DECREASE the screen time this summer and UP the reading time with these books that will engage and inspire your boys!
Mighty Books: def. building kids of character one book at a time
Focus: Book recommendations for boys ages 9-12 years
Goal: Read one book a month.
Why: According to the U.S. Department of Education boys are lagging behind the girls in literacy skills. So, bolster your son’s reading interests with the Mighty Books 2014 list. This year’s list focuses decision-making and how our choices affect others.
If a book is not at your son’s reading level don’t worry, just take advantage of the situation and read aloud. Building boys of character equals men of integrity, compassion, and grace. Awesome boys make awesome boyfriends, husbands, and fathers. Grab a cup of coffee and curl up for some man time with your little guy.
Recommended books for boys ages 9 to 12 years
Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Rikki Tikki Tavi by Rudyard Kipling
Charlie and Chocolate the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B White
Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon
Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
We look forward to hearing about your thoughts on the books and how they impact your son! And if you have any ideas of books to add to this list, please leave a comment below :)
And, for the other kids in your home, check out the:
>> Mighty Girls Reading List for 6-10 year olds!
>> Mighty Girls Reading List for 11-14 year olds!
>> Mighty Boys Reading List for 12-15 year olds!
And while all of these books are available at your local library, it may be fun to start a book collection with your kids. These books can also be purchased inexpensively from Amazon
or other second hand book retailers.
Have fun reading!
P.S. You may also find these articles helpful:
>> 7 No-fail tips to give your struggling reader confidence (written by a teacher)
>> The single most important thing to help your child succeed at school
Let’s keep in touch:
Nice list, Allison. I am always looking for lists of books for boys to share. Surprisingly, we have not read Farmer Boy yet. You did list some of our favorites though. (pinned :))
I’m in my 40’s and have been an voracious reader my entire life and I CANNOT read The Hobbit. I have tried. Honestly I have. It is the only book I have ever started and could not finish. I forced myself to complete The Fellowship of the Rings – it was torture. I would not even attempt Two Towers or Return of the King. My teenager, who has been rated at a college reading level since he started middle school is trying to wade his way through the Lord of the Rings trilogy and even he is struggling. There is NO WAY I am asking his 9 year old twin brothers to read any Tolkien books! LOL!
I’m curious why you didn’t include any of the Narnia books in this list? Both my twins have expressed an interest in reading them. Big brother read them all in 2nd grade.
Love this, as I have done my student teaching I keep seeing books and stories to uplift young girls and I kept wondering g about our young boys. They need role models that don’t play sports!
I love this and am excited to find a great list of books for boys! I cannot seem to locate the list for 12-15 year olds. Am I missing it? Thanks so much!
We really have failed our young men as a society. We don’t expect much of them and leave the bar low. My boys have also enjoyed reading various G.A. Henty books for our history literature. Adventure and history all bound into one volume ;-) Delightful!!