Almost Can’t-Miss Sure Shot Books…for Boys

[Judy Freeman]

Are boys and girls different in their reading tastes and habits? In many ways, they are. While there are plenty of children’s books out there that appeal to everyone, I’ve made a list of the things boys like best, and matched it with 25 irresistible books that have true boy appeal. The list is arranged loosely and progressively by age, from birth to teen. While you’re reading it, be thinking about what other things your boys like best, and what books have satisfied them most. We’ll follow up in the next issue with a companion list for girls.

One of the most noticeable differences between the sexes is that boys will often express horror at reading what they perceive to be a “girl” book while girls won’t shy away from reading a “boy” book. Are kids hardwired at birth with those differences? Or are they cultural? It’s probably some of both. There are no hard and fast rules here, though. This list is based on my admittedly unscientific observations of thousands of children over the years, at school, at home, and at the library.


1. Boys would prefer to stay up all night so they don’t have to miss anything exciting going on in the living room, though a good bedtime story or two can often appease them.

Good Night, Gorilla. Rathmann, Peggy. Illus. by the author. Putnam, 1994. (32 pages; Suggested Ages: 0-6) After stealing the zookeeper's ring of keys, Gorilla lets all the other animals out of their cages, and they follow the oblivious zookeeper home to bed. Kids love to follow the mouse pulling the banana on a string.

How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? Yolen, Jane. Illus. by Mark Teague. Scholastic, 2000. (32 pages; Suggested Ages: 0-6) Accompanied by a sprightly series of rhyming questions, an assortment of oversized dinosaur children balk at going to bed.







2. Boys of all ages, even toddlers, are infatuated by heavy machinery, and love to watch vehicles in motion.

I Stink! McMullan, Kate. Illus. by Jim McMullan. HarperCollins, 2002. (32 pages; Suggested Ages: 3-7) A no-nonsense, tough-talking New York City garbage truck explains how he chows down on all your trash each night while you sleep. The yuck factor is sublime as he runs through an entire listing, A to Z, of the stinky garbage he ingests.

My Car. Barton, Byron. Illus. by the author. Greenwillow, 2001. (32 pages; Suggested Ages: 0-5) In the simplest of texts, illustrated with flat, bold computer graphics, Sam describes how he keeps his car in shape and drives safely.






3. Boy don’t like baths much, and they appreciate reading about characters who share their views, especially pirates and kids who like to make a mess.

How I Became a Pirate. Long, Melinda. Illus. by David Shannon. Harcourt, 2003. (32 pages; Suggested Ages: 3-7) Young Jeremy Jacobs leaves his family at the beach and sails off with Brain Beard and his pirate crew to find a safe place to bury their treasure.

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More. Beaumont, Karen. Illus. by David Catrow. Harcourt, 2005. (32 pages; Suggested Ages: 4-7) Though his exasperated Mama catches him painting pictures on the floor, ceiling, and all over the house, an unrepentant little boy then proceeds to paint himself all over, one body part at a time. Sung to the tune of “It Ain’t Gonna Rain No More,” this jaunty romp is one of those, "Don't try this at home, kids" books.



4. Boys like to read about other boys and play with toys like boy action figures instead of dumb dolls, because, as they will tell you, girls play with dolls and girls have cooties, except for moms and girls they like, of course. (NOTE: As boys get older and the fear of cooties recedes, boys will often sneak books meant for girls, though they’ll probably deny it if you ask them about it.)

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever. Frazee, Marla. Illus. by the author. Harcourt, 2008. (32 pages; Suggested Ages: 3-8) James and his best friend Eamon spend a week at Eamon's grandparents house at the beach so they can attend nature camp together, though they’re more than happy to stay indoors, watching cool stuff on TV, eating ice cream, and sleeping on an air mattress.

Traction Man Meets Turbodog. Grey, Mini. Illus. by the author. Knopf, 2008. (32 pages; Suggested Ages: 4-8) A boy plays hard with his Traction Man action figure on the compost heap in the back yard, but when little wooden Scrubbing Brush is sucked into the depths of Sinking Mud, the boy’s dad deposits the germy thing into the trash bin. As in the first book, Traction Man Is Here (2005), this is an imaginative graphic picture book with comic book-like panels and derring do balloon dialogue.



5. Boys like to read about and pronounce the names of and play with models of and pretend to be gargantuan prehistoric creatures, and when 3-D dinosaurs emerge from the pages of a book, that’s even better.

Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Dinosaurs. Sabuda, Robert, and Matthew Reinhart. Illus. by Robert Sabuda. Candlewick, 2005. (12 pages; Suggested Ages: 4 & Up) In a thrilling pop-up extravaganza, take a gander at six gorgeous dinosaurs that spring out as you open each page, and explore the many mini-pop-ups from little side booklets with facts about more than 50 species. Preschoolers may manhandle all the ingenious paper engineering, so you might want to hold off on this one until they’re just a tad older.




6. Boys like to pore over intricate illustrations and color photographs, picking out cool details and finding hidden stuff.

Mazeways: A to Z. Munro, Roxie. Illus. by the author. Sterling, 2007. (32 pages; Suggested Ages: 4-8) Kids who love Martin Handford's "Where's Waldo?" and Jean Marzollo's "I Spy" books will be riveted as they navigate each of 26 intricate, oversized, alphabetical, thematic mazes, including an Airport, a Boatyard, and a Circus, and look for the more than 700 tiny items hidden on the pages.

How Strong Is It?: A Mighty Book All About Strength. Hillman, Ben. Illus. by the author. Scholastic, 2008. (48 pages; Suggested Ages: 7 & Up) Astonishing facts abound in this oversized look at 22 of the strongest animals, substances, and elements on earth, with eye-popping computer manipulated color photographs, like the elephant lifting a 2,000 pound log holding four beefy football players, or the boy being absorbed into a black hole. Luckily, there are companion books: How Big Is It? and How Fast Is It?.



7. Boys like facts and concrete activities and hands-on books where they can learn something or make something or try something new.

From Head to Toe: The Amazing Human Body and How It Works. Seuling, Barbara. Illus. by Edward Miller. Holiday House, 2002. (32 pages; Suggested Ages: 6-9) Filled with simple experiments kids can do, this spirited examination of all the systems and parts of the human body—bones, joints, muscles, brain and nervous system, organs, and skin—is crammed with fabulous facts that will give them newfound respect for their bodies.

A Drop of Water: A Book of Science and Wonder. Wick, Walter. Photos by the author. Scholastic, 1997. (40 pages; Suggested Ages: 8 & Up) Crystal-clear color close-up photographs explore the many interesting and unusual forms and properties of water, including a look at surface tension, soap bubbles, ice, water vapor, and condensation. Each concept is accompanied by an intriguing explanation that children can use as the basis for an easy-to-perform experiment.





8. Boys love to read books that mirror their innermost, most diabolical thoughts, especially when they contain words like “underwear” and “toilet.”

The Adventures of Captain Underpants: An Epic Novel. Pilkey, Dav. Illus. by the author. Blue Sky Press/Scholastic, 1997. (117 pages; Suggested Ages: 7-10) When the Captain Underpants series emerged, more than a decade ago, grownups derided them for being rude, crude, and inappropriate. And that’s exactly why boys continue to love these easy-to-read picture-filled adventures about two misbehaving comic book-writing fourth grade tricksters, George and Harold, who hypnotize their principal, Mr. Krupp, into believing he’s a superhero, clad in white underpants. You gotta laugh.

The Big Splash. Ferraiolo, Jack D. Amulet, 2008. (277 pages; Suggested Ages: 10 & Up) Move over Bogart; now there's hard-boiled private detective Matt Stevens on the job at Franklin Middle School as he tries to track down the kid who targeted Nicole Finnegan, AKA Nicky Fingers, a gorgeous redhead and once the fastest hit kid in school. Nicky's weapon of choice? Water gun. And now she’s been popped in revenge, right down the front of her pants, leading to the humiliating chant of "PEE-PEE PANTS” that could keep her in the Outs for good. You could call this genre “kid noir.”




9. Boys like to fall over laughing, especially when the world is so full of super-serious life situations with demanding teachers, nagging parents, whining siblings, and annoying friends.

Julian Rodriguez: Episode One: Trash Crisis on Earth. Stadler, Alexander. Illus. by the author. Scholastic, 2008. (123 pages; Suggested Ages: 7-10) "OUTRAGEOUS! That is the only word that can possibly describe the treatment I have received on this pathetic little planet!" rants wronged Earthling juvenile Julian, transmitting his sardonic complaints to the Mothership. In this nimble graphic novel-ette, Julian sees himself as a long-suffering alien observer, putting up with Evilomami and daily indignities at Aretha Franklin Elementary.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley's Journal. Kinney, Jeff. Illus. by the author. Amulet, 2007. (217 pages; Suggested Ages: 9 & Up) Sixth grader Greg Heffley survives the traumas of girls, middle school, and his family through his inadvertently hilarious hand-written daily accounts, made memorable with his stick figure cartoon drawings. The first of five in a series that boys of all ages, even teens, are devouring, you can find the original diaries at www.funbrain.com.






10. Boys are captivated by fiction books where animals talk, especially with clever, snappy main characters that happen to be mice, rats, or other small, smart rodents.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle. Cleary, Beverly. Illus. by Louis Darling. HarperTrophy, 2006, c1965. (176 pages; Suggested Ages: 7 & Up) When his parents check into the old Mountain View Inn, Keith encounters a remarkable mouse named Ralph who takes great delight in riding Keith's toy red motorcycle, making the noise "Pb-pb-b-b-b. Pb-pb-b-b-b" to get it zooming. This classic mouse novel, beloved by readers for more than 40 years, has two swell sequels: Runaway Ralph (1970) and Ralph S. Mouse (1982).

The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread. DiCamillo, Kate. Illus. by Timothy Basil Ering. Candlewick, 2003. (267 pages; Suggested Ages: 9 & Up) The only survivor of his litter, Despereaux, a ridiculously small and sickly mouse with huge ears, falls madly in love with the Princess Pea, a human girl. After breaking the ancient rules of mice by speaking with her, he is sentenced to death by the Mouse Council and banished to the castle’s dungeon to be finished off by the rats. Dear reader, this is one memorable Newbery Award
winner.





11. Boys are sometimes intimidated by text-heavy pages when reading fiction, and are drawn to graphic novels and books where action-packed pictures tell part of the story.

Bone #1: Out from Boneville. Smith, Jeff. Illus. by the author. Graphix/Scholastic, 2005. (138 pages; Suggested Ages: 9 and Up) This first of eight unputdownable fantasies in the epic Bone series, a juicy graphic novel in gorgeous color, will unleash a lovefest amongst boy readers. When three Bone cousins—responsible Fone Bone, larcenous Phoney Bone, and lackadaisical Smiley Bone—are chased out of their home town of Boneville and become separated, Fone Bone finds himself in a mysterious mountain valley.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret: A Novel in Words and Pictures. Selznick, Brian. Illus. by the author. Scholastic, 2007. (533 pages; Suggested Ages: 9 & Up) Winner of the prestigious Caldecott Medal for 2008, this groundbreaking and unforgettable novel (which one perceptive librarian described as “cinematic fiction”) is filled with more than 200 pages of black and white full-page pencil illustrations. Twelve-year-old orphan, Hugo Cabret, who lives secretly in the walls of a Paris train station and winds the clocks there, is caught stealing toys from the old man who runs a toy shop there.



12. Boys love action, and when they read about danger, adventure, sports, survival, mystery, intrigue, and wise-cracking kids that get into big trouble, they like to imagine themselves in the thick of it.

Swindle. Korman, Gordon. Scholastic, 2008. (252 pages; Suggested Ages: 9 & Up) Spending the night in a condemned and supposedly haunted house, sixth grader Griffin Bing comes across a million dollar Babe Ruth baseball card, only to get swindled out of it by a local baseball card dealer. Griffin assembles a crack team of talented classmates to steal it back.

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment. Patterson, James. Little, Brown, 2005. (422 pages; Suggested Ages: 10 & Up) Fourteen-year-old Max tries to keep her close-knit “family” of five younger kids together. Considering they’re all two percent avian, have wings, and can fly, and are being hunted down by half-human, half-wolf mutants called Erasers, it’s a tall order. When Erasers kidnap six-year-old Angel and bring her back to the science lab/prison called the School, it takes firebombs, a stolen van, bloody skirmishes, and more than 500 miles of flying to find her.





13. Boys aren’t big fans of novels filled with sensitive, angst-filled, touchy-feely characters and flowery descriptions of scenery; they want stuff to happen, and if there are explosions, hand-to-hand combat, and bloodcurdling screams, that’s even better.

The Revenge of the Witch. (The Last Apprentice, Book One). Delaney, Joseph. Illus. by Patrick Arrasmith. Greenwillow, 2005. (358 pages; Suggested Ages: 10 & Up) Ward, the left-handed 12-year-old seventh son of a seventh son, doesn't think he'll mind becoming the apprentice to the Spook, a man who walks the County, protecting it from witches, boggarts, ghosts, and gasts. Your younger kids are going to clamor for this compelling book, first in a series of five, once they see the handsome, creepy moonlit cover, but let me warn you—it's really terrifying.

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X. Patterson, James, and Michael Ledwidge. Little, Brown, 2008. (247 pages; Suggested Ages: 10 & Up) Since witnessing the murders of his parents when he was three by the Prayer, a ruthless alien who has taken the form of a six-foot praying mantis, fifteen-year-old Daniel X has taken over his father’s job as the Alien Hunter. He’s working his way down the List of Alien outlaws on Terra Firma, and dispatching them one at a time. There will be more books about the witty, elephant-loving, hard-fighting, shape-shifting, danger-luring gourmand Daniel as he meets up with the depraved aliens on the List, including the new graphic novel, Daniel X: Alien Hunter.

[Cheryl Kaye Tardif]

As an author who does a lot of book signings, I can tell you there are a LOT of boys who like to read. And those are some smart boys! :)

In fact, at a signing in Richmond, BC, I sold more copies of Whale Song to boys between the ages of 9-14 than at any other bookstore anywhere. And these boys outnumbered the adults who bought Whale Song for themselves by 4 to 1.

Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
bestselling author of Whale Song
Available at your favorite bookstore or online retailer, such as Amazon.com -
http://www.amazon.com/Whale-Song-Cheryl-Kaye-Tardif/dp/1601640072

[Aimee]

What about My Side of the Mountain. or Dripping Fang series

[Kelly Milner Halls]

Fantastic list, Judy. Hope you'll look at my books someday. We're kindred in our love for fun, weird, wonderful books.

Kelly Milner Halls
www.kellymilnerhalls.com

[Judy Freeman]

I do know your books, Kelly, and think they're wonderful, including Mysteries of the Mummy Kids and Tales of the Cryptids: Mysterious Creatures That May or May Not Exist. You do fabulous work. We were both members of Writers Club on AOL many years back, you may recall. That was a great group, back in the early-ish days of the Internet. People, don't miss this woman's books!

[Ann]

Judy, Thank you! I have been saying that the schools need a different reading program for boys than girls for years. Books like Magic Treehouse which were adored by my daughter were a bore to my son. My son was not a reader until Captain Underpants came along. Diary of a wimpy kid was a big hit with him. He loved the Maximum Ride books & the Alex Rider series. Sadly, our issue now is the same as I believe many kids have these days with kids learning to read faster and faster. It is finding challenging books with appropriate content. His teacher said he is reading at a high school level, but clearly content in many teen books are not appropriate for a nine year old. So far I have found the Maximum Ride, Alex Rider & Warrior Books to be ok. I will definitely check out some of the books you have recommended. Thank you!

[Judy Freeman]

Hi Ann--
Thanks for your kind words. I always say we raise readers one book at a time. I'm so glad to hear he's finding books that work for him. While many books appeal to boys and girls, the two sexes really do have different reading tastes in many ways. Boys say, "Give me stuff tghat happens!" Girls say, "I want to be friends with the main character." I think that's why both boys and girls like Maximum Ride books--Max is a strong female character, which is empowering to girls, and the action never stops, which the boys love.

If your son is loving the Warrior books and Maximum Ride, also take a look at the Redwall books by Brian Jacques (about a mouse abbey besieged by rats) and The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, starting with The Book of Three. They're challenging, and good boy readers love them a lot. (Girls, too, if they like danger and adventure.) It's tricky, because your son's reading level is high, but his emotional maturity can't keep pace with YA books (thank goodness--we don't want them to grow up TOO fast).

Wimpy Kid has been a godsend for reluctant and good readers alike. My cousin Jonah, now in 5th grade, has read them over and over, laughing like crazy each time. Have you seen The Lightning Thief yet? That's another book--first in the series, Percy Jackson & the Olympians--took to in 4th grade. The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas is also wonderful. Also the Silverwing books by Kenneth Oppel, The Prince of the Pond by Donna Jo Napoli, and Gregor the Overlander books by Suzanne Collins.

Happy reading--you'll love these books, too, I'll bet!

Judy Freeman
READKIDDOREAD Reviewer

[Beth]

Hi,
I'm looking for books for 6 1/2yr old twins, a girl and a boy, and their interests are decidedly different. They're in 1st grade, but Josh is reading well above grade level and curled up with a book whenever he gets a chance. Captain Underpants and the Mouse & the Motorcycle sound like they'd be great fits, but he likes things that are a bit scary, and the ones listed seem to be above his level. Can you suggest any books of that type at his level? I'm also waiting with great interest to see your recommendations for girls.

[Judy Freeman]

Hi Beth--
Whew, this is actually a very hard question. Finding books that fit an above-grade-level-reading boy is tricky, but that scary factor makes it doubly tough. When fiction books are scary, they're usually above a 6-year-old's emotional maturity level. I know he's probably looking for just a pinch of apprehension, but it's still harder to find than I wish it was. That said, I have a couple of ideas.

First off, do you know Jon Scieszka's Time Warp Trio series, starting with Knights of the Kitchen Table? Those are funny and exciting, though maybe a tad harder than he needs. I'm figuring he can read easy chapter books, but I'm just guessing, not knowing Josh. My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stile Gannett is wonderful (on my Books Under the Tree list). Here's a scary book, and very funny, too, not too hard to read--but not before bed: The Monster's Ring by Bruce Coville. And have you looked at the Spiderwick Chronicles yet? Book 1: The Field Guide is suspenseful and fun.

Then there's Not-Scary-But-Still-Fun-to-Read stuff like:
Frances O'Roark Dowell's Phineas L. Macguire . . . Erupts!: The First Experiment (Atheneum, 2006) and the sequel, Phineas L. MacGuire . . . Gets Slimed! (Atheneum, 2007). I love the Herbie Jones books by Suzy Kline and Class Clown by Johanna Hurwitz. One I read this year that's just adorable is Joy Cowley's Snake and Lizard (Kane Miller, 2008). And finally, a chapter book series that's so very fun by Ann Cameron: The Stories Julian Tells, More Stories Julian Tells, The Stories Huey Tells, and More Stories Huey Tells.

I don't know if all of these will ring his bell, but I hope some will. As for my Books for Girls list, I'm trying to finish it up this week and it'll be posted sometime in January. Been working on it on & off for ages, trying to get just the right mix.

Happy reading!

Judy Freeman
ReadKiddoRead Reviewer

[Linda Mercer]

Love this discussion! I'm a middle school librarian and an author that many of them adore is Terry Pratchett. He has books for all ages, but there is The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents (talking animal category) and the Johnny Maxwell Trilogy for ages 9-12. On the other hand, MY reluctant 11 year son prefers non-fiction stuff and various comic type books like Bone. It's a tough audience!

[Judy Freeman]

My very favorite Pratchett book is The Wee Free Men. It's on my list of books to add to ReadKiddoRead. If you haven't read it, it's about nine-year-old Tiffany Aching, who discovers she is the new witch of the lowlands, and the tiny blue-skinned Nac Mac Feegle, the most feared of all the fairy races, as they try to stop another world from colliding with this one. Inventive fantasy for ages 10 and up, and wildly funny, too. Bone is wonderful. I'm a real fan of those. (See the first one in the series, Out from Boneville, mentioned in my Books for Boys list above.) Has your son read Don Wood's new oversized graphic novel Into the Volcano (BlueSky/Scholastic, 2008)? It's about two brothers who are trapped inside an about-to-erupt volcano. It's quirky, exciting, and visually beautiful.