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?