Classic stories for boys.
I work in the children’s department at a local bookstore, and I am often approached by hopeful but often clueless parents asking “would my son like this book?” this is a question that I have no answer for, having probably never met the son, and knowing nothing about him (age, interests etc…) . This being said, I have certain expectations when it comes to picking out books for boys.
Age: much of book choice comes down to age, please don’t tell me what reading level your child should be at, and do NOT tell me that your child is exceptional for their age or reading level since this tells me absolutely nothing! What I am able to determine by age is what books may be too old or young to recommend, regardless of topic of genre.
Interest: please parents, it does neither yourself or your child any good to say that you would like your child to start reading XYZ topics, if you as the parent are unable to stimulate their interest, I will probably have even less success. If you do not know what kind of books your child likes to read, ask them, or better yet, ask them to make a list of the last five books they read that they really liked, if I know the books I am better able to help you select a few possibilities.
Within the wide world of reading material for boys, there is something for everyone, no matter what age or interest. I often will take the time to read during my break to find out what the new books are about, but this does not mean that I will recommend them. I have my own personal favorites, just like everyone else, and I will always recommend books that I feel are well written and appropriate for the person in question.
The following lists are books that I have read, and recommend; however, please do not think this is an exclusive list, since there are always many books that I leave out of posts that are also good, and many books that highly conservative people may find inappropriate for children of a certain age or mindset.
Action:
Kidnapped: R.L. Stevenson
The Lost World: A.C. Doyle
20,000 Leagues under the Sea: J. Verne
With Lee in Virginia: G.A. Henty
The Kingdom Series: C. Black
Drama:
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of N.I.M.H.: R.C. O’Brian
Masterpiece: E. Broach
The Thief Lord: C. Funke
The Borrowers: Mary Norton
Good Old Fashioned Fun:
Henry Reed Inc: K. Robertson
Henry Reed’s Journey: K. Robertson
Henry Huggins: B. Cleary
The Complete Adventures of Homer Price: R. McCloskey
The View from Saturday: E.L. Konigsburg
Fantasy:
The Princess and Curdie: G. Macdonald
A Wrinkle in Time: M. L’Engle
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe: C.S. Lewis
The Horse and his Boy: C.S. Lewis
As a girl I have little interest in sports, so I was unable to recommend any such books here. With regards to nonfiction, too much depends on the needs of the individual, there are many good historical biographies out at the moment written specifically for children, and an abundance of books on every topic under the sun at bookstores all over the USA, so I decided to not mention them here. The above mentioned books are good for either reading out loud during bed time or by one’s self depending on age and interest.
