Getting boys to read is a challenge for many moms. Finding quality books that are interesting to middle grade boys can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. As the mom of two boys who both struggled with learning to love reading, I put together a list of our favorite middle grade fiction books for boys.
Plus, I will share what worked to teach my boys to love reading. Sometimes it just takes a little patience on our part.
Books Boys Will Read: Middle Grade Fiction
Desert Tough
Books that teach character traits and values are so important for our kids to read. The book Desert Tough is a mini action-adventure story rooted in great family values. It follows the son of a military member who moves to a remote area. We learn about Diego, the main character through his experiences moving, starting at a new school and making new friends.
Diego is a great example of solid character traits. His character develops in a way that teaches boys an example of leadership and service. Desert Tough is also written by a former neighbor of mine. I love sharing about the books friends have written! Moms are amazing with what they accomplish.
Desert Tough is a top choice middle grade fiction book for boys. It will keep your son engaged and will be relatable. Get your copy of Desert Tough on Amazon.
Remote Control Adventures
Video games have taken over our children’s lives, but we can use that interest point to help them learn to read more. Remote Control Adventures is a book series written with a video game theme. It has a similar storyline to Jumanji or The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe where the kids enter an alternate world and complete a challenge.
I love that this is a series. Right away if your son enjoys Book One, you can encourage more reading with the follow-on books in the series. For your video game kiddos, you may spark more of an interest in reading than gaming with the Remote Control Adventures series.
Get your copy of Remote Control Adventures on Amazon.
Percy Jackson Series
This is my oldest son’s favorite series of middle grade fiction. It is great for 8-12 year old boys or girls. My oldest got his sister hooked on the series when we were living in our RV over the summer. She was reading non-stop!
The Percy Jackson series incorporates Greek mythology into a more modern adventure story. Percy Jackson has adventure and fantasy for middle grade kids and there is a television series that is a great follow on activity. My kids prefer the books, but it is always fun to read and watch to compare the two.
Another great benefit to raising kids who love reading is when they watch the movie or show based on a book, they really love the books more! I love that. There is also a follow on series of books that will keep your boys (and girls) reading more.
Get the Percy Jackson series in a bundle on Amazon.
I Survived! Series
The I Survived graphic novel series is my youngest son’s favorite so far. He is 10 as I write this, and was a resistant reader until this summer (he and his twin sister). Graphic novels are not my favorite as a mom, but they do seem to create readers out of kids who have shorter attention spans or shorter focus.
The I Survived series is thrilling and relates real life to fiction. Based on historical facts, the stories are a fantastical recounting that makes kids sit on the edge of their seat while they read. My son loves them because they take elements of history but make it more relatable for middle grade boys. He has a few more of the I Survived series of books on his wish list, so I know they are a great book choice for getting boys to read more.
Check out the 6-book set of the I Survived graphic novel series on Amazon.
Extreme Adventures Series by Justin D’Ath
The Extreme Adventures series is extreme thrill and it may be a bit gory for some kids. That is my fair warning. I read a few of these as read alouds with my younger two (the twins) for their homeschool time. The books keep them very engaged. But, my son likes the action while my daughter thinks they are a bit too gruesome.
The story usually starts with a climactic accident – car crash, helicopter crash, etc., – and then the kids in the story overcome to get rescued with a variety of wildlife thrown into the mix. Each chapter is a page turner, but like I mentioned, they may be a bit too realistic for some.
That being said, the Extreme Adventures series books may be just exciting enough to get your reading resistant boy to turn the pages and get stuck in a book.
You can buy the whole Extreme Adventures chapter book series on Amazon.
Getting boys to read more
Getting boys in the middle grades to read more books is something that most moms I know have on their list of goals. As a homeschool mom I have been able to research and find a good list of options to get boys reading more. I hope this list helps you get your boys reading more.
What worked for me to encourage my sons to read was finding books that related to their interests. For my oldest this was Star Wars. He got hooked on a Star Wars-themed graphic novel when he was around 9 or 10 years old. For my youngest son, the stories needed to have more action and historical connection. Now, he brings a book to read while we are in the car! Seeing him choose to read because he likes it feels like success!
It takes trial and error, and a lot of visits to the library. But, once the boys get hooked on books, it sticks.
The key has always been reading to my children since they were babies. My children have all loved listeing to me read to them even if they did not readily pick up reading on their own until later. I knew they loved reading. I just needed to help them see that reading on their own was interesting, relaxing and fun.
I am happy today that all four of my kids are now big time readers. They will read to calm down before bed, and read on road trips. Yes they all want screen time as their first solution when they are bored, but if I hold out and keep saying, “Read a book,” they do eventually take that advice.
Stick with it mom. Raising readers starts with being a reader yourself. Reading out loud to your child from an early age, and helping them find books that pinpoint their interests will result in your kiddos realizing the value of reading.
Then, you feel very accomplished! You can do it. It may just take a little time and exploring this list of middle grade fiction books for boy.
What books are your boys’ favorites? Have they read any of the books on this list?
