The Middle School Boy's Bookshelf

Middle School Book Recommendations For Boys

I am a book worm.  I love the feel of a good book in my hands. I get irritated when I get interrupted mid-sentence while reading (for whatever the reason!).  I see reading as a healthy and 'intellectual' form of escapism.  

The bookworm gene has passed from me to my children, and try as I might I really haven't found a great list of must-read books for my growing boys. The girls were still a bit young when this was written but I am happy to say they have their own list now here. 

I have tried to include books of a variety of length and difficulty level.  For instance Bunnicula and the Magic Treehouse books are being "taught" in JR's third grade class, but we also have books like The Hobbit,  The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and Maniac Magee, which are much more advance in content and difficulty level and are being taught in JrHigh Classes.  The titles we can recommend, we have organized the list loosely by difficulty level.  The ones we have not yet read are not organized. If you have any to add to the list please leave it in the comments for all to see. If you see something you think should be eliminated from the list please leave me a note and let's all talk about it! Lastly, I tried to link you to the first book in each series. 

If you decide to order any of the books please consider purchasing through the link. I get a percentage back from any sales that originate at my blog and need a way to support my reading habit! 

THANK YOU!

Recommended Reading

Ralph S. Mouse and Runaway Mouse (Beverly Cleary)
Ramona Collection (Beverly Clearly)
*Ottis Spofford (and anything else by Beverly Cleary)*
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, Marvelous Medicine (Roald Dahl) 
Stone Fox (John Gardiner and Greg Hargreaves)
Bunnicula (James Howe)
Fudge-a-mania and Superfudge (Judy Bloom)
*Diary of a Wimpy Kid series (Jeff Kinney)*
Charoltte's Web, Stuart Little, and Trumpet of the Swan (E.B. White)
Old Yeller (Fred Gipson)
Shiloh (Phyllis Reynolds Naylor - my boys said it was okay)
Jackie and Me - Baseball card series (Dan Gutman)
Rangers Apprentice series (John Flanagan)
The Chronicles of Prydian (Lloyd Alexander)
Redwall Series (Brian Jacques)
Johnny Tremain (Ester Forbes)
Hunter Brown - The Code Bearers series (The Miller Brothers)
Mysterious Benedict Society series (Trenton Lee)
*Rush Revere series (Rush Limbaugh)*
Kane Chronicels (Rick Riordan)
*Percy Jackson series (Rick Riordan)*
*Harry Potter series (J.K. Rowling)*
Spiderwick Chronicles (Tony DiTerlizzi)
Tuck Everlasting (Natalie Babbitt)
The Chronicles of Narnia Series (C.S.Lewis) 
The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (Hugh Lofting)
How to Train a Dragon series (Cressida Cowell - These books are much better than the movies)
StarWars Boba Fett "A Clone War Series” (Terri Bisson)
The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas (John Boyne- In truth, my son didn’t like but I loved it)
*Maniac Magee (Jerry Spinelli)*
Wonder (R.J. Palacio)
*The Hobbit (J. R. Tolkin)*
Gilgamesh (This is the first epic ever written)
A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L'Engle)
Peter and the Star Catchers series (Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson)


White Fang and Call of the Wild (Jack London)

* indicates that our sons REALLY liked these books

Recommended by other trusted parents, 
but not "Boy Child Hackett-Tested" 


Cheaper by the Dozen (Franks Gilbreth)


Pippi Longstocking (Astrid Lindgren)

Canterbury Tails (Geoffrey Chaucer)


Judy Moody series (Megan McDonald)


Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh (O’Brein, R.)


Encyclopedia Brown Series (Donald Sobol)


Schooled (Gordon Korma) 

A Single Shard (Linda Sue Parks)

The Golden Goblet (Eloise Jarvis McGraw)

Call it Courage (Armstrong Sperry)

Mad Scientist Club series (Bertrand Brinley - newly back in print)

The Black Stallion (Walter Farley)

Little House on the Prairie series, esp. Farmer Boy (Laura Ingalls Wilder)

Swiss Family Robinson (Johann D. Wyss)

Robinson Caruso (Daniel Defoe)

Sugar Creek Gang series (Paul Hutchens)

The Boy's Book of Adventure (Michelle Lecreux and Celia Gallais)

My Side of the Mountain series (Jean Craighead George)

Fabelhaven series (Brandon Mull)

Jinx (Sage Blackwood)

Dark is Rising series (Susan Cooper)

The Graveyard Book (Neil Gaiman)

Princess Bride (William Goldman)

The Joey Pigza series (Jack Gantos - main character has ADHD)

Hardy Boys (Franklin W. Dixon - originals)


Indian in the Cupboard Series (Lynne Reid Banks)
A Long Walk to Water (Linda Sue Park)
Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry (Mildred Taylor)

The Phantom Tollbooth (N. Juster)

For books more tailored to your female readers, check back soon! My daughters are cultivating their list for you this week! 

For book reviews and recommendations on books for children of other ages check out a blog I just discovered called Good Books for Catholic Kids.  The blog is written by Brittany, a mom of three and very thoughtful, like-minded, well read bibliophile! Enjoy!

-this post contains amazon affiliate links-