Are you looking for books for boys ages 12 or 13? I just got a list of favorites straight from the source, boys who love to read. This list is for those that like fiction, particularly fantasy. Next time I’ll tackle nonfiction.
Several of the boys strongly recommended the Ranger’s Apprentice series by Australian author John Flanagan. It is a relatively new, with the first book, The Ruins of Gorlan, released in 2004. This fantasy series is about an orphan named Will who wants to become a knight, but ends up as a ranger’s apprentice instead.
Another favorite series seemed to be James Patterson’s Maximum Ride books. This sci fi/fantasy series is about the adventures and trials of six humans with some bird (avian) DNA. The Angel Experiment is the first book.
The boys had all read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. Everyone had opinions about the movie that came out recently based on the first book, The Lightning Thief. Most didn’t like the changes in plot made from the book. Some of the boys noted that later books in the series could be a bit uneven, but all liked the books.
Anne McCaffrey’s classic Dragonriders of Pern sci fi/fantasy series also seemed popular. I remember enjoying those way back in the 1980’s. The first, Dragonflight, came out in 1968.
If you are looking for a gift book, anything by J.R.R. Tolkien seems to have timeless appeal. In particular, his lesser known The Silmarillion seems to be making a comeback.
Do you have any suggestions about other books that should be on this list? What are your favorite fantasy books for tweens?
I’m not sure on the age level, but I think that was about the age my youngest fell in love with books by Jean Craighead George, specifically “My Side of The Mountain” and it’s sequels. For a while his goal was to be a falconer when he grew up!
It’s so important to draw attention to reading, and attract reluctant readers to it, especially boys.
I grew up as a reluctant reader, in spite of the fact that my father published over 70 books. Now I write action-adventures & mysteries, especially for tween boys, that avid boy readers and girls enjoy just as much.
My blog, Books for Boys http://booksandboys.blogspot.com is dedicated to drawing attention to the importance of reading. And my new book, Lost Island Smugglers – first in the Sam Cooper Adventure Series – is coming out in August. .
Max Elliot Anderson
PS. My first 7 books are going to be republished by Comfort Publishing later in 2010
And I forgot the Eragon books by Christopher Paolini, which the boys also mentioned.
Jean Craighead George has a bunch of books that are popular with boys. We actually started with her nonfiction book, Tarantula in My Purse: And 172 Other Wild Pets. You couldn’t do many of the things she writes about in the book nowadays, at least not without special permits, but her family’s experiences are interesting and entertaining.
Good list, but a list for boys should include a couple of football and war books! Also, the Anne McCaffrey is a hard sell. I’d look at the Joseph Delaney The Last Apprentice series, Grant’s Gone, Fletcher’s Stoneheart trilogy, Craig’s Jimmy Coates, and Horowitz’s Ravensgate. There are SO many fantasy books for boys!
Thank you so much for the additional suggestions, I will look into those.
I have been meaning to make a nonfiction list with the “football and war books.” The boys I was working with were not reading much nonfiction, but I know some who are.