Last Updated on August 14, 2026

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 Gresh 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

While there’s nothing wrong with super heroes, there are other books I want to introduce him to also. These books 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