Recommended Books for Boys - Revised March, 2008


 At a science fiction convention I attended some years back, a mom complained there weren't any good books for boys.  I disagreed; she asked me to prove it; so here are some titles for boys, recommended by some boys I know or by me.  I can just about guarantee girls will like them, too.  Unless I note otherwise, these titles fall in the middle reader or intermediate range.

Abbreviations:

(f) = fantasy
(sf) = science fiction
(h) = historical
(c) = contemporary

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  • Almond, David - KIT'S WILDERNESS (f)

  • Anderson, M.T. - FEED (sf)

  • Asimov, Isaac - I, ROBOT; CAVES OF STEEL (& sequels) (sf classic)

  • Barker, Clive – ARABAT; THE THIEF OF ALWAYS (f)

  • Barry, Dave & Pearson, Ridley - PETER & THE STARCATCHERS and sequels (f)

  • Bradbury, Ray -  FAHRENHEIT 451; THE ILLUSTRATED MAN (sf)

  • Bruchac, Joseph – SKELETON MAN (& sequel); HIDDEN ROOTS; and many more (f)

  • Burroughs, Edgar Rice - THE LOST CONTINENT (f classic); AT THE EARTH'S CORE (sf classic); PRINCESS OF MARS (& sequels) and more (sf classic)

  • Card, Orson Scott - SEVENTH SON (& sequels) (f); ENDER'S GAME (& sequels) (sf)

  • Caswell, Brian - DEUCALION (sf)

  • Clement-Davies, David – THE TELLING POOL (f)

  • Colfer, Eoin - ARTEMIS FOWL (& sequels) (f); THE SUPERNATURALISTS (sf)

  • Collins, Suzanne -GREGOR THE OVERLANDER (& sequels) (f)

  • Cornish, D. M. - FOUNDLING (sequel, LAMPLIGHTER, Fall 2008) (f)

  • Coville, Bruce - SPACE BRAT (& sequels—beginning readers) (sf); THE SONG OF THE UNICORN (& sequels); THE MONSTER'S RING; JEREMY THATCHER, DRAGON HATCHER and other Magic Shop titles (f); MY TEACHER IS AN ALIEN; MY TEACHER FLUNKED THE PLANET; I LEFT MY SNEAKERS IN DIMENSION X (sf) ...and many more!

  • Crutcher, Chris - sports books (WHALE TALK, DEADLINE, STAYING FAT FOR SARAH BYRNES (c)

  • Delaney, Joseph – REVENGE OF THE WITCH & sequels (f)

  • Doyle, Deborah, & MacDonald, James - GROOGLEMAN (sf); KNIGHT’S WYRD (f)

  • Druitt, Tobias – CORYDON AND THE ISLAND OF MONSTERS (& sequel) (f)

  • Duane, Diane - SO YOU WANT TO BE A WIZARD (& sequels) (f)

  • Duncan, David - SIR STALWART (and sequels) (f)

  • Eager, Edward - KNIGHT'S CASTLE; HALF MAGIC and more (f classic)

  • Farmer, Nancy - THE EYE, THE EAR & THE ARM; THE HOUSE OF THE SCORPION (sf); THE SEA OF TROLLS (& sequel) (f)

  • Flanagan, John - the Ranger's Apprentice series (f)

  • Funke, Cornelia - THE THIEF LORD; DRAGON RIDER; INKHEART (& sequel) (f)

  • Gantos, Jack - Joey Pigza books (c)
    Giles, Gail - SHATTERED GLASS and others (c)

  • Gutman, Dan - HONUS AND ME and others (sports) (h)

  • Haddix, Margaret Peterson - AMONG THE HIDDEN (& sequels) (sf)

  • Heinlein, Robert - SPACE CADET; TUNNEL IN THE SKY; HAVE SPACE SUIT, WILL TRAVEL; THE STAR BEAST; RED PLANET (and more) (sf classic)

  • Hiassen, Carl - HOOT, FLUSH (humor, modern life) (c)
    Higgins, Jack & Richards, Justin - SURE FIRE (adventure)

  • Hightman, Jason - SAINT OF DRAGONS (& sequel) (f)

  • Hobbs, Will - THE MAZE, DOWNRIVER, THE CANYON, everything (adventure)

  • Hoffman, Mary - STRAVAGANZA (& sequels) (f)

  • Hoopler, Deborah & Thomas -  THE GHOST IN THE TOKAIDO ROAD INN (h)

  • Horowitz, Anthony – everything ("Alex Rider" teen spy novels) (adventure)

  • Ingold, Jeanette – HITCH, THE BIG BURN (h)

  • Jacques, Brian - CASTAWAYS OF THE FLYING DUTCHMAN and sequels (h)

  • Jones, Diana Wynne - ARCHER'S GOON; CHARMED LIFE (& other Chestomanci books); WITCH WEEK (f); DARK LORD OF DARKHOLM (& sequel); THE GAME (f); and many more!

  • Kerr, P.B. - CHILDREN OF THE LAMP (& sequels) (f)

  • Korman, Gordon – SON OF INTERFLUX; SON OF THE MOB; NO MORE DEAD DOGS; EVEREST (& sequels); MIDNIGHT (& sequels) (c)

  • Lawrence, Ian - THE WRECKERS (h)

  • LeGuin, Ursula - A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA (& sequels—teen readers) (f)

  • Lubar, David - WIZARDS OF THE GAME; FLIP! (f); CURSE OF THE CAMPFIRE WEENIES (c short stories—beginning readers); SLEEPING FRESHMEN NEVER LIE (c); HIDDEN TALENTS (and sequel) (f); DUNK (c); and many more!

  • Marsden, John - TOMORROW, WHEN THE WAR BEGAN (& sequels) (sf)

  • McCaughrean, Geraldine - ODYSSEUS, THESEUS, JASON (legends), PETER PAN IN SCARLET (f)

  • McKillip, Patricia - (teen readers) THE RIDDLE-MASTER OF HED (& sequels) (f)

  • McNish, Cliff – THE SILVER CHILD & sequels (sf), BREATHE (f)

  • Mikaelson, Ben – everything (TOUCHING SPIRIT BEAR, PETEY, RED MIDNIGHT) (adventure)

  • Miles, Patricia - THE GODS IN WINTER (f)

  • Morris, Gerald - everything (THE BALLAD OF SIR DINADAN, THE SAVAGE DAMSEL & THE DWARF, THE SQUIRE'S TALE) (f)

  • Nesbitt, E. - THE PHOENIX AND THE CARPET; FIVE CHILDREN AND IT and more (f classic)

  • Nimmo, Jenny – MIDNIGHT FOR CHARLIE BONE (& sequels) (f)

  • Nix, Garth - MR. MONDAY (& sequels); THE FALL (& sequels) (f); SHADE’S CHILDREN (sf)

  • Oppel, Kenneth - AIRBORN, SKYBREAKER (f)

  • Orwell, George - 1984 (sf classic)

  • Paulsen, Gary - BRIAN, HATCHET, and others (adventure)

  • Philbrick, Rodman - THE LAST BOOK IN THE UNIVERSE (sf); FREAK THE MIGHTY (& sequel) (c)

  • Pinkwater, Daniel - LIZARD MUSIC (sf)

  • Pratchett, Terry - THE AMAZING MAURICE & HIS EDUCATED RODENTS; THUD! (f)

  • Pullman, Philip – I WAS A RAT!, COUNT KARLSTEIN (f)

  • Pyle, Howard - THE STORY OF KING ARTHUR & HIS KNIGHTS; ROBIN HOOD & HIS MERRY MEN (legends) (h)

  • Rees, Douglas - VAMPIRE HIGH (f)

  • Riordan, Rick - THE LIGHTNING THIEF (& sequel) (f)

  • Roberts, Judson – VIKING WARRIOR (& sequel) (h)

  • Rodda, Emily - ROWAN OF RIN (& sequels) (f)

  • Scott, Michael – THE ALCHEMYST (f)

  •  Sedgewick, Marcus – MY SWORD HAND IS SINGING (f)

  •  Shan, Darren - CIRQUE DU FREAK (& sequels) (dark f)

  • Shusterman, Neal – UNWIND (sf)

  • Sleator, William - INTERSTELLAR PIG (& sequel); HOUSE OF STAIRS; SINGULARITY and more (sf)

  • Stewart, Paul & Riddell, Chris – BEYOND THE DEEPWOODS (& sequels) (f)

  • Stroud, Jonathan - THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND (& sequels) (f)

  • Tolkein, J. R. R. - THE HOBBIT; Lord of the Rings Trilogy (THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING; THE TWO TOWERS; RETURN OF THE KING) (f)

  • Trueman, Terry - everything (CRUISE CONTROL, INSIDE OUT) (c)

  • Vande Velde, Vivian - NEVER TRUST A DEAD MAN; WIZARD AT WORK; THERE’S A DEAD PERSON FOLLOWING MY SISTER AROUND (f); SMART DOG (sf) and many more

  • Verne, Jules - FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON; 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (sf classic)

  • Wells, H. G. - THE TIME MACHINE; WAR OF THE WORLDS (sf classic)

  • Westerfeld, Scott – everything (THE PRETTIES, THE UGLIES, THE SPECIALS) (sf)

  • White, T. H. - THE SWORD IN THE STONE (Book One of THE ONCE & FUTURE KING); THE ONCE & FUTURE KING (f)

  • Wilson, N.D. - LEEPIKE RIDGE (f)

  • Yancey, Rick - THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ALFRED KROPP (f)

  • Yolen, Jane - DRAGON'S BLOOD (& sequels) (sf); WIZARD'S HALL (f)

  • Zusak, Marcus - I AM THE MESSENGER, THE BOOK THIEF (f)

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