Aw... what a cute little blob. I think he has my nose.I think I have the mom-of-girls thing figured out, but people keep telling me boys are a whole different ball game. Being me, one of the things I'm thinking about is making sure I start expanding my library to make sure I have some guy-friendly middle-grade and YA titles. I've been working on my collection ever since my girls were born. Picking girl books is easy, seeing as I am a girl. Guy friendly books are harder, but here's what I'm thinking so far:
Ranger's Apprentice Series - John Flanagan
The Inheritance Series (Eragon) - Christopher Paolini
Alex Rider Series - Anthony Horowitz
The Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Holes - Louis Sachar
The Percy Jackson Series - Rick Riordan
This is the part where you help me out. What books should I add to my list for Baby Boy's library? Children's books, middle grade, and YA suggestions are all welcome.
33 comments:
Awww.... I'm soooo jealous!! I like kids... but, can't afford them. So I do the second best thing, I work in the maternity theatre. One of the perks of the job is I get to look after the babies when the mothers are too tired from the birthing experience! Ooo.. you have a name yet?!
Congrats, my boy will be two in January. He was my last. They are awesome.
Congrats. When are you due?
I have a 6 year old boy and I bought him the standard books ie Dr Seuss, good night moon, etc but now that he is older he is enjoying Horrid Henry, Geranimo Stilton books and anything boyish,
Not much help is it? Sorry but I think as long as you have nothing with girlish images you will be fine.
You already have what I would have picked but I just wanted to say congrats!
Aw, congrats! I have a little boy (who is almost 3) and they are the best and so fun.
Let's see, boy books... Charlie Bone series, The 39 Clues, anything by Anthony Horowitz.
At my house, we like the "How do Dinosaurs..." books right now and "Go Dogs Go" and "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" ... and, well, anything involving dinosaurs or animals. "Gallop!" "Swing!" and "Waddle" the Scanimantion picture books are a big hit too.
Ok, my librarian senses are getting away with me. I'll quit now.
Any books about dinosaurs usually grab a little boy's attention!
Congratulations. Your husband will not feel so ouotnumbered now.
Congrats, Vanessa!
Mazel Tov, my friend!
Books... Captain Underpants, of course. Many object to the potty humor (and they should), but I love how clever the series is as a whole.
My son never got into the Animorphs or the RL Stine, which a lot of people suggest. Magic Treehouse was VERY popular here for awhile.
Congratulations!
I have to second a couple of suggestions people already made:
Geranimo Stilton series and the Magic Tree House series. Fun books.
Congratulations! This should be exciting!
My thoughts on the additions to your vastly large collection would be the following:
Septimus Heap series (Magyck, Flyte, Physik, and Queste) by Angie Sage
The Hardy Boys (boy version of Nancy Drew..a. classic)
Encyclopedia Brown (again, classic)
Artemis Fowl series
Leven Thumps series by Obert Skye (starts out with "...the Gateway to Foo" and grows from there)
Congrats!:)
Oh how wonderful! I have 3 boys so all our children's books at home are guy-friendly. Some of my boys' favourites that haven't been mentioned above are the "silly" books. They loved Sandra Boynton's board books (2-4 y.o.).
For 4-8, their must-reads are Melanie Watt's Scaredy Squirrel and Chester, both are a series. These are awesome books and we all highly, highly recommend them. Even your daughters will enjoy them.
For older kids, The Chronicles of Narnia, but I guess your girls already have them? As you mentioned, Paolini's Inheritance series (though my boys aren't old enough to read them yet) are a good investment. I enjoyed them anyway. It was my then-20-something brother who got me hooked on them.
Hooray! What fun news. I had boy first then girl and they are quite different. Excited to watch them grow up together.
I like your list a lot. The only ones I would add would definitely be Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain. Reading order: THE BOOK OF THREE, THE BLACK CAULDRON, THE CASTLE OF LLYR, TARAN WANDERER, and THE HIGH KING. Such a wonderful fantasy series with a strong young man as protagonist.
Then there's Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising Sequence which is also great for boys and includes some fun nods to the Arthurian legend.
Aww congrats!
My two boy cousins loved the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Artemis Fowl, and the Eragon series (though that was one they had read to them, instead of reading themselves).
Books with universal appeal that I enjoyed when I was younger include: The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson, Chronicles of Narnia, and A Wrinkle in Time series.
Congrats! Great choices of books. What about some of the classics? Gulliver's Travels, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Peter Pan? I haven't read them, but they must be classics for a reason, right? I know I loved the classics of Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte when I was little.
Aww, Vanessa, congratulations! He is already such a cutie! I'm stoked for you!
Not having any children of my own, I can't talk from experience. However, I loved the Belgariad series by David Eddings - it's fantasy and was re-marketed as a YA series. The main characters ia a guy called Garion, and it follows him from being a young child to a teen, and well.. I absolutely loved them! It's the series that actually made me a reader. First book is Pawn of Prophecy. If you're interested, I have an extra unread copy!
My brother isn't much of a reader, but he liked Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy - or liked the sound of it enough to buy it, don't know if he actually read it.
Fablehaven
The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix
The Sea of Trolls trilogy by Nancy Farmer
House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
There are lots. :D I will try and think of some more.
Most of the ones I thought of were already mentioned, but I'm currently enjoying the Spiderwick Chronicles and I think boys will love it!
Congrats! What an adventure you'll have!
Congratulations!
I would add the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer.
Maze Runner also when he's a little older :)
How exciting! Congrats!
Congratulations!!
Wow, you're really thinking ahead, aren't you, compiling teen titles for your unborn child?? For plenty of boy faves, check out my blog:
www.greatbooksforkidsandteens.com
I have two sons, now 11 and 15, so I read a lot of boy stuff!
Some of our all-time favorites are Suzanne Collins' Gregor the Overlander series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Chronicles of Narnia. Both boys really loved The Magic Tree House series when they first started chapter books, and my younger son also loved the Horrible Harry series.
As for picture books, anything about dinos or vehicles are usually big hits. Faves at our house included Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go (a must for all toddler boys), the Little Critter series, and all the same classics that girls like, too, like Seuss and PD Eastman.
How exciting!
Sue
Aw, a boy! That's so exciting =D
I think I'd suggest Artemis Fowl, Captain Underpants, The Hardy Boys, anything Dr. Suess or Robert Munsch, Magic Tree House, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Cirque du Freak by Darran Shan, Daniel X series by James Patterson and of course ones you've already mentioned =)
Congratulations! What wonderful news! I can just imagine how thrilled your husband is to know he'll have an ally in the house!
S.E. Hinton wrote several YA books that are good for boys - "The Outsiders", "Rumble Fish" "That was Then, This is Now", there are the Hardy Boy Mysteries and The Chronicles of Narnia series!
Congratulations! Concerning the book collection, I'd put in some John Green and Eoin Colfer in there. For MG books, how about Diaries of a Wimpy Kid? I've heard those are good. =) Have fun! Some Geronimo Stilton books sound good too. =)
Congratulations! So exciting!
I would suggest The Erec Rex series by Kaza Kingley. THey are along the same lines as the Harry Potter series, but a bit more Middle Grade than HP. Still good. I read them earlier this year, and I adored them. There's only 3 so far, but I think there is going to be 8 total.
Older series, Horrible Harry books, A newer series that a lot of the boys at school read is Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Even kids that don't read so much love those books. Anything by Jim Benton is funny also.
Oh how awesome! Congrats! What a beautiful blessing. Cheers!
Oh, congrats! :D A little boy will surely bring something different - but great!- to your family!
Ad for book suggestions : the first that comes to mind is Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, although it's a first in a series. Then I'm thinking of The Maze Runner : although I personally didn't enjoy it that much, plenty of people did! It's a dystopian-futuristic kind of book that many compare to The Hunger Games, but with an almost all-guys cast (and the main character is a guy, too.)
I'll come back if I think of something else :)
Well first off - Congratulations! that's wonderful news.
What about the Artemis Fowl series - 10+
I have no suggestions for boys since I have 2 girls but I would love to see a short-list of must-have books for girls. The Pea is now reading chapter books by herself. We've started her off with the Fairy books that are popular with the "ladies" right now.
Congratulations!
As for recs...
Shel Silverstein's poetry, The Phantom Tollbooth, The Hobbit and LOTR, SkippyJon Jones, The Little Prince, Little Men, Where the Red Fern Grows, The Redwall Series, The Graveyard Book, The Bartimaeus Trilogy, I Am the Messenger, The Complete Maus
The ages for these are all over the place. Enjoy book shopping and all your other prep for the new little guy!
Congrats! I think every kid should read Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli.
Also, you could try the Lemony Snicket series.
Congratulations! I can think of some great picture books I know are popular especially with boys. The Very Cranky Bear is a winner with younger kids and Ugly Fish seems popular with boys. The younger kids seem to love Charlie and Lola although I'm not sure why those books are just so popular. Wombat Diary is another popular Australian title and the new one Baby Wombats Week. Susan at You Can Never Have Too Many Books reviewed a title that sounds perfect for younger kids called Scaredy Squirrel. To the dinosaur and truck books I would also add sharks, I know boys who just love sharks. Have fun shopping for the little one's library.
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