Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Boy Books

So I read, a lot.

And generally, this is split into two categories non-fiction that makes me a better person and that I should read more of, and fiction that makes me a happier person, but I probably read too much of - an opened book is a finished book. And then I can't help but open another book.

Still, when people I know ask me about good MG/YA books for boys, I've only got a handful of authors to recommend, and they're all almost all fantasy.

They are (alphabetically)

Cinda Williams Cima
Eoin Colfer
John Flanagan
James Herriot (though, he probably requires the attention span of an older reader)
Brandon Mull
Christopher Paolini
Sarah Prineas
Rick Rearden
Johann David Wyss

Now tell me, who am I missing?

19 comments:

Robin Lemke said...

John H. Ritter and Mike Lupica both write sports books for boys. I think MG, but upper MG/lower YA. I'd add them to your list. I'm dying to read The Desperado who Stole Baseball. :)

Erinn said...

Gordan Korman the writer of schooled, no more dead dogs and born to rock. He's amazing and he's very boy centered.

Jennifer said...

"an opened book is a finished book. And then I can't help but open another book."

Yes! And that is how it should be. :)

Jamie Blair said...

Carl Hiaasen. I'm not up on a ton of MG, but I do enjoy it!

Katie Ashley said...

John Green, David Leviathan, Hannah Moskowitz are great for YA Boys.

Less edgier choices might be Jerry Spinelli

There was someone else who wrote a really cool boy narrated book....hmm, now who was that? OH YEAh, it was me! LOL Maybe it'll make its way to shelves...someday!!

Geri Kolesar said...

Try debut author Dee Garretson's WILDFIRE Run -- awesome MG adventure!

sbjames said...

Dan Gutman wrote a wonderful MG series about time travel with baseball cards. They all begin Reggie and Me, Babe and Me, etc.

And you forgot Rick Riordan and the fab Percy Jackson.

My son is currently reading and loving Epic by Conor Kostick. He says it's like Hunger Games but beter- ie no romance but also interestinly no deaths, violence is not allowed in this society.

He also recently read and liked a book that had no fantastical elements at all (that's big for him) I don't remember the author but the book is Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie.

And lastly, Jack London.

Tom M Franklin said...

Jon Scieszka (Time Warp Trio series)

Scieszka's a former second grade teacher who also has a website (http://www.guysread.com) that has a list of many good authors for boys.


-- Tom

Jennifer Rummel said...

Michael Scott, James Patterson, Jack Higgins + Justin Richards, D.J. MacHale, Mark Walden, Scott Westerfeld, Walter Dean Myers, Matt de la Pena, Garth NIx, Meghan Whalen Turner, Hilari Bell, Darren Shan, Ridley Pearson, Anthony Horowitz, RObert Muchamore, Michael Ford, Michael Grant, Tim Green, and Derek Landy

Pam Harris said...

Maybe Walter Dean Meyers? I know I probably screwed up the spelling of his last name.

Melody said...

Gordon Korman, especially his MG stuff

Kenneth Oppel's Airborn/Skybreaker/Starclimber trilogy/series. (YA)

Ted Dekker

Louis Sachar

Anonymous said...

For MG: Bruce Colville, Susan Cooper (more fantasy but wonderful), Pseudonymous Bosch (who wrote The Name of This Book is Secret and others in the series), Kathryn Lasky (Guardians of Ga'Hoole series),Kate DiCamillo, whoever wrote the Mysterious Benedict Society...the list goes on.
YA is much harder...thank gods for John Green and David Leviathan.

Stina said...

John Green, Cory Doctorow, and Rick Riordan are the only ones I can think of, but there are tons of others.

Unknown said...

Chris Crutcher rocks. And Josh Farrar is great, too (he's a debut author: RULES TO ROCK BY). Has anyone said Rodman Philbrick? He's awesome. Matt Christopher's great MG--sports-centric stories.

Vee said...

John Green, Joe Dunthorne, Meg Rosoff's Just in Case and What I Was strike me as lyrical boy books, Robert Cormier, M.T Anderson, Phillip Gwynne, Sherman Alexie (True Diary, anyway), Chbosky, John van de Ruit, some of Neil Gaiman's stuff applies for MG, Nick Hornby, Kirsten Murphy (King of Whatever, anyway), Hannah Moskowitz, Gail Giles (for Right Behind You), David Levithan, Frank Portman...

And there are probably tons more that I'm forgetting at this moment in time.

Vee said...

Oh, Kate Thompson (Creature of the Night is contemp from a male perspective), Patrick Ness (more fantasy), Bill Condon (lots of great contemp)...

I knew I'd forgotten people! (and probably still have)

Hmath said...

Wow - looks like I've got my reading list settled for a while!

THANKS

Snazel said...

My brother loves Scott Westerfield and Kenneth Opal!

Val said...

For even more guy books suggestions, check out guysread.com. It's a website and blog started by Jon Scieszka and a few others to encourage boys and guys to read. Readers can make suggestions of new/other guy books to add to the lists.
As a mother of a son, I love it. Any resource to find not-fairy and not-horse and not-babysitter books for my eight-year-old.
As a female writer, I love it. Any additional resources to help me write better boy characters.