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.
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I want to say so many things about this list, but it would take pages and pages. Suffice it to say, there are a good number of amazing books here that I would still read (haha, I’m only 19, I’m still a young man).
Fantastic post! As nearly complete as a list of classics for boys of all ages could hope to be. I’d only add one series to the mix. Check out the Great Brain Series by John D. Fitzgerald. Lots of humor, comic mischief, and boys being boys, I’d heartily recommend them to anyone regardless of age or gender.
An excellent list; I have read perhaps 40 of them, and loved 39 (To Kill a Mockingbird doesn’t get read on its own merits, only at the point of a teacher’s gun).
I would add one book in its place: The Swiss Family Robinson. It is a wonderful adventure/science book that engrossed me as a young boy.
Amazing list. I have a 16 month old son and can’t wait for him to read these books. Brought back so many memories looking at the book jackets.
I haven’t read most of those, but two that I loved reading when I was younger was “The Outsiders” and “The Cay”. Thanks for recommending these.
Great reminder of some awesome books. I’m looking forward to brushing up on some of these when my son gets to them.
Good list I’ve probably read around 20 of them, I’ll be acquiring some of the others.
Athem, Animal Farm, and1984 definitely fit the the Young Men side, with Animal Farm working for Boys too. Never too early to teach the virtues of independent thought.
I’d add a recommendation of Nation by Terry Pratchett.
If you want to include a quality graphic novel, I would put Bone as an honorable mention for this list.
A great post and I fully agree with all the listed books and have already have read 14 of these books my self.
I’ve read about 30 and own several more of those. I cannot recommend THE GIVER because the world-building is weak in places (the numbers don’t add up)..
Thank you for the list. I have sons who do read. And it may be time to get my almost-15 out of THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS and into THE ART OF MANLINESS. There are many ways to be a man and I want him to absorb as many as possible.
Good call on Ender’s Game and The Graveyard Book. I’d also recommend His Dark Materials by Pullman. Although it may not be suitable for very religious folks.
Also, Jurassic Park. I had no trouble reading it when I was pre-teen and loved it the whole time. A good one to encourage a healthy sci-fi habit.
@Nick J: Nice! I think they print Bone in a trade paperback now. Good reading for any kid.
Ender’s Game is so bad ass! (I read it first in 8th grade and 2 more times after that! I haven’t done that with a single other book). It’s certainly not the best book in the world, but it’s my favorite.
Nice list. I added quite a few that I’d like to read to my Goodreads accound, and a few that I read in middle school and want to remember.
Ha, you had me at falconry too.
I remember that book vividly, good list.
Great list; it brought back loads of memories.. I must have read thirty or forty of those mentioned, if I were to venture and guess.
It was nice to see so much by Roald Dahl; although, one of his books in particular that wasn’t mentioned is, ‘Boy: Tales of Childhood.’ It’s Dahl’s autobiographical account of his youth and is well worth the read. (My favourite bit is his retelling of the trouble he would get into at boarding school, such as, ‘The Great Mouse Plot of 1924.’)
The list is barely complete without mentioning the Biggles series by Capt. W.E. Johns, about a British WW1 pilot. I loved reading them as a kid.
Hey,
Agreed that Ender’s Game and the rest of the series by Orsen Scot Card is worth reading. Any chance this list could be put into a simple format for easy viewing? I’d like to get these for my son, but don’t have the time to go through every page.
Thanks.
May I also add the following by Robert Heinlein:
Between Planets,
Farmer in the Sky
Have Space Suit Will Travel
Also anything by Jules Vernes and Arthur Conan Dole
I loved the Encyclopedia Brown stories when I was a kid. I believe there was a decent HBO series a while ago. It might get the non-readers interested.
The Tintin stories were great, too, with all the travel and adventure. I especially like the yeti and Picaro stories.
My favorite had to be the Doc Savage books. I couldn’t wait for the next one to hit the stands at Mr Savage’s (weird coincidence) drugstore!
As a boy I enjoyed the Barsoom series by Edgar Rice Burroughs which starts out with “A Princess Of Mars” (bought a first printing of it – with the original illustrations – in a box of old books at a farm sale when I was about 8 or 9 – the box, if I recall correctly, cost me about a dollar and also had a copy of the same edition of “Call of the Wild” that shows on this site).
Burroughs’s Tarzan series are also great reads for any young man.
I’ve read quite a few of these books. I have fond memories of reading the Hardy Boys and Roald Dahls books with my father. “Wind in the Willows” and “Brave New World” could be added. I think “Dove” by Robin Lee Graham should also be on the list. It was one of the first books I read on my own that wasn’t part of a reading assignment.
Cheaper by the Dozen is a good read too. It’s the abridged biography of a family of 12 children. The father is the kind of man that inspires people to be better fathers: teaching important skills to his daughters and sons, sticking to his guns, and remembering that life is meant to be enjoyed.
I agree with sticking Encyclopedia Brown on the list. The world’s smartest kid detective. Twentyfive cents per day plus expenses.
Also:
1. The Once and Future King by T.H. White – for the story
2. The Xanth series by Piers Anthony – for the wordplay and sillyness
3. Conan the Destroyer by Robert E. Howard -for the adventures
Great list. I was given The American Boy’s Handibook when I was young and it has shaped a good deal of my leisure time.
Can you provide a list of these books for our easy reference?
It is indeed unfortunate that this kind of list was not around when I was a kid. I was an avid fan of the Hardy Boys (having stopped reading them somewhere around book number fifty), even finding older versions by Leslie McFarlane and Harriet Adams writing as Dixon, they did about twenty four of that series. It was fun watching the changes in the English language between old and revised versions.
I would recommend the science fiction of Ray Bradbury. “Fahrenheit 451″ fascinated me at around age 14, and “Something Wicked This Way Comes” has fantastic elements plus an almost poetic writing style that boys should appreciate. There are several other Bradbury works that I think should be investigated.
Voyage of the Frog was a book I loved as a kid. The sign of the beaver was another great book too.
Some of these have been mentioned before but I will add my voice…
1. Heinlein Juveniles – Pretty much all of them but highlights would be “Have Space Suit, Will Travel”, “Between Planets”, and “Citizen of the Galaxy”
2. Burroughs Barsoom Series – I devoured these as a kid.
3. “Word To Caesar” by Geoffrey Trease – Pretty much forgotten now but I loved this tale of a boy making way down from Roman era England to Rome, set during the reign of Emperor Trajan.
4. Rick Brant Electronic Adventures – Boys series book from 1947 to 1968. Only available in second hand shops, probably the best written series book of them all.
Those of you who, like me, grew up with the blue cover Hardy Boys, check out the reprints mentioned above. The books from the 1930s-1950s are vastly superior.
Fantastic post and great list. I’m glad the Boy Scout Handbook was included. As a young boy and Scout myself I also spent hours reading the Boy Scout Field Book which is a more outdoors-oriented companion of the basic Handbook.
There’s so many others I would love to add to your list…but you’ve hit on a lot of classics. Great job.
Books For Boys Blog
http://booksandboys.blogspot.com
NEWSPAPER CAPER, TERROR AT WOLF LAKE, NORTH WOODS POACHERS, MOUNTAIN CABIN MYSTERY, BIG RIG RUSTLERS, SECRET OF ABBOTT’S CAVE, & LEGEND OF THE WHITE WOLF are compared by readers and reviewers to Tom Sawyer, The Hardy Boys, Huck Finn, Nancy Drew, Harry Potter, Tom Swift, Scooby-Doo, Lemony Snicket, and adventure author Jack London.
There are some good works here, but there’s also 1) some unnecessary schlock (The Giver? please) and 2) some books that are probably better suited to kids a bit older than the 9-12 age group (the Hardy Boys and David Copperfield, while both excellent works, are simply not directed to the same audience: Dickens is fantastic, but he’s also interminable and quite dense, and will probably be enjoyed much more by a slightly older reader). Also, Eric Kelly’s The Trumpeter of Krakow is superior to at least a dozen of these works.
I was sooo happy to see Calvin and Hobbes make the list. Not only are the stories great, but the artwork is great as well.
An amazing list. I’m especially happy that you chose Watership Down as it was the first book my mother ever gave to me. It sparked my imagination and truely gave me a love for reading and a wonderful imagination. Both of which are qualities i want to ensure take root in any children i may have.
Big ups for Watership Down: it’s still my favourite book.
Many of these (including Watership Down, but also some like Lord of the Flies and To Kill A Mockingbird) can be read and still fully enjoyed as an adult. This list should be taken just as seriously as the ‘100 manly books’ list.
Lots of Edgar Rice Borroughs is great — in addition to the Mars series, he wrote TARZAN.
sadly, The Giver, is both on public school reading lists and also banned in some schools. (banning is another topic entirely.)
I’m gladd to see others put up Heinlien (starship troopers, too), Card, Bradbury, Doyle, Verne.
How about Jack London — we’ve got our 10yo reading call of the wild. or How about the Old Man & The Sea, or South Sea Tales.
I find that you need to mix them up, topics, genres etc. For if not for the escapism of the mind how else can a 10yo travel. And, it doesn’t hurt to let them explore to find their own tastes.
Paddle to the Sea by Holling C. Holling inspired my imagination.
Toothpaste Millionaire by Jean Merrill taught me my first business lessons.
Great post!!
Don’t forget “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” My father gave me his copy when I was in highschool and it was time to get my first job.
Also, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” Don’t forget your towel.
Good post. I would also recommend The Life of Pi by Yann Martel. I read this book when I was 13 years old and it is a great story about an Indian boy who gets trapped on a lifeboat with a tiger after a shipwreck on the way to Canada.
I realize it is probably meant to be included in the Lord of the Rings books, but some of my best memories as a kid are of my brother and I lying in our beds as our dad read us The Hobbit out of this huge book filled with paintings and sketches.
Great list! Really taking me back to my childhood with some of those titles. Great to see “Heart of a Champion” made the list. That’s one of my all-time favorite books. I think I read it like 10 times when I was younger.
This is such a great list! I’m pleasantly surprised to see The Last Mission on there. It was such an important book to me growing up. Of course the Red Badge of Courage too!
Thrilled to see The Phantom Tollbooth on there. Totally overlooked book.
And I’ll second the calls for Encyclopaedia Brown. Especially for the more intellectual boys out there it’s nice to have a hero who uses knowledge as well as guts.
Another great series that’s overlooked is the The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. Ignoring the dismal “Black Cauldren” disney movie, the whole series is the story of a timid, untested assistant pig keeper who becomes a man and a true leader over the 5 books. Wonderfully dark, but still good for children.
My favorite as a kid was “Rifles for Watie”, the Civil War in the west through the eyes of a 16 year old Kansas volunteer.
Also “Julie of the Wolves” about an Inuit girl living alone in Alaska.
Great list!
Where the Red Fern Grows was a defining book of my childhood. The beauty and the sorrow.
I think I would add some Ray Bradbury to this list. The Illustrated Man, R is for Rocket, S is for Space, Something Wicked This Way Comes, etc.
i’m glad to see that someone has already mentioned “boy,” though i don’t think y’all did dahl any disservice with this list as it is.
i would also second mentions of “encyclopedia brown,” “the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy,” “his dark materials” and “the hobbit.” (i realize you included the lord of the rings, but the style, reading level and takeaway are so vastly different that i would say they are in very separate categories.)
and i would add, though i know this is probably controversial, j.d. salinger’s “catcher in the rye.” not exactly a lesson in manliness, but a brilliant book nonetheless, and one that made being 15 quite a bit more bearable for me (and many others, i know). i would also argue, in response to those who claim “bad influence,” that for some of us who are particularly literary, reading about it is actually a great alternative to doing it, and living vicariously may have kept me out of a lot of trouble.
I loved this post. As a boy I found a lot of enjoyment from reading, and many of my favorite books were in the posts list. It’s great to encourage our boys at sports, outdoor activities, being handy in the garage, ect. but there are too many times that they sit brain-numb in front of the television or game console. As men we are doing a big disservice to our boys and our selves by not reading. We should be role models of reading for knowledge and reading for pleasure so our boys will break out of the new social norm that accepts a plummeting literacy rate.
Some great books from when I was a kid growing up in the 90s,
The Pushcart War
Around the World in Eighty Days
Doctor Doolittle
The Boxcar Children
I really wish I had this list when I was in grade school.
I would have to second the suggestions of Sherlock Holmes, and additionally, Hercule Poirot. I burned through Agatha Christie mysteries like nobody’s business in middle school.
Also, I’m surprised that no Jules Verne made it on the list. I’d recommend “Michael Strogoff: Courier of the Czar” for a good adventure, as well as “Mysterious Island,” a great Robinsonade with a twist, although the ending requires that you have a passing familiarity with “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”
I also agree with that the Encyclopedia Brown series should be included
Excellent list.
My Favorite as a kid was “Danny the Champion of the World” by Roald Dahl…I’m almost 30, and I think I’ll pick up a few of these books soon.
What a fantastic list, I have read and most likely will read again several of the books on this list.
One more for you: Tunnel in the Sky, Robert Heinlein
Like My Side of the Mountain and Hatchet, its partly about learning self reliance, but it also teaches a valuable lesson about fear of the unknown and paints a very pointed picture that very often the solution to a conflict is NOT to simply bring a bigger gun.
Excellent list!
I would add “King Solomon’s Mines” by H. Rider Haggard. A classic treasure hunt and loyalty/friendship novel. Also “Nation” by Terry Pratchett.
Pretty good list – very easy reading most of it.
What’s missing? The Fountainhead
Excellent list. How about: The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
oh! and “the three musketeers”!
I agree with Titus that this is a great list, but some of the books are…iffy. I’d say that nearly a third of the books on this list are already required for 9-15 year old boys to begin with (and for the record, I know LOTS of people who do not like The Hatchet, mostly because as suburban and urban boys they simply cannot relate). I am pleased to see Gaiman and some fantasy titles on the list.
Anyway, I recommend Koushun Takami’s “Battle Royale”. It’s not as accessible as “Lord of the Flies”, but it has a similar theme, a more detailed story, and in my opinion much better writing. It also inspired a hit movie, an anime, and a manga, all of which you can probably ask your Japanophillic kid’s friend about.
I have two boys (6 and 3) and my husband and I have been lamenting the fact that they “just don’t make men like they used to”. I am thrilled to have found your site and have been reading for a while.
Love your book list. Some of the books I love but thought nobody else knew about were on here! (Phantom Tollbooth, Where the Red Fern Grows) There were many I didn’t know about, though, presumably because I’m not a boy.
I recently rented “My Side of the Mountain” for my oldest son and it’s a very “slow” movie compared to modern films these days. I was certain he wouldn’t sit through it. Not only did he sit through the entire movie, but he wanted me to start it over so he could watch it again!
Thanks for the awesome list!
I would recommend adding “Rascal” by Sterling North to the list. It’s a great story about a boy and his adventures with his pet raccoon. Excellent writing and beautiful pencil illustrations… and frankly, it just makes a kid want to get out and explore the world without any modern technology to tie him down.
1) Don’t forget to read ‘The Hobbit’ before ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy.
2) Also, for all kids 10-14 years old and up, the 11-book series ‘Uncle Eric Books’ by Richard Maybury, the title list can be found here:
http://www.bluestockingpress.com/uncle-eric-books.htm
If I was to make the list ‘100 books’, I would include more non-fiction books, specifically biographies of the U.S. Founding Fathers (1770-1783), plus various inventors, business people, etc.
Good job!
Brett, I rushed through the list to make sure you listed King Arthur and His Knights. Good job!
Good list, except for The Giver. The end of that book (or lack thereof) has annoyed me for years.
i loved the hardy boys when i was growing up- used to have a whole shelf devoted to them. also fantastic call on my side of the mountain- i had completely forgotten about it. there is actually sequels that are pretty good if any one is interested.
Additions that I would suggest: Harry Potter, a great good versus evil story
also, Rocket boys by Homer H Hickam Jr, the story that inspired the movie “october sky”. its another coming of age story, but with home made rockets. what else do you need?
Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein – where else will you find the Boy Scouts of Ganymede?
Anything by Peter Capstick – hunting in the “Dark Continent”
Anything about Ernest Shackleton – “If you’re lost pray. If you’re lost in the Antarctic, pray for Shackleton”
The Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forester – one of the best series on personal responsibility and leadership
A fantastic list. I would also recommend (particularly if a boy liked Watership Down) the Redwall series, which are lots of fun. For somewhat older boys, the James Herriot books, beginning with “All Creatures Great and Small,” are wonderful; by turns heartbreaking and hilarious, every chapter can stand on its own as a short story (while they do all fit into a cohesive plot arc). There’s some mild swearing (damn, hell, but rarely anything stronger) so some parents may want to consider that. I would also HIGHLY RECOMMEND (for teens––heck, for everyone!) a novel by Patrick O’Brien called “The Golden Ocean.” It is a standalone novel (you’re not committing to the Aubrey/Maturin series), but––like much of O’Brien––very-well researched; some of the characters are not historical, but many of the events are. A thrilling, brilliant book.
Great list. It is amazing how many of those I have read, and had almost forgotten about.
As a Canadian, I would definitely add something from Farley Mowat to the list. He has written some fantastic yarns about adventures the arctic (“Lost in the Barrens”), but I think that his classic prairie tale “Owls in the Family” is the one that most of us remember.
Another one that has stuck with me for some reason is the depression classic “Mr. Popper’s Penguins”
I haven’t read everyone’s comments, hopefully I am not the only one my two favorites.
1. King Solomon’s Mines – H. Rider Haggard
2. Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe.
I also pored over the scholastic book order and spent not a little of my hard earned (no allowance at my house) pennies on books. In addition to reading skills, it helped my early math skills – how many books I could afford with so much money. I recall that the books were in the 25-60 cent range. (I’m in my early 50’s).
As a pre-teen, there was even a more exciting treasure trove – the school library. On one of the bottom shelves, in the middle of the back wall (see what an impression they left!) was a long set of books, nearly an entire shelf wide. The spines of the books placed in the correct order created a picture in dark blues and greens related to the genre, which was SUBMARINES!!! I read through that entire set – some twice – in less than a school year. So, of course, when my son was approaching that age, I went to the school library, then the local library, then the nearest city library looking for them. To no avail. Apparently, books go through cycles and some have relatively short life spans. And these books had lived their lives and it was over. I nearly cried (don’t tell anyone). Unfortunately, what I don’t remember is the name of the series, or even any of the titles. So finding them would be nearly impossible. Even though my son is now 18 (and, to my eternal frustration, one of those non-readers who nearly didn’t graduate from high school due to repeatedly failing – English, of course) I would love to have that set of books. For myself and my future grandsons (and/or granddaughters).
Hello, I belive that Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank should also be added to your already fine list of litiature, as it shows the comming of age for young and old in a post atomic age.
Hey, how about some poetry? Scholastic’s “Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle” introduced me to a lot of very witty rhymers. A Second vote for the Horatio Hornblower series, and anything by Farley Mowatt, especially “The Boat Who Wouldn’t Float” or “The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be”, and where’s “The Wind in the Willows”? If Mole and Ratty aren’t overgrown 12-year olds at heart, I don’t know who is.
I don’t know if boys actually learn that much slower than girls when it comes to language arts, or it’s that schools in recent years have become more oriented towards helping girls achieve greater academic success, especially at the elementary school level, at the expense of boys. I think it all points to an increasing degree of misandry in American society, which is an entirely subject. Generally, boys still do better in math and science than girls. Regardless, getting boys to take reading more seriously is crucial to the overall welfare of any culture. Here’s an interesting story on one particular approach.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20090927_To_help_boys__school_creates_the_poster_men_for_reading.html
My favoirte childhood novels:
The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
Paul Revere by Esther Forbes
And I loved The Shadow mystery novels by Maxwell Grant.
What a great list. I’ve posted a link to it. Hate to tinker with it but if you are adding:
The House With a Clock In Its Walls – Bellairs
My Side of the Mountain – George
Henry Huggins – Cleary
Henry Reed, Inc – McCloskey
How To Eat Fried Worms – Rockwell
A good list. Many of those are still some of my favorite books.
a few things I can think of to add:
His Dark Materials Trilogy- Philip Pullman
Redwall series- Brian Jacques
Last of the Mohicans- James Fenimore Cooper
Great list. I’ve always been a big reader and some of my favorites were on this list or in the comments. I haven’t thought about some of these books in years (such as The Yearling and Toothpaste Millionaire and Paddle to the Sea).
One I’d add to the list would be “Banner in the Sky” by James Ramsey Ullman. I spent a week in the hospital with pneumonia in the 4th grade and my teacher and some of my classmates put together a care package with some games and two books, one of which was “Banner in the Sky”. I can’t remember the name of the other one but it was about a boy who lives with his grandparents and hunts with his grandfather every year but his grandfather becomes ill so he must try to take a deer alone for the first time. It was a great read.
Great list, thanks!!!
Really enjoyed the list, but I take issue with the gender comparisons. I realize that wasn’t the point of the article, but shouldn’t we focus on what proportion of boys read, not whether it’s boys or girls?
This is a great list. I loved several of those books while growing up, and I think I may go back and reread some of them.
I’m really especially happy to see both “Hatchet” and “The Mummy, the Will and the Crypt” on this list. John Bellairs was one of my very favorite authors when I was young, and I’ve been meaning to pick those books up again for a re-read. I have fond memories of riding to the library to exchange one for the next as a way to enjoy my summers…
Great list. I would add Heart, by Edmundo de Amicis. I have read it twice and I am thinking of reading it again.
Great book list. I also enjoyed The Old Man and the Boy.
http://www.amazon.com/Old-Man-Boy-Robert-Ruark/dp/080502669X
The Human Comedy by William Saroyan.
Best book of my childhood was “The Call of the Wild”
Great list. One I’d like to add is:
Tarzan of the Apes – Edgar Rice Burroughs.
A SEPARATE PEACE — no. Well, maybe for Ian McKellen and that pouty-boy who made an emo mess of the new THE PRISONER.
What about Journey to the Center of the Earth, Around the World in 80 Days, 20,000 leagues under the sea? Jules Verne should be on this list.
Collected from “Boys Life”, I read and reread Donald Keith’s “Mutiny in the Time Machine” and “Time Machine to the Rescue”. Boys are boys, no matter the era, Spartans or space men.
Another vote for Patrick O’Brian’s The Golden Ocean, and for the Hornblower series.
For older boys, Kenneth Roberts’ Northwest Passage, a mostly factual but novelized account of a young man who joined Rogers’ Rangers during the French and Indian wars.
I’m going to tuck this away in my favorites for about 15 years until I have a child (I think most of this list equally applies to girls), old enough to read. Here’s to hoping you guys are still around then!
Personally, I’d stay clear of the Hornblower novels until the kid hits his teens.
Anything written by Robert Heinlein between 1950 and 1958 is great – Citizen of the Galaxy is particularly good. Reserve Starship Troopers for the teenage years.
And I’m shocked that nobody has mentioned the Sherlock Holmes mysteries…and Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom stories.
Me? I grew up on E.E. Smith’s masterwork – the Lensman Series.
Ok, you did miss the BEST books for boys out there–the many works of GA Henty. My boys will not grow up without them!
Artemis Fowl books by Eoin Colfer. An 11 year old criminal mastermind, with a supporting cast of eccentrics and high tech fairies. Eoin Colfer and Louis Sacar are a tie for children authors with a sense of humor prize. All those years teaching elementary school sharpened Colfer’s ability to intertweave fart jokes into the plot. Also, Sideways School series by Sachar is good for the younger kids.
Percy Jackson and The Olympians series by Rick Riordan. This series is most often acclaimed as the book that turned a reluctant reader into an enthusiast.
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart.. I love books about special or gifted children. Four kids go on to save the world from a dastardly villain.
Bone by Jeff Smith. Graphic novels are hugely popular. Cuteness, comedy, action and a greater social awareness all done in black and white. The entire series was 13 years in the making. A smashup of the Hobbit and Pogo.
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull. Introducing the Bart and Lisa Simpson of the fantasy world of mythological creatures. Happily a positive portrayal of an ADHD kid, his strengths and weaknesses with dire consequences from his impulsive actions. Contrasted with his more scaredy cat sister, who is more a cautious problem solver.
This list could use some diversity. Within the your parameters of “Western,” I would suggest authors such as Sherman Alexie (Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian), Walter Dean Myers (Monster), Gary Soto (Buried Onions), Markus Zusak (The Book Thief), and Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese).
I was forced to read A Separate Peace when I was kid and hated it. I read it again a couple of years ago and I still hate it. It’s the kind of book that well-meaning adults make children read but kids universally think the characters in the book are all wealthy, self-righteous pricks.
Is there a .pdf of these?
Nice list, but I missed the following essential titles:
Children of the New Forest by Frederick Marryat
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
My Book of Bible stories (Watch Tower Society)
Grimm’s Fairy Tales
Arabian Nights
I would add more old-fashioned adventure books, such as Gordon R. Dickson’s Dorsai! series, “The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag” and “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress” by Robert A. Heinlein, “Kon Tiki” by Thor Heyerdahl, and almost anything by Issac Asimov. Does anyone else remember reading these books as a young boy?
My suggestions:
Don Quijote – Miguel Cervantes
A Gathering of Old Men – Ernest J. Gaines
Haroun and the Sea of Stories – Salman Rushdie
The Alex Rider Series – Anthony Horowitz
The Captain Alatriste Series – Arturo Perez-Reverte
The Inspector Montalbano Series – Andrea Camilleri
The Arsene Lupin Series – Maurice Leblanc
Fathers and Sons – Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev
The Palace of Dreams – Ismail Kadare
Broken April – Ismail Kadare
The Giving Tree – Shel Silverstein
The Art of War – Sun Tzu
The Moon is Down – John Steinbeck
Animal Farm – George Orwell
Forgive me if some of these have been listed prior.
For young men I would strongly recommend “The Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad.
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.