OK, I have an extensive Library built up…for Girls! And now that I have a reading (well) boy…I’m pretty much at a loss on what to offer him.
He’s 8.5 yrs, and has recently read Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little, Trumpet of The Swan, Baby Island, Little House in The Big Woods (which we continually read aloud, so he wasn’t too interested in reading that on his own…but I did catch him ‘narrating’ it to his Big Sister at dinner time), and a few other chapter books. Right now he’s reading a book by Lenski, I think it’s Corn Farm Boy…but I don’t know where to go from here. We will be reading most of the Literature selections from the currriculum guide aloud (or have already).
I would LOVE to get him going on a series, but can’t find anything I feel is appropriate, and he can devour a Magic Tree House in one Quiet Time (nap time for Littles)!
Help! I don’t want his willingness to read to go away because he doesn’t have a good book!
Here is a link to a webpage, Books for Boys & Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day:
I haven’t read all of them so I don’t know if they are all CM, but several of the names appear in AO lists, some SCM lists too. (I don’t think Hardy Boys series does though:)
The Redwall series is great. It is basically a knighthood theme… I’ve only read the first book. There is a fantasy element, in that the characters are animals – in the first book, the main good guys are mice, and the bad guys are rats.
We were in a similar situation with my 9 yr old ds. I went to the Sonlight website I let him browse through the books there. He picked out two. The Bears on Hemlock Mountain and Matchlock Gun. Both are a bit under his reading level, but I wanted him to just curl up and stay put reading. So I was fine with it. For his literature reading he is currently on the first Narnia book.
I always recommend the Henry Huggins series by Beverly Cleary and Homer Price by Robert McCloskey. Also, has he read Cricket in Times Square and its sequels?
Not sure what reading level you’re talking about so just thought I’d list a variety of books my boys have enjoyed at different ages.
Henry Huggins “series” by Cleary My Side of the Mountain by Craighead George Narnia series by Lewis My Father’s Dragon series A Lion to Guard Us Matchlock Gun Sign of the Beaver Mr. Poppers Penguins The Moffats by Estes The Saturdays series and Gone Away Lake series by Enright Red Sails to Capri Twenty One Balloons Carry On Mr Bowditch Follow My Leader Childhood of Famous Americans series, esp Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett,…
If I remember correctly, you use Truthquest. She has tons of books listed in her guides and you could probably find some in his interests in there. If I think of more, I’ll post later.
Thank you so much for this! My boys are young but I’ve been working on book lists so we can take them to library or request books on bookmooch.com. That link is great as well as the other suggestions.
My ds (almost 7) is devouring The Boxcar Children. After Book 19, the original author (Gertrude Chandler Warner) no longer writes, and I have heard that those books are pretty twaddly. I think your ds would enjoy them. They’re written on a 2nd-4th grade level and would be appropriate for an adventurous boy!