Category Archives: Tips

100 Books Every Boy Should Read

100books

For more than 100 years, Boys’ Life has featured thousands of great books for boys. Here are the 100 titles we think every boy should read.

Keep in mind that we will be constantly updating this list as new titles release. So, you may see some new books from time to time. Also, some books may require parental guidance. As always, before choosing a book to read, check with your parent(s) first. Click here to download the full list.

 

Here’s the full list:

  • The 39 Clues
  • Across Five Aprils
  • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
  • The Adventure of Tintin
  • Aesop’s Fables
  • Artemis Fowl
  • Babe the Gallant Pig
  • Billy Budd
  • Black Like Me
  • The Book Thief
  • Brian’s Winter
  • Bridge to Terabithia
  • Bud, Not Buddy
  • The Butter Battle Book
  • The Call of the Wild
  • The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
  • Charlotte’s Web
  • The Chosen
  • A Christmas Carol
  • The Chronicles of Narnia (series)
  • Crossing the Wire
  • David Copperfield
  • Diary of a Wimpy Kid (series)
  • Defeat of the Ghost Riders
  • Discworld (series)
  • Doctor Dolittle (series)
  • Dune
  • Encyclopedia Brown (series)
  • Everybody’s Revolution
  • Falling Up
  • Far North
  • Football Genius
  • The Friendship
  • The Giving Tree
  • The Graveyard Book
  • Great Expectations
  • The Great Quarterback Switch
  • Grimm’s Fairy Tales
  • The Hardy Boys (series)
  • Harry Potter (series)
  • Hatchet
  • The Hobbit
  • Holes
  • Honus & Me
  • Horton Hears a Who!
  • The Hunger Games
  • James and the Giant Peach
  • Joey Pigza (series)
  • Johnny Tremain
  • A Light in the Attic
  • Lord of the Flies
  • The Lord of the Rings (series)
  • Magic Treehouse (series)
  • Maniac Magee
  • Maximum Ride (series)
  • The Maze Runner
  • Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM
  • My Father’s Dragon (series)
  • My Side of the Mountain
  • Of Mice and Men
  • The Old Man and the Sea
  • Old Yeller
  • On My Honor
  • The Outsiders
  • Percy Jackson & the Olympians (series)
  • The Tale of Peter Rabbit
  • The Phantom Tollbooth
  • The Red Badge of Courage
  • The River
  • Robinson Crusoe
  • The Sea Wolf
  • A Separate Peace
  • A Series of Unfortunate Events (series)
  • The Shadow Children (series)
  • Shane
  • Shiloh
  • Siddhartha
  • Sounder
  • The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairy Stupid Tales
  • The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
  • Stuart Little
  • Sunrise Over Fallujah
  • The Tale of Despereaux
  • Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
  • The Time Machine
  • To Build a Fire
  • To Kill a Mockingbird
  • Travel Team
  • Treasure Island
  • Tuck Everlasting
  • Tuesdays with Morrie
  • The War of the Worlds
  •  Watership Down
  • Wayside School (series)
  • Where the Sidewalk Ends
  • Where the Red Fern Grows
  • Where the Wild Things Are
  • White Fang
  • The Wind in the Willows
  •  A Wrinkle in Time

 Think we missed a book? Let us know in the comments section.

 

The Best Adventure and Mystery Books?

We recently received a great question from reader Paul, who asks, “Which are the best adventure and mystery books?”

Let us start by saying that this question is a tricky one because there are thousands of great mystery and adventure books out there. But we will give it a shot.

Take a look below for some of our favorites. Some suggestions will require parental guidance.

  • The 39 Clues (series)
  • Billy Bud by Herman Melville
  • The Call of the Wild by Jack London
  • Dune by Frank Herbert
  • Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
  • The Hardy Boys (series)
  • The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Hatchet by Gary Paulson
  • Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling
  • Huckelberry Finn by Mark Twain
  • The Lord of the Rings (series) by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
  • Percy Jackson & the Olympians (series) by Rick Riordan
  • Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
  • The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
  • Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
  • The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
  • White Fang by Gary Paulson
  • A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’EngleDid we miss anything? Feel free to ask questions about the books we chose in the comments below. And as always, if you have a burning question type it into the box on the right side of this page.

Sure-fire hits to get you reading

Not sure what to read? Start with this teacher/librarian-tested list of titles for boys of all ages.

BIZARRE / GROSS

COMIC BOOKS

NONFICTION (MISC)

HUMOR

GRAPHIC NOVELS

SPORTS – NONFICTION

MILITARY / WARS / WEAPONS

VEHICLES

SURVIVAL

OUTDOORS

SCARY

SPORTS FICTION

MISC. FICTION

BIOGRAPHIES / AUTOBIOGRAPHIES

PICTURE BOOKS