Book Recommendations for 9 y-o boys

18 years ago

I'm hoping you all can help, I'm at my wit's end trying to find books for my soon-to-be 9 y-o DS. While my DD will read anything not bolted down, my DS is rather picky. When he does find something he likes, he will read like crazy, but it's getting harder and harder to find something for him.

He doesn't like mysteries or anything scary, though he is working his way through the Harry Potter books. He's not much on non-fiction, either. He likes humor and his favorite book so far this year was Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney which he read at least four times. He also liked City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, so maybe something in the sci-fi/fantasy genre might work. I even wondered if there are any graphic novels that would be appropriate for this age, but I don't even know where to start with that.

I've asked the school librarian to recommend books, but so far we haven't been very successful.

Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

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Comments (12)

bookmom41
18 years ago
Sheri, check out the link from the Cooking forum's conversation's side; someone is looking for book recommendations for their 10 yr old son. A lot of the suggestions there cover the sci-fi/fantasy area which my own 10 yr old really enjoys. Quick recap of a few my son loved: The Tripods series by John Christopher, Eragon series by Christopher Paolini, The Door Within series by Thomas Wayne Batson, The Fire Within series by Chris D'Lacey and The Alchemyst by Michael Scott. I called these series, but most are only 3 or so books.

Chew on This is a non-fiction he might enjoy. It's sort of an expose of the fast food industry, complete with gross facts bound to appeal to kids.

Here is a link that might be useful: pre-teen boy books
sheriz6
Original Author
18 years ago
Bookmom, thank you SO much, what a wonderful list of books is on that thread! I really appreciate it. And I had completely forgotten about Eragon, a book that both my DD and I loved (the third book in the series is due out later this year, too). Thanks for jogging my memory on that one.

Anyone else? And does anyone know anything about graphic novels for this age group?
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This is so great. My 9yr ds loves the Diary of a Whimpy Kid series. He also likes Beast Quest and Goosebumps. Both my kids have always loved encyclopedias and history type books. We picked up a book on tanks and army machines recently. I did not allow my dd 12yrs to read Twilight because she is struggling with boy/girl stuff and told her she could in highschool. She loves the Riordan books and is also reading the books Glass, Impulse, Crank. The library rarely has these in so she has had to wait. She reads them over and over. This weekend she read one in just a few hours. I know these are very grown up but these kids are being forced to grow up so fast. She is studying sexual reproduction in Science and this is not the class we had 30 years ago. They say it is because our kids are being forced to grow up to fast these days that we need to teach them about sex way earlier. I remember my mom not wanting me to see "the movies" in science because she simply did not want us to know anything. But these days your 12yr old will end up pregnant if you don't teach them early. At least the teacher she has is really taking this from a scientific approach which is a great way to learn. I told ds that she will learn why things happen the way they do, where most of the boys in her class just think it is all funny when the teacher uses certain phrases. When she comes home it is easier to then take the scientific info she now has and apply it to real life. So when she reads these books about addiction and abuse she looks at the subjects more deeply and we then discuss them. I really want her to see how harmful things can be and how it really can ruin your life and everyone around you. She likes to have these kinds of talks so that makes me happy. She never liked the Little House series for some reason. She recently read Uncle Tom's Cabin and has picked up Pride and Prejudice but has not completed it. I am seriously going to look into some of these other series for her. It is so hard to tell if one is going to like something or not. The folks at our used bookstore were really helpful in suggestions too.
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donnamira
18 years ago
Some of the books mentioned above or in the linked thread that I consider worth repeating: Lloyd Alexander's Prydain set (not mentioned, but look also at his Time Cat and The Gawgon and the Boy), Norton Juster's Phantom Tollbooth, John Christopher's Tripods series, Sachar's Holes and Hiassen's Hoot. If he really does like SF, look at some of the older SF, such as Andre Norton's non-Witch World stuff, or even Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter set. (I think I read Thuvia, Maid of Mars when I was 9 *s*)

Some others that all feature boys as protagonists (and btw, these also happen to be from the newbery list):
The Trumpeter of Krakow Eric Kelly
Johnny Tremain Esther Forbes
A Single Shard Linda Sue Park
The Thief Megan Whalen Turner; this is a favorite of mine, the personality of Gen just leaps off the pages, and it has a great surprise ending.

An older favorite from my days of selecting Scholastic paperbacks: Follow My Leader James Garfield, about a boy and his guide dog. My copy is from the 60's, and it is still available as a new paperback, so it seems to be still read.

Have you considered books of nonsense rhymes? They were my delight at his age. Jack Prelutsky has several that are laugh out loud funny.
bookmom41
18 years ago
As far as graphic novels, my son's older sister has shown zero interest and my son is just now starting the Naruto series. You might try your public library, if it has more resources, for more info on graphic novels.
merryworld
18 years ago
I highly recommend The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. It is part chapter book, part graphic novel.

My son and his friends love Calvin and Hobbes, and though you may not be thinking about comics, these are very funny and quite sophisticated with excellent vocabulary. Also, the Tintin comics are very popular.

Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series combines fairies with technology.

You might also look at some of the Terry Pratchett books. The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents is good. In the smart rats theme, there is also the classic Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O'Brien.

Avi is a popular and prolific children's writer who has won a Newberry, mostly historical fiction.

Then there are the Magic Treehouse books and a similar series called the Time Warp Trio. Mary Pope Osborne (Magic Treehouse) has also written a great series for kids on The Odyssey.

Almost forgot, Redwall by Brian Jacques.

Let us know what, if anything, works.
sheriz6
Original Author
18 years ago
Thank you all for the suggestions. I now have a wonderful list to work with.

Donnamira, he does like nonsense rhymes, and has read all the Shel Silverstein books multiple times. I'll look for Jack Prelutsky, as well as the other titles you mentioned.

Merryworld, he's read all the Calvin & Hobbes, but we haven't tried Tintin. That's a great suggestion, as well as the Pratchett -- I didn't know he wrote The Amazing Maurice, I'm afraid I'm only familiar with the Discworld books. Unfortunately, DS took a thorough dislike to the Magic Treehouse books (which his sister and all his cousins absolutely loved), the rotten kid.

Bookmom, from the other thread you linked to, he's chosen My Side of the Mountain and the first book of the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan. We'll see how it goes!

Thanks again, this is a great help.
georgia_peach
18 years ago
Did anyone mention Nancy Farmer? Her Sea of Trolls and its sequel are good for this age group.

And I just read today that Neil Gaiman wrote a children's book for World Book Day called Odd and the Frost Giants. I think it's out in the UK but won't be released in the US until October (see link -- his is next to last on the bottom). It's rumored to have a link to American Gods.

Lastly, Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books are quite popular and widely available.

Here is a link that might be useful: World Book Day Children's Books
ccrdmrbks
18 years ago
The Reading Specialist at my school recently took a workshop on engaging the Elementary Boy reader-she suggests these websites as good resources-there are several, so I am just going to type the addresses in the message here, not create a link.

http://www.geocities.com/talestoldtall/booksforboys.html#About

http://www.guysread.com

www.nancykeane.com

Hope they help.
elliottb
18 years ago
Second the recommendation for the Artemis Fowl and The Ranger's Apprentice series...my son loves both. He also liked Anthony Horowitz' Alex Rider series. It's kind of like a teen James Bond.

Another fantasy series that he loves is by Rick Riordan. The first book is The Lightning Thief.
sheriz6
Original Author
18 years ago
Thank you all for the suggestions, I am keeping a list and he's definitely interested in some of the titles.

Georga_peach, thank you for mentioning the sequel to Sea of Trolls, my DD loved that book. She wasn't as fond of Farmer's other books since they are each so different from one another, so she was excited to learn SoT had a follow up.
tessa_rue
18 years ago
He might enjoy the Underland Chronciles by Suzanne Collins. I think it's a great series, the main protagonist is a young boy, Gregor.

There's also the Charlie Bone series by Jenny Nimmo, which is Harry Potter-esque.
tammykar
18 years ago
Matt Christopher books are great for boys!

Book Recommendations for 9 y-o boys

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