Last Updated on March 21, 2024
Tuesday is library day this summer. My son is only 5 and is just learning to read but when we enter the library he makes a beeline for the comic book section. Pokemon, Star Wars, and anything to do with Super Heroes.
Dannah recently wrote about why the kind of books boys read is so important which got me thinking about what books I do want my boy to read when he’s a little older and which books I want to read aloud to him now.
At the top of my list (for both boys and girls) are the books from Lamplighter Publishing. If you’ve not heard of these books before, they are wonderful books that teach character through the power of story.
Beautifully written, they are a fantastic addition to any library. My personal favorites are The Bird’s Nest and The Basket of Flowers, but I was especially excited to find the Boys of Grit series which have the true stories of boys who grew up to change our world.
My boy loves to hear about Super Heroes. But I want him to learn that there are real heroes that he can look up to and admire that have made even more impact on our world than Superman and Spiderman ever could.
Great classic books for young boys
There are other books I want to introduce him to also. These aren’t necessarily faith based but they encourage imagination and will prompt questions and discussions that both his Pop and I can have with him as he grows about honor and truth and making wise choices.
In no particular order these are the books that make my list:
- The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
- Stuart Little by E.B. White
- A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond
- Watership Down by Richard Adams
- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
- The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
- The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Ronald Dahl
- The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
- The Call of the Wild by Jack London
- Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Holes by Louis Sachar
- The Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
- The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reed Banks
- The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
- The Little Britches series by Ralph Moody
- The Hardy Boys series
- Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
- Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Vern
- The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
- The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
What books top your list?
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Katie is the mom of two children and thoroughly enjoys eliciting giggles and grins from them. As a brain tumor survivor who found herself raising her two children alone, she learned first hand the power of on-line relationships and has a heart for sharing help and hope with others. Katie has been a mom for 9+ years and has been remarried for 2 years.