AKA “What are good books for my son?”
My oldest son just graduated high school. It’s hard to write that sentence, since it honestly feels like just yesterday we were reading The Cat in the Hat for the millionth time. When I think back over his growing up years, I think about his life not just in terms of his friends or his school years, but through the phases he’s gone through as a reader. I’m lucky that he’s always been a voracious reader and I really never had to push him to read. But like many mothers, especially those with kids whose reading levels are above what’s typical of their age, I found myself constantly trying to find appropriate reading material for him. Because I have two boys, my friends often ask me, “What are good books for my son?” Now that summer is here and most libraries have reading programs, I’ve got suggestions for all age groups. Most of my suggestions for older readers are series simply because they offer many books with just one suggestion.
Infant/Toddler- You Can’t Go Wrong With Dr. Seuss
You just can’t go wrong with Dr. Seuss. There is a melody to his pages that can be sing-song funny to help a child learn the ABC’s or sing-song lullaby a hundred times in a row until the blue fish finally makes him go to sleep. Dr. Seuss teaches about friendship, environmental responsibility, persistence, self-worth, and a host of other valuable lessons. You might think you are simply reading books to your toddler, but these books will open up conversations for the rest of their lives. All three of my kids loved Dr. Seuss so much that I can still almost recite The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and Dr. Seuss’s ABCs from memory.
Disclaimer- Books Don’t Really Have a Gender
I definitely don’t advocate that some books have to be for boys and some are only for girls. But, I will say that in my experience as a parent, library clerk, and early childhood teacher that in general, boys tend to gravitate towards certain kinds of books and girls tend to gravitate towards others. So, when I say that I recommend the “I Stink!” picture book by Kate and Jim McMullan in a post about books for boys, please know that I have seen just as many little girls check it out from the library. I just know that little boys love it and all of its companions (“I’m Tough!”, “I’m Brave!”, “I’m Cool!”, I’m Dirty!”, etc…) and they are fun for parents to read, too. So, don’t get mad and think that I think Harry Potter is only for boys!
Picture Books- Books for Stinky, Naughty, Truck-and-Dinosaur-Loving Kids
The “How Do Dinosaur” books by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague are super fun for kids and parents. There are at least ten of them, so you don’t have to read the same one over and over (although your child might find one that they love more than others- just sayin’.) The “David” books by David Shannon are always good for a giggle and an eye roll as David is constantly in trouble and always loved by his mother. I may have skipped certain pages so as not to give my already super mischievous child any new ideas. The “Pete the Cat” books, originally created by artist James Dean, came along after my home library was well established, but I know from the library that these books are a hit with little boys.
Early Chapter Books- Yes, Graphic Novels Count! Fart Humor and More
When I was a teacher, I had to work hard to convince my parents that books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey, and Super Diaper Baby (also by Dav Pilkey) had value. HELLO? You said your boy wasn’t reading at all. Now he’s reading like crazy. True, it’s not necessarily the material I would choose, but I love seeing kids devouring books and boys devour these books. Graphic novels have come a long way, and they are available for early readers up to adults now. If your child doesn’t seem to have the patience to read, try graphic novels. The change in format works wonders for a lot of kids and many find that they love rather than hate reading.
That said, there are plenty of early chapter books for boys that are fun for parents to read aloud. The Fly Guy books by Tedd Arnold, the Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osborne, the A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy, the Flat Stanley books by Jeff Brown, the Stink books by Megan McDonald, and the I Survived series by Laura Tarshis were all super popular in my house.
Chapter Books as They Get Older
This is when it starts to get hard. Because readers have different skills, different interests, and different understanding levels. I definitely found myself asking, “What are good books for my son?” many times between late elementary school and the last couple of years when I would find him picking through my books complaining I didn’t have anything good. I will always recommend the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, but you need to know that even though the first book starts out fairly easy to read, the last book is a much higher level and much darker content. The Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz has a reading level that ranges from 3rd-12th grade, so you need to know your child before they start this series.
Along those same lines, I recommend the Al Capone books by Gennifer Choldenko, the Theodore Boone series by John Grisham, any series by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus, Kane Chronicles, etc…), and, of course, the Middle School books by James Patterson.
Moving Up and Out
As my boys got older it was hard for them to find the time to read for pleasure. Re-reading Harry Potter and Percy Jackson as an older kid is fun because it’s like reading them for the first time. So many new things to pick up on, but since they’ve already read them there isn’t any pressure to burn through them. Other series my boys enjoyed include The Reckoners series by Brandon Sanderson (he has a ton of other series your boys will probably enjoy, but this was the only one we read), The Red Rising Saga by Pierce Brown, The Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer A. Nielson, The Wayward Pines Trilogy by Blake Crouch, and The Tunnels Series by Roderick Gordon.
What Say You?
My boys and I have read many books together as they’ve grown. Now, they pick most of their books on their own and they often suggest them to me. What about you? Do you and your kids have favorite books to read together? Are there any books you are looking forward to reading with them as they get older?
My DS, also class of 2019, loved reading through middle school. We’d wait, sometimes not so patiently, for the requested books to come in at the library. I hope he returns to that love of reading during and / or after college.