As a writer and a mom of a boy, I’ve spent the last 15+ years reading children’s books. I used to read A TON when I was a child. I remember going to a library every week and coming back with a huge stack of books to read. It was a long time ago, in a different era and completely different world. The Soviet Union’s rule over my part of the world (Central Europe, or, more exactly, Warsaw, Poland), Solidarity movement hadn’t been born yet, and Berlin wall was still standing strong,
I read everything that was available that I could get my hands on, including many classics, translated into Polish, of course. Anne of Green Gables, Winnie the Pooh, the Catcher in the Rye come to mind. But also Huckleberry Finn, Jules Verne, Victor Hugo, Charles Dickens, and many other, I can’t even remember the names.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to pass that passion to my son. He reads very little beyond what is required. I don’t know if he’ll ever know the pleasure of reading a thick book, staying up in the middle of the night because you HAVE to find out how it ends. (I admit, these days, it’s more likely that a Netflix series is keeping me up, than a book. Unless it’s audio, then I can lay in my bed at night, lights off and eyes closed, immersed in the story.)
Today, the world has changed tremendously. I love the ease we can access any information imaginable—it’s all at our fingertips in a blink of an eye (which is usually the speed of your internet connection).
These days I rarely read a printed book cover to cover. I often skim them on my kindle, and I absolutely love LOVE audio books — I spend hours listening to all kinds of fiction and non-fiction, books I wouldn’t probably have time to read if it wasn’t for that wonderful format.
And, believe it or not, I love children’s, middle grade and YA books. It started when my son was born, I indulged myself with children’s books, then tween and teen stories. I kept buying and borrowing books for him, even though he only read some of them. But when he did, it only gave me motivation to continue.
And then–inspired by some of the books and events in my life–I started to write my own stories… (you’ll find them on this list when you scroll to the bottom).
So, here’s my non-exhaustive list of books for boys (and girls, too) that even their parents might enjoy.
I realize I’m not the intended audience for these books—I’m not a boy, and I’m well past school age (by a lot), so take this list with a grain of salt. However, I’m an omnivorous reader, and appreciate a good story and writing of all sorts. I found that I enjoyed reading these books (and even writing some of them, if you scroll to the very bottom), and I hope you will, too.
15+ Great Books for Tween and Teen Boys
Ghost (Track) by Jason Reynolds
Ghost (Track) by Jason Reynolds. Ghost wants to be the fastest sprinter on his elite middle school track team, but his past is slowing him down.
Ghost. Lu. Patina. Sunny. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team—a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves.
Running. That’s all Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) has ever known. But Ghost has been running for the wrong reasons—it all started with running away from his father, who, when Ghost was a very little boy, chased him and his mother through their apartment, then down the street, with a loaded gun, aiming to kill. Since then, Ghost has been the one causing problems—and running away from them—until he meets Coach, an ex-Olympic Medalist who sees something in Ghost: crazy natural talent. If Ghost can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter in the city. Can Ghost harness his raw talent for speed, or will his past finally catch up to him? Buy it on Amazon.
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander. “With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . . The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. Cuz tonight I’m delivering,” announces dread-locked, 12-year old Josh Bell. He and his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood, he’s got mad beats, too, that tell his family’s story in verse, in this fast and furious middle grade novel of family and brotherhood from Kwame Alexander. Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story’s heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire family.
Kwame accomplishes a difficult and ambitious masterpiece by telling a story in short rhythmic verses. Kwame also does a great job capturing the essence of brotherhood between twins, Josh and Jordan Bell, mingled with the complicated dynamics of being in junior high (Jordan falls in love with Sweet Tea, and Josh wants a sip.). This is a great book for junior high kids and older. It’s an easy read with a touching story.
The Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
The Hatchet by Gary Paulsen is a classic. Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson, haunted by his secret knowledge of his mother’s infidelity, is traveling by single-engine plane to visit his father for the first time since the divorce. When the plane crashes, killing the pilot, the sole survivor is Brian. He is alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother had given him as a present.
At first consumed by despair and self-pity, Brian slowly learns survival skills—how to make a shelter for himself, how to hunt and fish and forage for food, how to make a fire—and even finds the courage to start over from scratch when a tornado ravages his campsite. When Brian is finally rescued after fifty-four days in the wild, he emerges from his ordeal with new patience and maturity, and a greater understanding of himself and his parents.
Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children by RANSOM RIGGS
Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children by RANSOM RIGGS. A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in this groundbreaking novel, which mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling new kind of reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob Portman journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.
The beginning of the story was very intriguing and I was really drawn into it. In the middle it lagged a little for me, but overall it’s an interesting read.
The Lines We Cross by Randa Abdel-Fattah
The Lines We Cross by Randa Abdel-Fattah. A story about the power of tolerance from one of the most important voices in contemporary Muslim literature, critically acclaimed author Randa Abdel-Fattah. Michael likes to hang out with his friends and play with the latest graphic design software. His parents drag him to rallies held by their anti-immigrant group, which rails against the tide of refugees flooding the country. And it all makes sense to Michael. Until Mina, a beautiful girl from the other side of the protest lines, shows up at his school, and turns out to be funny, smart — and a Muslim refugee from Afghanistan. Suddenly, his parents’ politics seem much more complicated. Mina has had a long and dangerous journey fleeing her besieged home in Afghanistan, and now faces a frigid reception at her new prep school, where she is on scholarship. As tensions rise, lines are drawn. Michael has to decide where he stands. Mina has to protect herself and her family. Both have to choose what they want their world to look like.
Paper Towns by John Green
Paper Towns by John Green. Weeks before graduating from their Orlando-area high school, Quentin Jacobsen’s childhood best friend, Margo, reappears in his life, specifically at his window, commanding him to take her on an all-night, score-settling spree. Quentin has loved Margo from not so afar (she lives next door), years after she ditched him for a cooler crowd. Just as suddenly, she disappears again, and the plot’s considerable tension derives from Quentin’s mission to find out if she’s run away or committed suicide. Margo’s parents, inured to her extreme behavior, wash their hands, but Quentin thinks she’s left him a clue in a highlighted volume of Leaves of Grass. Q’s sidekick, Radar, editor of a Wikipedia-like Web site, provides the most intelligent thinking and fuels many hilarious exchanges with Q. The title, which refers to unbuilt subdivisions and copyright trap towns that appear on maps but don’t exist, unintentionally underscores the novel’s weakness: both milquetoast Q and self-absorbed Margo are types, not fully dimensional characters. If you can get past that you’ll enjoy the edgy journey and off-road thinking.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Mark Haddon’s novel follows a boy with autism who is working to solve the murder of a neighbor’s dog. The language gives readers a look inside the complicated mind of Christopher John Francis Boone, offering a new perspective on an entrancing narrative. I really enjoyed the story.
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. SALINGER is another classic. J.D. Salinger’s tale of teenager Holden Caulfield who wanders the big city was first published more than 70 years ago. While some of the New York City landscape may seem old-fashioned, the way Holden desperately keeps his pain inside is a timeless teenage turmoil.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
This sci-fi classic follows the adventures of a man who is the only survivor of the Earth blowing up and he goes along with some beings from other planets and ends up having a tour of space. The concepts of science in the book are basic and are explained in an understandable manner. The book makes you appreciate the real wonders of the universe. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
Diary of the Wimpy Kid (and the rest of the Wimpy Kid series) by Jeff Kinney
Diary of the Wimpy Kid (and the rest of the series) by Jeff Kinney. No, this book series is not Harry Potter. The series follows the misadventures of lazy, rather undisciplined middle school miscreant Greg Heffley. But it’s funny, and kids enjoy it. If your child is a reluctant reader, definitely get him or her started on the first book! (While the protagonist is a boy, both genders love these books.)
Hoot, Scat, Flush, Chomp by Carl Hiaasen
Hoot, Scat, Flush, Chomp, Skink, and Squirm is a series by Carl Hiaasen. Welcome to Carl Hiaasen’s Florida—where the creatures are wild and the people are wilder!
Hoot is the first in the series (which can be read in any order). Everybody loves Mother Paula’s pancakes. Everybody, that is, except the colony of cute but endangered owls that live on the building site of the new restaurant. Can the awkward new kid and his feral friend prank the pancake people out of town? Or is the owls’ fate cemented in pancake batter?
Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life (Middle School, 1) by James Patterson
Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life, Get Me out of Here!, Escape to Australia, From Hero to Zero (and the rest of the Middle School series) by James Patterson.
Rafe Khatchadorian has enough problems at home without throwing his first year of middle school into the mix. Luckily, he’s got an ace plan for the best year ever: to break every rule in his school’s oppressive Code of Conduct. Chewing gum in class: 5,000 points! Running in the hallway: 10,000 points! Pulling the fire alarm: 50,000 points! But when Rafe’s game starts to catch up with him, he’ll have to decide if winning is all that matters, or if he’s finally ready to face the rules, bullies, and truths he’s been avoiding.
James Patterson’s middle-grade novel series addresses some of middle schoolers’ biggest issues: bullies, first crushes, and finding out what makes each of us special, all with a hilarious main character and fun in-text illustrations that are sure to have young readers begging for more!
The Game of Lost and Found (Mission IMPossible Series) by Joanna Slodownik
The Game of Lost and Found is a fictional story with my do (Ramses) and my son (Adam) as fictional characters.
When Adam loses his dog, whom I adopted from the shelter just weeks ago, he’s devastated and doesn’t know what to do. He knows he messed up BIG TIME. The question is how does he find him now, in a strange city he barely knows, all the way across the ocean from his home in New Jersey (somewhere in the middle of nowhere—or, to be more precise, in Central Europe, where his parents decided to move him). So not only did he have to leave his friends behind, he had to change schools—twice. And changing schools is not fun, to put it mildly. Now, he has no friends, no dog, and his parents will be so mad at him when they find out…
With dogs disappearing all around town and his new classmates coming up with scenarios from silly and funny to the terrifying, will Adam find Ramses before it’s too late?
Barf, Bullies, and Mulberries: My Middle School Misadventures (Mission IMPossible)
Barf, Bullies and Mulberries is another fictional story with my son as protagonist.
***They say—when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, but what do you do with spinach, kale, or dandelion? I say—toss the green stuff with bananas and strawberries into a blender and make GREEN BARF!***
After being awarded the Biggest Loser badges by the popular vote, Adam, Diego, and Jai are officially at the top of the Wall of Shame in their school, but does that mean they’re going to sit around and whine about it? Well… maybe a bit, but not for long! The three friends are assigned an impossible mission by the school principal to convince their classmates to start eating healthy foods served in the cafeteria. Everybody knows fruits, veggies, and greens may be good for your body, but disastrous for your image, and most teenagers would rather be caught dead than eating steamed broccoli, kale, or tofu.
Armed with blenders, juicers, and vegetable peelers, the trio sets off on the quest to win the Health and Nutrition Science Fair, against the Strong and Fit Team, lead by two school bullies, who won’t shy away from anything to wipe all competition off their way…
*** Adam blames his health-nut blogger mom (that would be me!) for getting him in trouble by publishing damaging photos of him and his friends on her website, drinking green barf, a.k.a. green smoothies, in Angry Birds pajamas.
When Adam discovers that the drinks he so endearingly called ‘Ogre’s Barf’ and “Superman’s Tonic’ (which he’d been duped into drinking since he was little by his blogger-mom), contained ingredients, such as spinach, kale, and dandelion; he gets on a mission to correct his mistake and prove his ‘coolness’ by dutifully making up for the years lost on eating healthy foods.
Adam starts his own blog and video channel and intends to get on a mischievous crusade until a Mystery Girl he befriends helps him realize that the knowledge he possesses can actually benefit others and let him make a big splash at the school’s Healthy Living and Eating Science Fair (and maybe even win the first prize!).
My Limpy Dog: A Dog Adoption Story: A MUST-READ If You Want a Pet, From 8 to 14 to 114 Years Old
My Limpy Dog: A Dog Adoption Story is based on the story of how we adopted Ramses, our beloved dog, who spent 8 long years in an animal shelter.
From book description: “Have you ever thought of adopting a dog? If the answer is YES, then this book is for you! It’s about a boy named Adam (that’s me!) and a dog, Ramses (that’s the Limpy Dog from the title, it’s because he has a cute limp that makes him look like he’s skipping when he walks), and how we’ve met each other. (SPOILER ALERT: it happened in an animal shelter, and, yes, Ramses is adopted!).
I’m not going to sugar-coat it–adopting a dog is a lot of fun, but also a big responsibility and the whole process hasn’t been easy. The decision to adopt can be a scary one and my parents weren’t so keen about it at first.
I remember having many questions: Are we going to become friends? Is he going to like me? Who’s going to take care of him? And—are we all going to regret it? You’ll have to read the book to find out what happened, but if you ever thought about getting a dog (or a cat), read my story.
(ANOTHER SPOILER ALERT: The answer is a resounding YES! Everybody in my family fell madly, deeply and totally head over heels in love with the hairy canine who is now a member of our tribe; and we simply cannot imagine our life without him anymore.)
WARNING! This book contains content that goes straight to your heart, and may cause you to take actions with unforeseeable, long-lasting, life-changing consequences; like taking a dirty, stinky, and scared four-legged hairy canine (or feline) alien into your lovely home, resulting in hearts opened, minds changed, sofas damaged, homework eaten, floors dirtied, food stolen, shoes gnawed on, carpets puked on, lawns pooped on; but, also–hours of play, fun, and laughter, loads of snuggles and wet kisses, unconditional friendship and affection, and… love. CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED!”
So, adopt, don’t shop! (And buy My Limpy Dog: A Dog Adoption Story today!)
Barf! My Big Book of Smoothies (Confessions of Barf Drinker with 50+ Smoothie Recipes and Tips for Kids and Adults from 7 to 107 years old)
Barf! My Big Book of Smoothies is a humorous story about green smoothies. I have admit, it’s completely silly, but I hope your child will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
From the description: “Mom calls them Green Smoothies. I call them Green Barf. I’ve been drinking barf longer than I can remember—for most of my life, according to Mom. She made me do it! I really didn’t have any complaints about drinking barf for a long time. At least, not until I was old enough to realize what’s in it, which only happened recently, thanks to my buddies who enlightened me. To my horror, I found out I had a big problem on my hands. And an embarrassing one to boot!
Turns out the green stuff I’ve been drinking so gullibly—and even calling it endearing names too embarrassing to mention (don’t ask me, I’m not ready to admit it…just yet)—contains some the most gag-inducing stuff on the face of this planet and basically makes any normal kid want to throw up, stuff like raw spinach, parsley leaves, and broccoli florets, for example. YUCK! Yeah—thanks, Mom!
To illustrate my point, consider the following scenario.
Even to this day, when my friends come over, Mom would bring me a glass of barf to drink right in front of them! But that’s not all. She’d offer barf to them as well; instead of a cola, sprite or ginger ale—which is the stuff that normal kids drink.
(Mom, if you’re reading this, please, stop doing that! You’re emBARFassing me!)” Get Barf! My Big Book of Smoothies on Amazon.
How about you?
What are some books your and your kids are reading?
I’ll be adding more books to this list, so stay tuned.
I’d also be interested to hear what you’re reading with your tweens and enjoying it, so feel free to comment below.
