Books for boys (and maybe girls, too)

My boys LOVE to read. I attribute this to starting them early on books. We're talking eat-the-book early. My oldest child could turn a page before he could roll over. Nine years later, we find him awake hours past his bedtime with his nose stuck in a book. Makes me proud (until I have to roll his too-sleepy rear out of bed the next morning).

That's a story for another time.

Today I wanted to share our favorite books. These are obviously my boys' favorites, and to be fair, I have no idea what girls like. Not true, I'm a girl and I like them, so you be the judge!

Books for babies and toddlers

Look and find books: My kids love the large Look and Find books. Ours are falling apart due to the use they've gotten, but we have Dora, Lightning McQueen, and Batman.

My First Word books (also falling apart).

Ages 3 to 5

The Froggy Books by Jonathon London. There is a predictable pattern to these stories so the kids enjoy the familiarity of the storyline.

The Berenstain Bears by Stan and Jan Berenstain. So many lessons to learn!

The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller. We can't get enough of this one. The kids learn where the states are, to boot!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr., John Archambault and Lois Ehlert. Honestly, this book seems so simple that it's popularity amazes me.

Ages 5 to 9

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis. We started reading these to our boys when they were around five.

The Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne. I'm not one to read a book twice, but that doesn't seem to bother my kids because they like to read these over and over.

The Adventures of Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown. This is a great book for readers who are ready to start chapter books. The chapters are short and the story is easy to follow.

The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo. Do NOT read the movie version. It's just not the same.

Ages 8 and up

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. My son has read this series twice and I'm pretty sure he'll read it again. It's amazing how one story can bring a subject into popularity. My kids are interested in Greek mythology after reading these books.

A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck. This is one of my all-time favorite books. My son and I spent hours laughing at Grandma Dowdle.

Schooled by Gordon Korman. This book mentions The Beatles. My son was in heaven.

The City of Ember series by Jean Duprau. I love the sleuth-like nature of this book. It makes it a suspenseful read.

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull. Although my children haven't read this yet, I've had several pre-teens tell me they love it. I don't usually like fantasy-type books, but these were very entertaining.


These are all series I have personally read and I feel good about recommending them. They are clean and most of them teach a moral lesson. Gotta love that.

Other books that didn't make the top list for my boys, but I like 'em!

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins (yes, she wrote the Hunger Games and this is NOT gory).

Wolven by Di Toft. I've only read the first one, but it is a series.

The Candy Shop Wars by Brandon Mull

As a side note I do NOT recommend Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I feel that it teaches children to be dishonest and is not appropriate for my children's ages. The older brother introduces inappropriate subject matter. They are banned from our house. I didn't read them until my children had read all of them. Now, I read their books first. I suggest this become a practice in your home also.

Happy reading!
Jacquie