25+ Books for Boys aged 8-12+ (and girls will like them too!)

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I've had a lot of discussions on my East Coast Mommy Facebook page about trying to find books for my boys to read. They are active boys, and it is often difficult to get them excited about settling down with a book. I'm ALWAYS on the lookout for a book that my boys won't want to put down. Today, I am sharing some fantastic recommendations for books that boys (and girls) between the ages of 8 and 12 (and above) will love




I have broken the book recommendations into categories to make it a little easier to find the book that suits your child's interests and reading level. Below, you will find: books for kids that like graphic novels, books for kids making the transition from picture books to chapter books, and books for more advanced readers. 

Click on the book titles for more info and/or to order.

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Books for kids that like graphic novels

Some children prefer reading graphic novels because of the pictures and humorous/ adventurous content. These are a few of my boys' favourite choices:


Big Nate
series by Lincoln Peirce




Jedi Academy series by Jeffrey Brown




Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney




City of Embers by Jeanne DuPrau




Dog Man Series by Dav Pilkey





Books for kids making the transition from picture books to chapter books

Some children are reluctant readers or are intimated by long chapter books. These choices are perfect for kids that are in between picture books and more advanced chapter books. They are easy to read, have interesting plots, and often include a few pictures. Here are some of my boys' favourite choices:


Ballpark Mysteries series by David A. Kelly



Magic Treehouse series by Mary Pope Osborne





Dragon Masters series by Tracey West




Diary of a Minecraft Zombie series by Zack Zombie




Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey




Geronimo Stilton series by Geronimo Stilton




Beverly Cleary booksHenry Huggins, Henry Ribsy, and Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary




Fudge series by Judy Blume




The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate



Books for more advanced readers

After children have gained their confidence and honed their reading skills, they will be ready for more advanced stories, characters, and plot lines. Kids older than 12 will enjoy many of these books too. Here are some of my boys' favourite choices:


Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan




Harry Potter series by J.K.Rowling




I Funny series by James Patterson





David Walliams books: particularly Mr. Stink and The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams





Wonder by R.J. Palicio




A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket 




Swindle series by Gordon Korman




Slapshot series by Gordon Korman



MasterMind series by Gordon Korman (My 10 year old LOVED the humour and adventure in this series.)




Wings of Fire series by Tui T Sutherland

Robert Muchamore books - My 12 year old loved the CHERUB series.




Treasure Hunter Series by James Patterson




And here are a few book recommendations from some of my readers (that my boys haven't had a chance to read yet... but we are totally going to check out!)




The Amulet series

Timmy Failure series


Super Hero series


Dragon Slayers Academy series

Galaxy Zack series

Do you have books you would like to add to this list? I am always anxious to instil a love of reading in my boys, and good books are the key. If you have a suggestion, please leave it below, and I'll be sure to check it out. Thanks!


Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

8 comments:

  1. Dragon Slayers Academy by Kate McMullan (20 book series, very funny and not too hard to read) Gordon Korman I want to go Home (hilarious book about summer camp)

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    1. Thanks for the recommendations. I think my middle son would really like the Dragon Slayers Academy books. I'm definitely going to check them out!

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    2. I read I Want to Go Home when I was a kid and loved it! I bought it last year for my 9 year old but he hasn't read it yet.

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  2. Great list! Will be adding some of these as stocking stuffers for Xmas 😉

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  4. Rick Riordan has a few series out besides Percy Jackson that my boys like...Kane Chronicles, Magnus Chase, Heroes of Olympus.

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