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Literary Testosterone - 30 Must-Read Classics for Teenage Boys

Literary Testosterone - 30 Must-Read Classics for Teenage Boys

<http://literarycompass.blogspot.com/2007/05/literary-testosterone-30-
must-read.html>
http://tinyurl.com/2hhnep

This is a follow-up to Maureen's question about recommendations for 12
and 13 year-old boys. Without getting into a big discussion about
gender stereotyping, let me just say that in general boys at this age
tend to read books that are more action and adventure oriented, while
girls enjoy reading more about relationships.

Case in point: I teach The Hobbit and Les Miserables to my eighth
graders each year. Both boys and girls love these books. But when I
look at the few students who didn't like them, I have more girls who
didn't like The Hobbit, and more boys who didn't like Les Miserables.

The books I'm about to recommend for boys are also great for girls to
read, and there are many books not listed here that boys would like. I
think boys should read Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte and Louisa May
Alcott, but I don't think most boys would pick these books up on their
own. The following books are titles and authors that I think most boys
would enjoy, and that contain themes that are valuable for teen and
pre-teen boys to think about.

Fantasy/Horror

Anything by Ray Bradbury: I think of Ray Bradbury as a modern-day
Edgar Allen Poe, and his books are perfect for teenage boys. There's
always something to talk about after reading Ray Bradbury.
Something Wicked This Way Comes - Every boy should read this book, and
every father, too. It can be frightening, but it is well worth
reading.

Dandelion Wine - Scary, funny and tender.

The Martian Chronicles - Great sci-fi.

Fahrenheit 451 - Perfect for talking about the value of books and
reading.

The Illustrated Man - Thought-provoking stories.

Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs - Along with Treasure
Island, probably the perfect action/adventure story.

The Belgariad by David Eddings - Lord of the Rings lite; lots of
fairly innocent fun; not much depth, but a good read.

Animal Farm by George Orwell - An excellent introduction to talking
about political systems.

The Once and Future King by T.H. White - Classic story of King Arthur.

The Book of the Dun Cow by Walter Wangerin, Jr. - This book is a
hidden gem--important spiritual themes, connections to Chaucer and the
middle ages. I once had the opportunity to interview the author with
my eighth graders after we finished studying it - they loved the
interview and the book. Don't miss it.

Science Fiction

Flatland by Edwin Abbott - A brief fairytale-ish book that explores
mathematical concepts like the fourth dimension. Fun and educational.

The Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov - A sort of Decline and Fall of
the Roman Empire set in space; great plot twists. A true classic of
the genre and very accessible to teens. The first book in the series
is Foundation.

The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov - A great murder mystery set in the
future. Combines elements of science fiction and classic mystery
stories into one.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - I hesitated to put this on the list
because it contains some profanity and a few disturbing elements, but
every single student of mine who has read this has loved it. Without
exception. Read this with your kids so you can talk about it with
them.
The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Before Michael Crichton's
version, the author of Sherlock Holmes had already written about a
lost island of dinosaurs.

Time and Again by Jack Finney - A terrific time travel story; the
amount of historical detail in this book is mind-boggling. Part
mystery, part romance, part sci-fi, it really defies categories.

Historical

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara - Pulitzer winning novel of the
battle of Gettysburg; would be great to read in conjunction with an
American History class. After they finish, show them the movie
Gettysburg.

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas - Look up swashbuckle in the
dictionary and you'll find this book. Young readers may need help
understanding church politics.

Mr. Midshipman Easy by Captain Frederick Marryat - a great precursor
to Forester's Hornblower series or Patrick O'Brian's Master and
Commander series. Fun and easy to read.

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott - Classic medieval adventure.

Mysteries

The Father Brown stories by G. K. Chesterton - The gentle, intelligent
Father Brown makes a great role model for boys, and gives them a
healthy portrayal of a priest.

Anything by Agatha Christie - Her books are continual favorites of my
students, especially the novels featuring Hercule Poirot. Make sure
they read Curtain (but only after reading four or five other Hercule
Poirot mysteries first).

The Brother Cadfael series by Ellis Peters - Brother Cadfael is a monk
in the thirteenth century who always seems to end up in the middle of
murder investigations. The first book is A Morbid Taste for Bones.

Assorted other titles:

Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling - Terrific coming of age story
set at sea.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - Explores many issues, but one
key issue is the definition of courage.

The Ox-bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark - Not only a great
Western, but an insightful exploration of justice and vigilantism.
Perfect for discussing over the dinner table.

Hondo - Every boy should read at least one Louis L'Amour novel in his
life, and Hondo is one of the best.

Shane by Jack Schaefer- The all-time greatest Western ever written (in
my humble opinion). Another must-read for pre-teen or teenage boys.

Hiroshima by John Hersey - A nonfiction account of survivors of the
atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima. This can be a frightening book for
young readers, so use your own judgement.

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot - Nonfiction account of
a rural veterinarian; another perfect book for boys.
For more titles for both boys and girls download my Books to Be Tasted
Junior High Reading List. You may need to sign up at FreeIQ to
download it, but the account is free.

Also, I'm currently developing a summer reading group for junior high
and high school students and their families that I plan to launch in
the next week or two. Stay tuned.

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