Top Book Recommendations for Boys From Librarians

These Reading Lists Can Help Inspire Your Child to Enjoy Reading

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If you are looking for books for boys, from young children to tweens and teens, you'll be interested in these reading lists recommended by librarians. The books on these reading lists include children's books and young adult (YA) books that will appeal to a wide range of ages and interests. Even boys who complain they can never find anything good to read and, as a result, are reluctant readers, should be able to find books they enjoy on some of these lists.

6 Reading Lists For Boys

  1. Young Adult Books with Guy Appeal
    Teen librarian Jennifer Kendall recommends 10 books that have proven to be very popular with teen boys. Science fiction, fantasy, action, and adventure continue to be genres that teen boys particularly like.
  2. Great Books for Boys
    This article and list of books recommended for boys come from The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance. It includes a list of books recommended by The Horn Book in these categories: Picture Books, Middle-Grade Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Non-fiction Middle School/High School and Poetry.
  3. Adventures in History for Boys
    This brief reading list from the Central Rappahannock Regional Library in Virginia includes cover art and a brief summary for under a dozen books of historical fiction recommended for older boys.
  4. Good Books for Guys
    The Multnomah County Library in Oregon provides five reading lists, divided by grade levels: Small Fries: Pre-K, Young Guys: 1-3, Middle Guys: 4-6, Large Fries: 7-8, Older Guys: 9-12. While not annotated, the lists include cover art. Among the series recommended for boys in grades 4-6 are Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
  5. Chapter Books for Boys
    This annotated reading list from the Salt Lake City Public Library in Utah includes three dozen books. The list includes Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary and My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George.
  6. Picture Books for Boys
    The annotated reading list of 20 picture books includes Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. This is an annotated list from the Salt Lake City Public Library in Utah. Click on “check availability” to see the cover art.

For General Information on Encouraging Reading

Because the article covers a wide age range, all of the tips may not apply to your child. But some of the best tips include making sure your children see you reading on a regular basis, fully utilizing your public library, taking the time to help your child find books that match his interests and reading level and sharing books by reading them aloud and discussing them with your children.

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Kennedy, Elizabeth. "Top Book Recommendations for Boys From Librarians." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/librarians-recommend-books-for-boys-627556. Kennedy, Elizabeth. (2023, April 5). Top Book Recommendations for Boys From Librarians. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/librarians-recommend-books-for-boys-627556 Kennedy, Elizabeth. "Top Book Recommendations for Boys From Librarians." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/librarians-recommend-books-for-boys-627556 (accessed March 28, 2024).