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.

FYI: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase an item via a link in this post, you will be paying regular Amazon.ca prices, but I will receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting all the free content I provide via this blog.

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 books: Henry 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!)

King of the Bench series

Secret Hero Society series

And Then It Happened series

The Amulet series

Timmy Failure series

Captain Awesome series

Super Hero series

Land of Stories 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)

Pumpkin Prize Punch (using dollar store supplies)

A few years ago, I came up with the idea to make a prize punch for one of my boys' parties. Since then, prize punches have become party staples for us. I have done party punches to match all of my boys' parties' themes, and today I am sharing a fun Halloween version. I love that you can make this festive pumpkin prize punch using inexpensive dollar store supplies.

To make this Halloween pumpkin prize punch you'll need: a piece of dollar store foam core, plastic cups, orange tissue paper, a glue gun, green card stock, and green curling ribbon.

Then:

Cut tissue paper squares slightly larger than the top of the cups. Fill the cups with trinkets, and then use hot glue to cover the tops of the cups with tissue paper. I use two squares per cup for added strength (and so the kids can't peek inside to see the prizes).

Next, you'll want to position the cups on the foam core (in a pumpkin shape), and use hot glue on the bottom of the cups to attach them.

Use glue to attach a card stock stem, and embellish with a bit of green curling ribbon (if desired).

Someone can hold onto the prize punch, or you can lean it up against a wall, chair, or tree. Then, kids can poke through the tissue paper to claim their prize.

I have been making prize punches for years, and they are always a huge hit with kids. I know my boys are going to love this Halloween version!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Halloween "Booo"bles... with free printable tags

Halloween can be filled with sugary treats, so I love the idea of sugar free and allergy safe Halloween treat ideas. Check out the adorable tags I designed for Halloween "Booo" bles!

It's such a great option for kids carrying teal pumpkins (i.e. kids with allergy concerns). I love a good treat that everyone can enjoy, don't you?

To download the tags I designed: right-click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4X6 photo.

Then, use some curling ribbon to attach the tags to containers of bubbles (which are often on clearance this time of year).

These Halloween bubbles are wonderful for trick-or-treaters, and they make fantastic class treats too. What are your favourite allergy safe Halloween treat options?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Lunchbox Shortcuts for busy moms and dads

Packing healthy lunches doesn't need to be stressful for busy moms and dads. Sometimes a few little shortcuts is all that is needed to make life a lot easier. Today, I am sharing a few lunchbox shortcuts that will help you make school lunches like a boss!

1) Pre-made or "make ahead" smoothies - My boys are always in a rush to get outside and play, so they like when I pack them things that they can eat quickly. Smoothies are perfect!

Hans Dairy* makes a pre-made smoothie with all natural ingredients that your little ones are sure to love. My boys are big fans of the strawberry flavour.

Or you can make a big batch of homemade smoothies, stick them in the freezer, and pop them in the kids' lunchboxes each morning.

2) Lunch of snacks - My boys aren't huge fans of sandwiches, so I often fill their lunches with their favourite healthy snacks. Using individual containers makes it easy to customize lunches for picky eaters. Check out this lunch of carrot sticks, strawberries, Hans Dairy's* rice pudding, a hard boiled egg, pretzels, applesauce, and a homemade ginger cookie. 

A yogurt parfait is another fantastic choice for a healthy lunch that feels like a snack. You can mix fresh fruit and Hans Dairy* natural yogurt with some granola for a tasty and nutritious lunch that kids will love!

3) Quick grab bins - When it comes to making lunches, a little prep goes a long way. Pack your own single serving snacks and lunch staples in bins so that the contents can be easily "popped" into lunch bags.

4) Fill a freezer - Filling a freezer with individually packed homemade goods can save time and money... and it will help you avoid filling lunch boxes with processed snacks that contain unwanted preservatives. Freezer staples in our house include: lunchbox biscuits, chocolate chip cookies, and ginger cookies.

What are your favourite lunchbox shortcuts? I hope you find my tips helpful, and I encourage you to check out Hans Dairy's* healthy choices for school lunchboxes. You can feel good about their products because they are free of any artificial sugars, flavourings, colourings, and preservatives.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

*Disclosure: I have partnered with YMC and Hans Dairy and have received compensation for this post. All opinions in the post are my own.

5 Birthday Party Hacks Every Parent Should Know

When it comes to planning kids' birthday parties, the pressure can be overwhelming for parents. But you don't have to be Pinterest-perfect to make your child feel special. Today, I am sharing 5 birthday party hacks that will help you reduce party planning headaches, while still creating a special celebration for your child.

1) It's OK to let someone else do the work - There are tons of fantastic places that will host parties for you. Check out local movie theatres, indoor playgrounds, rinks, swimming pools, and bowling allies. The "per child" fee is usually pretty reasonable.

2) You can easily (and inexpensively) make your own cake/cupcakes - You don't have to make a fancy cake or pay a lot to have one made. Using the recipe you can find here, you can make delicious cupcakes (from a mix) that your party guests will love. 

You can also buy party themed toys, and pop them onto a simple slab cake. It's an easy way to make a basic cake look custom... and the birthday boy/girl will love the toy.

3) The dollar store is your friend - The dollar store has many of the things you need to host an inexpensive and fun party. My boys love the prize punches I make for their parties using dollar store foam core, plastic cups, and tissue paper. Find the full step by step tutorial here.

4) Keep the party small - No one says you have to invite the entire town to your little one's birthday party. If you want to keep things simple, have a "just family" celebration or limit the number of guests to the age of the birthday boy/girl.

5) Netflix - Netflix is granting parents the ultimate birthday gift with the launch of 14 Birthdays On-Demand featurettes starring the characters in your kids' favourite shows. Clever, right? Your little one will feel like the characters are singing just for them. (Simple search "Birthdays On Demand", and choose the characters you want to sing Happy Birthday to your child.)

What is your biggest birthday headache? I hope you find some of these birthday party hacks helpful.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I receive special gifts and perks as part of my affiliation with Netflix.... however (as always) the opinions on this blog are 100% my own.

Hockey Tape Organizer

I love a good dollar store HACK... especially one that is simple and helps me organize my chaotic life. With three boys in hockey, I often have hockey tape all over my house, and no one can ever find it when they need it. So recently, I headed to the dollar store and came up with a solution for my hockey tape tape problem... a wire paper towel holder.

Don't you love finding a simple solution to a simple problem? This paper towel holder makes a perfect hockey tape organizer.

My boys will love being able to quickly find the hockey tape they need, and I will love having it organized all in one place. And if you are looking for more clever dollar store organization ideas, you can check out a few more here.

Fun, right? Do you have a clever dollar store organization idea that works well for you? I'd love to have you share it in the comments.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)