from Project Guttenberg or from Amazon.com as Kindle edition e-Books.
Great list…but how can you have a list of books for boys and not have any books by G. A. Henty. Unthinkable!
John Christopher’s “Tripods” series was all the rage back when I was in sixth grade:
The White Mountains, The City of Gold and Lead, and The Pool of Fire.
A great sci-fi adventure about growing up, camaraderie, and the ultimate sacrifice.
Also recommend Ray Bradbury’s The Halloween Tree for similar reasons.
Eh, sorry no booklist on a site with “manliness” in the title that lacks a single Hemingway novel is a sham. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? You mean you couldn’t have even mentioned “farewell to arms” or “death in the afternoon”? Needs more “manly” books.
Notable omissions:
The Education of Little Tree, by Forrest Carter (on my personal list, that would be #1)
Alongside Night, by J. Neil Schulman
Wildside, Jumper, and Helm by Steven Gould
Red Planet and The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein
The Warrior’s Apprentice, and other Miles Vorkosigan novels by Lois McMaster Bujold
Ender’s Shadow and most of the other sequels to Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
Santiago, by Mike Resnick
Norstrillia, and The Best of Cordwainer Smith, by Cordwainer Smith
H.M.S. Ulysses, by Alistair MacLean
This may be a book list for boys, but it contains most of MY favorite books. I can’t believe it’s got The Thief of Always on it! I read that book out loud to my 6th and 7th graders over and over–always their favorite book. I also taught Ender’s Game to 9th graders. Now you’ve given me a few more to find and devour. The only one I agree is actually just a “boys” book is Lord of the Flies. I hate that book.
Wow. All 5 pages and not one G. A. Henty novel. I fondly remember reading Louis L’Amour’s western novels and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Holmes mysteries. I also think Stephen Lawhead’s Pendragon Cycle is a better telling of the Arthur legend, although perhaps better for older readers.
Robert Ruarke’s “The Old Man And The Boy” would be a great addition to your list. And the follow-up “The Old Man’s Boy Grows Older”. Thanks for the list.
G.A. Henty wrote a very lengthy list of accurate historical novels especially for boys, ranging from the Punic Wars up through the late 1800′s. Also a genius new author, N.D. Wilson has published a trilogy that brings the magic of British authors like Tolkein and C.S. Lewis here to American boys through the main character, Henry York. The three titles are 100 Cupboards, Dandelion Fire, and Chestnut King. Which reminds me to mention N.D. Wilson’s first book, Leepike Ridge, the adventures of a 12 year old boy who inadvertently ends up stuck in a cave (the ordeal of which has a feel of Homer’s Odyssey). Which leads me to say that the Illiad and the Odyssey ought also to be on a boy’s reading list.
Against the Fall of Night (or The City and the Stars) by Arthur C. Clarke are great too!
For those who think “Hatchet” or “My Side of the Mountain” are not relatable for urban or suburban boys now, “Slake’s Limbo” is a story similar to My Side in which a kid runs away to live in the subways of NYC.
http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/slakes.html
I feel compelled to add one more book to your excellent collection. ‘T-Model Tommy’ from Stephen W. Meader, had a great influence on my life during those periods when I was practicing entrepreneur. I date back to an era that includes the ‘Great Depression’, when there frequently weren’t any ‘all ready made jobs’ available.
This is a fascinating thread. Its introductory comments (“What’s the problem?”) are instructive to an old man like me. Part of the problem may be biological, i.e., today’s boys’ language skills develop slower that girls. Maybe it is sociological. Maybe boys see reading as a passive and thus sissy activity. Maybe boys lack male reading mentors-their librarians and teachers are often female, and it’s mom that reads to them. I wonder though.
I am in my early 70′s. I grew up in an era when, to use a cliche, “men were men.” WWII and Korea saw to that. But I learned to read by the time I was 5 years old. In fact, boys who couldn’t read were looked down upon by other boys. How could you know what was in the Sporting News or on that 78 RPM record label if you couldn’t read. When I wasn’t playing basketball, or football, or selling newspapers, I very often went to the local library.
Yes, the female librarian there recommended books, but she never forced any of them on me. (I liked her and thought she was cool because she smoked, always in the ladies room secretly, of course, never in the library proper. But I knew.) My parents watched what I read but never forced any books on me either.
Here are a few I sstill remember fondly. All are non-fiction works that I chose on my own to read. They are likely out of print (I understand Neider’s book was republished in 2000) and would be considered quaint by today’s standards.
High Conquest (The Story of Mountaineering) by James Ramsey Ullman. Great Shipwrecks and Castaways by Charles Neider. The Occident, and The Orient, both by the once famous but now forgotten explorer Richard Halliburton. Outdated? Perhaps. Spellbinding for a boy or a young man? Most definitely. Also, I read every issue of Popular Science and Popular Mechanics that I could “appropriate” from my older brothers.
Finally, a question: Great poetry is anything but unmanly, so shouldn’t some poetry be on this list? Probably not. It should be kept separate. But someday I would like to see a list of manly poems (or poets, or both) on this website. The WWI British poets would be a great starting point.
1984. Animal Farm. Brave New World. The Sovereignty of God. The Last Kingdom. Bones of the Hills. The South Was Right. That Devil Forest (Gen. NB Forest) A Good Man is Hard To Find.
The Education of Little Tree–Forrest Carter. (He also wrote the story of Josey Wales–not for young boys; and also “Watch For Me on the Mountain,” a can’t-put-it-down book on Geronimo. Little Tree is a fantastic book for boys–growing up as a Cherokee.
More Indian stories:
“The Story Catcher” and “The Horse Catcher”–both for boys, by the great author Mari Sandoz, who wrote “Cheyenne Automn”–not for boys.
I loved James Willard Schultz’s books of his life among the Blackfoot:
“My Life as an Indian,” “Blackfeet and Buffalo,” “Why Gone Those Times?,” and many more.
And his novel, “The Quest of the Fish-Dog Skin,” is perfect for boys. He is a great story teller. He did what a boy would dream of: left his home among stuffy New Englanders and went to live with the Indians.
A lot of boys like the OZ series, which is an American classic.
Oops–that should be “Cheyenne Autumn,” of course.
Other than the tripe by Lupica, it’s a great list. Happy to see Calvin & Hobbes included.
Whole-heartedly agree about poetry. Robert Service’s poems about the Yukon during the goldrush (Cremation of Dan Magee, etc) are as manly as anything I’ve ever read.
My favorite books as a boy were Robinson Crusoe and The Count of Monte Cristo.
Great list. I’d add Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns” as another great graphic novel. Batman! C’mon!
I have read quite a few american author books.
of course everyone has their own fav list.
Is E.Hemmingway / Somerst M / or the amazing vet books of James Herriot included in this list.
Herriot has been my fav series which i treasure.
Is Good Earth type books too young for kids to read, I read it when i was about 13 and it did leave an impression.
Thanks for the book list, I will browse in my local library / Gutenberg.
signing off from half way around the world
Regards
I would have expected to see the Harry Potter collection from J.K. Rowling mentioned. She has been attributed to have had an extraordinary influence on reading, both for boys as well as girls since the first volume was published.
I don’t know what it was about Hemingway’s the Old Man and the Sea that got my son reading by himself, but apparently I couldn’t read it fast enough for him and so he took it over until he finished it, he was about 9 years old then.
Also V.S Reid, the Young Warriors was a favorite of mine, which I read to all three of my kids as soon as they were old enough to understand, then they read it again and again on their own. It is a coming of age, clever resistance of young boys, story of honesty, integrity, forgiveness and overcoming personal weakness that I loved. Also nice to see a different kind of hero – this time from the Caribbean.
I’m a girl and I read The Graveyard book and loved it!!!! :)
I also read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, Eragon series, Indiana Jones series, THE FIRE WITHIN series, Fablehaven series, Harry Potter series, and The 39 Clues series. :)
I personally find non fiction writing more satisfying
I find the library or second hand bookshops are great refuges of interestingness in towns and cities .there are plenty of all sorts of age groups in second hand bookshops including young men and nice girls too and charity shops where you get great stuff for very little money , there are some gems there if you look diligently and hard enough
reading is a great way to relax and learn about the world and can be a great sorce of empowerment and education
in my local secondhand bookshop
there are plenty of ‘lads’ there hanging out talking ,playin chess or whatever
the library ios also a great place to find out whats happening in your local area
including other actiovities , groups and possibilities of education
my local also has dvds to borrow now
I got ‘ the magnificent seven ‘ recently
now that would be a movie to recommend to young men
I’m usually thrilled by the selection of books in secondhand shops
and the value for money is unbelievable, one visit can keep you goin’ for months
reading is definitley way to learn and relax
and it improves your ability to articulate what you want to say
your writing and oratory skills
I’d recommend this guys stuff for empowerment and self suffiency
he grew up without a father and a recoverted alcoholic but over came it and became a self made succcesful man and geat modern teacher
http://www.drwaynedyer.com/
and after all the internet is about reading and writing anyway
reading is a cosier easier less stressed /pressurised way to study and learn
and there this social network for readers
http://www.goodreads.com/
worth checkin out
must be on my way
things to take care of elsewhere
take it easy
good luck everyone
I’ve started collecting books from both this list and the 100 Manly Books list.
Out of all the selected pieces I’ve read so far (about 10, considering I’m only 14), I must say that Ender’s Game found its way to becoming my new favorite.
These are great selections, and I hope to keep reading more of them and eventually finding a suggestion for them. Thanks.
Great List! If you’re having trouble getting your son to read try the Alex Rider Series by Anthony Horowitz. My son couldn’t put these down and would request the next one as soon as he was done with one. The key to getting your kids to read is finding what genre they enjoy reading. As a rule my son reads tons of non-fiction stuff – trains, planes, cars, etc. When he was younger he hated fiction and never wanted to read. Thank goodness I figured out he loves non-fiction. Now he reads both and reads all the time!
Thank you for this list. I think this is a great website for a progressive mother of an almost 14 year old son. He hates to read so he and I do a lot of reading together. This past Summer we read Howard Fast’s “April Morning” and it was phenomenal so I’m recommending it. We just starting reading “The Hobbit” which I think is essential before diving into “The Lord Of The Rings” trilogy. I had a friend suggest Arthur C. Clarke’s “Childhood’s End” but every time I go to borrow it from the library, it always seems to be checked out. Thank you again for the great list. I look forward to reading some of these books in the near future.
Love the 50 books but you should also add the Mad Scientist Club, Its about a group of friends who go out and have amazing adventures, such as building their own Lock Ness monster and saving military pilots froma plane crash.
My son has also loved all the Mad Scientist books.
Try reading your son a well annotated (best is a whole page of explanatory notes opposite every page of text) Midsummer Night’s dream or the Tempest. My son made me read Mdsummer over and over to him when he was 4 and we went to see 3 productions (the ballet is the most magical). Dive into Shakespeare when you son is young. I read a poem a night to my son who stated he doesn’t like poetry but then demands his poem every night. many great anthologies including The Oxford Book of children’s verse. there are a few great volumes.
We are on our 6th in his lifetime reading of The Wind in the Willows.
For little boys here’s a list: Farmer Boy by Laura ingalls wilder
Orlando the Marmalade Cat a fabulous series with pictures worthy of framing.
The B
Brambly Hedge series
Katie Morag and the Big Boy cousins and all the other Katie Morag books
Babu’s Song by stephanie stuvee-bodeen about a very poor boy in Tanzania who ca’t afford the uniform to go to school and sells toys him grandpa makes from trsh he finds…beautiful as are her other books.
Almost everything by patricia polacco and if he is behind in reading and feeling it you HAVE to read Thank You Mr Faulker about her own experiences with dyslexia. my Roton RedHeaded Brother, Thunder Cakes, Welcome comfort, the tree of the Dancing Goats etc
Five children and It by E. nesbitt and the sequels there to as well as The Treasure Seakers by her too.
My son and I listen to tons of fabulously well read books on CD on road trips such as the entire borrower series, greek myths and also would you believe “Great lectures Series” history 1500 to the present!
Books about “Becoming a man” are all books that enrich the spirit. What is a man? A tough guy only or an infinite treasure of profound and never ending deepening towards that which ennobles the heart.
Of course Winnie the pooh should not be forgotten!
“The Oregon Trail” should be up here as well as “Treasure Island”. Great stories of pioneering and men in the wild.
Hi all
What a great resource for books my “I don’t want to read” boys might read. I’ve read many listed both in the original 50 and the comments list…and can add THE TROJAN WAR and THE ODDYSEY. I was about 11 or 12 when I read these books (Not Homer’s original of course)…and they just lit me up…especially the Trojan War. I wondered what it would be like to be Achilles or Hector …Paris struck me even then as effeminate…but still to steal the most beautiful woman in the world and cause a World War…WOW!!!!
I think the Sherlock Holmes collection and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy might deserve a place in that list, too!
So glad to Heart of a Champion on the list. It was just a random book I found at the book fair when I was younger but once I got into it I couldn’t put it down. One of my favorite books from my childhood. If you know a boy who loves baseball, I would recommend this as a great gift for Christmas!
“Boy”, Roald Dahl’s autobiography is worthy of mention on the list. While James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are wonderful books, Boy gives a glimpse into the childhood that shaped such an imaginative and creative genius. Dahl is a great writer, and it helps to get a glimpse into his soul.
I second PASunter’s suggestion of “Boy” from Roald Dahl and I’d add “Going Solo” (the second part of Roald Dahl’s autobiography) to it. My sons (10 and 11 at the time) adored them. “Watership down” was also a favorite. All three books are unusual in that they are equally compelling for adults and children.
Thank you!!! This is a list I know I will be returning to again & again!
One of the best lists I’ve found, with many favorites.
About “Treasure Island,” you wrote “Stevenson insisted that there be no women in the book,” but in fact it was his stepson who insisted. As Stevenson wrote to a friend, “No women in the story, Lloyd’s orders; and who so blithe to obey?”
He also wrote, “If this don’t fetch the kids, why, they have gone rotten since my day,” and “Two chapters are written, and have been tried on Lloyd with great success; the trouble is to work it off without oaths. Buccaneers without oaths – bricks without straw. But youth and the fond parient have to be consulted.”
Was Sherlock Holmes on there? I don’t know but it’s definitely a must.
Has anybody read a boy’s adventure story: Ransy Tansey and the Island of Gold, much like Treasure Island. You would need to be old to reply.
I thought I was the only one who remembered Bellairs. I think his best series is The Letter, the Witch and the Ring. Still a great read for any age!
Thank you so much for this awesome list!! I have just spent some weeks putting all of your suggestions into our family’s homeschool curriculum book list, and I can’t wait to read the ones that I haven’t yet experienced along with our students. Thanks!!
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