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Books for High School Boys

Suggestions by Michael Sullivan  

What Do You Want to Read Today?

This list covers a wide range of interests and reading levels, so there should be something for just about any boy. Encourage boys to read what interests them. Its fine to read below, even well below, reading level. It is most important to read, and to read a lot. Parents (especially you dads out there), how about reading some of these with your sons? 
Action, Adventure and Mystery Nonfiction
Comics/Manga/Graphic Novels Realistic Fiction
Fantasy Sci-Fi
Gothic Horror Sports
Historical Fiction Retellings of Classic Literature
Humor Books About Boys and Reading

   

What's New?

 

Adam Selzer. The Smart Aleck's Guide to American History. (Delacorte, 2010)

The cure for the common history book. This irreverent take on American history digs into such weighty issues as the place of stupid hats at major junctions of history, who was the most boring president we ever had, and why Americans have smelled so bad for so long. Read this along side your real history text book and you might get a few laughs and a little perspective. 

 

Helen Hemphill. The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones. (Front Street, 2008)

The Wild West held the promise of freedom and opportunity, and probably for none more so than the newly freed African Americans after the Civil War. But the reality was harsh, life was hard, and for Prometheus Jones slavery was not left completely behind. This is a rousing Western tale full of action, adventure and courage.

 

Roland Smith. Peak. (Harcourt, 2007)

There is no end of adventure when it comes to challenging the highest mountain in the world, but this adventure begins clinging to the side of a skyscraper in New York City. A gutsy, gritty story of an attempt to put the youngest climber ever on the "Roof of the World."

                      Also must read: Jon Krakauer. Into Thin Air. (Villard, 1997)

 

Nancy Butts. The Door In the Lake. (Front Street, 1997)

It's a classic sci-fi set up: Joey wakes up in the hospital and can't understand why everyone looks so old. They can't understand how he could have been missing for years and hasn't aged a day. The only thing more frightening than not knowing what happened at the lake those years ago is finding out the truth.

 

Don Calame. Swim the Fly. (Candlewick, 2009)

All right, I only recommend about one teen angst novel a year, because this is not a format with a great deal of boy appeal. So when I do recommend a book with the old standbys - dorky guy who doesn't have a chance with the way too hot girl with the big gorilla-ish boyfriend who is sure to beat the snot out of the dorky guy - well, you know it is special. Swim the Fly is unapologetically a teen angst novel that is just so over the top funny it has to be experienced. And it is guy humor, too; bathroom and bodily function jokes, stupid pranks, and insanely complex schemes that go horribly wrong. So laugh it up with three loser friends who have vowed that this is the summer they will see...

 

Rich Wallace. Restless: A Ghost's Story. (Speak, 2003)

Here is a ghost story for the high school sports fan. We have all seen stories of living people peering into the shadow world of the dead, but this is told through the eyes of the dead peering into the world of the living. Frank died too young, just a teenager, and there is something holding him to this world. He has his little brother Herbie to watch over, sure, but there is more, and it probably has something to do with that angry spirit who is stalking Herbie through the graveyard every night.

High School

 

Nancy Bo Flood. Warriors in the Crossfire. (Boyd's Mill Press, March 15, 2010)

This is a story of native peoples caught in the crossfire of World War II in the Pacific. The people of Saipan Island huddle between the occupying Japanese, who vow death to all rather than surrender, and the Americans who are said to be so vicious they eat children. Who do you fight for? Who do you fear most? And does it take more courage to fight or to survive?

Middle & High School

 

Michael J. Rosen, with Ben Kassoy. No Dribbling the Squid: Octopush, Shin Kicking, Elephant Polo, and Other Oddball Sports. Andrew McMeel, 2009.

Competitive spitting, shovel racing, backward bicycling, basketball on unicycles, and Octopush (underwater hockey); there are some really strange sports out there, and they are all in this one little book, with plenty of pictures of all the zanyness. Two or three pages on each sport, complete with statistics, rules, and probably too many bad puns makes this a quick, fun read. No need to read it cover to cover; flip it open to any page and enjoy. (Hint: Kudu Dung spitting on p. 72)

 

Gary Paulsen. Woods Runner. (Wendy Lamb, 2010)

If your first thought was "Johnny Tremain", try this instead.

Gary Paulsen's true strength may not be action/adventure but historical fiction. This fast-moving tale from the Revolutionary War encompasses not just the cities but the frontier, which is often lost in history. Short passages of historical fact are woven in with the narrative, making it read like both history and compelling story. This is one of Paulsen's best.

When he's done reading this one, give him Paulsen's "The Rifle".

 

James Patterson and NaRae Lee. Maxium Ride: The Manga. (Yen Press, 2009)

Maximum Ride might be the perfect book for adaptation to Manga. All the action, the visual splendor, the wonder of kids on the wing, it all pops right off the page. This very quick read is the perfect intro to the series for struggling readers and a fantastic addition to the series for those who already know and love Max.

 

Nawuth Keat. Alive in the Killing Fields: The True Story of Nawuth Keat, a Khmer Rouge Survivor. (National Geographic Children's Books, 2009)

A true-life survival story written by someone who grew up in the midst of civil and outright war in a land s distant and different as any in the world.

 

Tohru Fujisawa. Tokko: Devil's Awaken. (Tokyo Pop, 2008-   ) Manga

Tokko is a special section of the Tokyo Police charged with fighting off an invasion of demons and spirits. This is a dark and heroic storyline about those who stand between an unsuspecting human world and a terrifying other world, with a few not-quite humans standing in the breach.

 

Libba Bray. Going Bovine. (Delacorte, 2009)

Going Bovine is one psychedelic retelling of Don Quixote. Thoroughly modern, it still manages to capture all the idealistic and confused humor of the original, with splashes of The Odyssey and The Wizard of Oz just to keep you on your toes. 

 

Chris Grabenstein. The Crossroads. (Random House, 2008)

"The Crossroads" is the first in a new series (#2 is "Hanging Hill") of supernatural thrillers. High on tension and low on gore, it is a great intro the genre for 9-12 year olds. Zack Jennings is a character that readers will love to follow: brave despite his fears, cursed with an ability to see ghosts, and blessed with some secret strength to fight the ones that are bent on evil. The crossroads outside his new home are not just a meeting place for two roads, but a nexus of different times and different worlds. A bus collided with a car in this place fifty years ago, and deaths that day echo right up till today. Now Zack has to bury the past before it buries him! 

                   See also: Chris Grabenstein. Hanging Hill. (Random House, 2009)

 

Dan Poblocki. The Stone Child. (Random House, 2009)

Horror stories are terrifying enough, but then they come to life for Eddie Fennicks. Worse still, it seems there is a new tale of terror being written, and he is right in the middle of it. He has a code to break, a lost author to find, an entire paranoid town to navigate, hell hounds and dark spirits to avoid, and his family to protect in this startling good first novel. The perfect read before you take on Stephen King's The Dark Half.  

 

R. A. Nelson. Days of Little Texas. (Knopf, 2009)

The story of a young teen celebrity preacher takes a decidedly horrific twist. Christians may talk a lot about the devil, but wait until they come face to face with him!
 

Nahoko Uehashi. Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit. (Scholastic, 2008)

Here is a Japanese fantasy that reads like Manga it is so descriptive. A powerful piece of mythology with plenty of swordplay and heroic fantasy elements.

 

Ken Scholes. Lamentation. (Tor, February 2009)
In a post-apocalyptic world, centuries after the folly of man has pushed civilization to the brink, the world has been reordered and brought together again, until an ancient evil is recalled to destroy the center of this emerging civilization. Now all powers strive, in ways both forthright and subtle, to fill the void and dominate what is left over. At the center of the storm is a warrior of great destiny, a boy caught in the whirlwind, a woman who is being played like a piece on a board, and a long-dead leader who has returned to this turbulant world in hopes of saving it. Passion, power, ambition, and enlightment mix in a fast-paced tale of a world that yet may be.
David Gram. The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession. (Doubleday, February 2009)
This nonfiction account covers a hundred years of fateful, and even fatal, expeditions into the heart of the Amazon region. It is part adventure tale, part horror story, part ecological treatise, all wrapped up in some amazing storytelling. This is Bill Bryson with teeth! It is a tropical Into Thin Air. Journalist David Gram follows in the footsteps of some of the greatest explorers ever into a land that even the great explorers could not conquer to try to solve a mystery as old as history in the New World. He goes in search of the golden city of El Dorado.

Alison Goodman. Eon: Dragoneye Reborn. (Viking, December 2008)
There has been a recent trend towards fantasy based on the martial arts, from Jeff Stone's The Five Ancestors to Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori. Alison Goodman has the latest entrant, with Eon: Dragoneye Reborn. The power of twelve dragons stands behind the empire, and each dragon works through his appointed emmissary and an apprentice. But the most powerful dragon of all has deserted the world for centuries until the most unlikely of apprentices is called. Plenty of swordplay and powerful magic in this epic fantasy based on karate and Chinese mythology.

 

 

Action, Adventure and Mystery

Isabel Allende. City of the Beasts. (Rayo, 2002)

Joseph Bruchac. Bearwalker. (HarperCollins, 2007)

Stephen Cole. Thieves Like Us. (Bloomsbury USA Children's Books, 2006)

Thieves Till We Die. (Bloomsbury USA Children's Books, 2007)

Ben Mikaelsen. Touching Spirit Bear. (HarperCollins, 2001)

Ghost of Spirit Bear. (HarperCollins, 2008)  

Gary Paulsen. The Car. (Harcourt Brace & Company, 1994)

Graham Salisbury. Night of the Howling Dogs. (Wendy Lamb Books, 2007)

Roland Smith. Peak. (Harcourt, 2007)

Todd Strasser. "Drift X" (Series):

Slide or Die. (Simon Pulse, 2006)

Battle Drift. (Simon Pulse, 2006)

Sidewayz Glory. (Simon Pulse, 2006)

Mark Walden. “H.I.V.E.” (Series):

H.I.V.E.: The Higher Institute of Villainous Education. (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2007)

The Overlord Protocol. (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2008)

 

 

Classic Retellings

Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. (Quirk Books, 2009) [Retelling of Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen]

Libba Bray. Going Bovine. (Delacorte, 2009) [Retelling of Don Quixoteby Miguel De Cervantes]

Frank Cammuso. The Dodgeball Chronicles. [Knights of the Lunch Table] (Scholastic, 2008) [Retelling of The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, by Howard Pyle]

Neil Gaiman. The Graveyard Book. (HarperCollins, 2008) [Retelling of The Jungle Books, by Rudyard Kipling]

Gordon Korman. Jake Reinvented. (Hyperion, 2003) [Retelling of The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald]

Mahiro Maeda and Yura Ariwara. Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo. (Ballantine Books, 2008-    ) [Retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas]

Christopher Moore. Fool. (William Morrow, 2009) [Retelling of King Lear, by William Shakespeare]

Michael Mucci. Dracula. [All-Action Classics] ( Sterling , 2007) [Retelling of Dracula by Bram Stoker]

Tim Mucci and Rad Sechrist. Tom Sawyer. [All-Action Classics] ( Sterling , 2007) [Retelling of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain]

Rodman Philbrick. The Young Man and the Sea. (Blue Sky Press, 2004) [Retelling of The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway]

William Shakespeare, illustrated by Emma Vieceli. Hamlet: Prince of Denmark . [Manga Shakespeare] (Harry N. Abrams, 2007) [Retelling of The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark , by William Shakespeare]

William Shakespeare, illustrated by Sonia Leong. Romeo and Juliet. [Manga Shakespeare] (Amulet Books, 2007) [Retelling of Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare]  

Michael Sullivan. Escapade Johnson and the Phantom of the Science Fair. (PublishingWorks, 2009) [Retelling of The Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux]

 

Fantasy

Philip Caveney. “Sebastian Darke” (Series):

Sebastian Darke, Prince of Fools. (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2008)

Sebastian Darke, Prince of Pirates. (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2009)

Kathleen Duey. “A Resurrection of Magic” (Series):

Skin Hunger. (Atheneum, 2007)

Sacred Scars. (Atheneum, 2009)

David Eddings. “The Elenium” (Series):

The Diamond Throne. (Del Ray, 1989)

The Ruby Knight. (Del Ray, 1990)

The Sapphire Rose. (Del Ray, 1991)

David Eddings. "The Tamuli" (Series):

Domes of Fire. (Del Rey, 1993)

The Shining Ones. (Del Rey, 1993)

Hidden City. (Del Rey, 1994)

David Elliott. Jeremy Cabbage and the Living Museum of Human Oddballs and Quadruped Delights. (Knopf, 2008)

Nancy Farmer. The House of the Scorpion. (Atheneum, 2002)

Alison Goodman. Eon: Dragoneye Reborn. (Viking Juvenile, 2008)

Lian Hearn. "Tales of the Otori" (Series):

Heaven’s Net is Wide. (Riverhead, 2007) [Prequel]

The Sword of the Warrior: Across the Nightingale Floor, Episode 1. (Puffin, 2004)

Journey to Inuyama: Across the Nightingale Floor, Episode 2. (Puffin, 2005)

Lord Fujiwara's Treasures: Grass for His Pillow, Episode 1. (Puffin, 2005)

The Way Through the Snow: Grass for His Pillow, Episode 2. (Puffin, 2005)

Battle for Maruyama: Brilliance of the Moon, Episode 1. (Puffin, 2006)

Scars of Victory: Brilliance of the Moon, Episode 2. (Puffin, 2006)

The Harsh Cry of the Heron: The Last Tale of the Otori. (Riverhead, 2007)

Chris Humphreys. "The Runestone Saga" (Series):

The Fetch. (Knopf, 2006)

Vendetta. (Knopf, 2007)

Possession. (Knopf, 2008)

Christopher Moore. Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings. (Morrow, 2003)

P. R. Moredun. The Dragon Conspiracy. (HarperCollins, 2005)

Christopher Paolini. “Inheritance” (Series):

Eragon. (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2003)

Eldest. (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2005)

Brisingr. (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2008)

Terry Pratchett. “Discworld” Series:

The Color of Magic. (HarperTorch, 2000)

The Light Fantastic. (HarperTorch, 2000)

Equal Rites. (Harper Paperbacks, 2005)

Mort. (HarperTorch, 2001)

Sourcery. (HarperTorch, 2001)

Wyrd Sisters. (HarperTorch, 2001)

Pyramids. (HarperTorch, 2001)

Guards! Guards! (HarperTorch, 2001)

Eric. (HarperTorch, 2002)

Moving Pictures.(HarperTorch, 2002)

Reaper Man. (HarperTorch, 2002)

Witches Abroad. (HarperTorch, 2002)

Small Gods. (HarperTorch, 1994)

Lords and Ladies. (HarperTorch, 1996)

Men at Arms. (HarperTorch, 1997)

Soul Music. (HarperTorch, 2005)

Feet of Clay. (HarperTorch, 2007)

Interesting Times. (HarperTorch, 1998)

Maskerade. (HarperTorch, 1998)

Hogfather. (Harper, 1999)

Jingo. (HarperTorch, 1999)

The Last Continent. (HarperTorch, 2004)

Carpe Jugulum. (HarperTorch, 2000)

The Fifth Elephant. (HarperTorch, 2001)

The Truth. (HarperTorch, 2001)

Thief of Time. (HarperTorch, 2002)

Last Hero. (Eos, 2002)

Night Watch. (HarperTorch, 2003)

The Wee Free Men. (HarperTeen, 2003)

A Hat Full of Sky: The Continuing Adventures of Tiffany Aching and the Wee Free Men. (HarperTeen, 2004)

Monstrous Regiment. (HarperTorch, 2004)

31 Going Postal. (HarperTorch, 2005)

Wintersmith. (HarperTeen, 2006)

Thud. (HarperTorch, 2006)

Making Money. (Harper, 2007)

Unseen Academicals. (Harper, 2009)

Philip Pullman. “His Dark Materials” (Series):

The Golden Compass. (Knopf, 1996)

The Subtle Knife. (Knopf, 1997)

The Amber Spyglass. (Knopf, 2000)

Ken Scholes. Lamentation. (Tor, 2009)

Michael Scott. "The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel" (Series)

The Alchemyst. (Delacorte, 2007)

The Magician. (Delacorte, 2008)

The Sorceress. (Delacorte, 2009)

Rebecca Stead. First Light. (Wendy Lamb Books, 2007)

Jonathan Stroud. "The Bartimaeus Trilogy" (Series):

The Amulet of Samarkand . (Miramax, 2003)

The Golem's Eye. (Miramax, 2004)

Ptolemy's Gate. (Miramax, 2005)

J. R. R. Tolkien. “The Lord of the Rings” (Series):

The Fellowship of the Ring. (Houghton Mifflin, 1988)

The Two Towers . (Houghton Mifflin, 1988)

The Return of the King. (Houghton Mifflin, 1988)

J. R. R. Tolkien. The Silmarillion. (Mariner Books, 2001)

J. R. R. Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien. “The History of Middle Earth” (Series):

The Book of Lost Tales. (Del Rey, 1992)

The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two. (Houghton Mifflin, 1984)

The Lays of Beleriand. (Houghton Mifflin, 1985)

The Shaping of Middle Earth: The Quenta, the Ambarkanta and the Annals. (Houghton Mifflin, 1986)

The Lost Road and Other Writings. (Houghton Mifflin, 1987)

The Return of the Shadow: The History of the Lord of the Rings, Part One. (Houghton Mifflin, 1989)

Treason of Isengard: The History of the Lord of the Rings, Part Two. (Houghton Mifflin, 1989)

The War of the Ring: The History of the Lord of the Rings, Part Three. (Houghton Mifflin, 1990)

Sauron Defeated: The History of the Lord of the Rings, Part Four. (Houghton Mifflin, 1992)

Morgoth’s Ring: The Later Silmarillion, Part One. (Houghton Mifflin, 1993)

The War of the Jewels: The Later Silmarillion, Part Two. (Houghton Mifflin, 1994)

The Peoples of Middle Earth. (Houghton Mifflin, 1996)

 

 

Gothic Horror

Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. (Quirk Books, 2009)

Gary Cross. Plague of the Undead. (Puffin New Zealand , 2009)

Chris Grabenstein. The Crossroads. (Random House, 2008)

Chris Grabenstein. Hanging Hill. (Random House, 2009)

Anthony Horowitz. "The Gatekeepers" (Series)

Raven’s Gate. (Scholastic, 2005)

Evil Star. (Scholastic, 2006)

Nightrise. (Scholastic, 2007)

Necropolis. (Scholastic, 2009)

A. M. Jenkins. Night Road. (HarperTeen, 2008)

A. M. Jenkins. Repossessed. (HarperTeen, 2007)

Christopher Moore. Bloodsucking Fiends. (Simon & Schuster, 1995)

Christopher Moore. A Dirty Job. (William Morrow, 2006)

Christopher Moore. You Suck: A Love Story. (William Morrow, 2007)

Darren Shan. "The Demonata" (Series):

Lord Loss. (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2005)

The Demon Thief. (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2006)

Slawter. (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2006)

Bec. (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2007)

Blood Beast. (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2007)

Demon Apocalypse. (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2007)

Death’s Shadow. (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2008)

Wolf Island . (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2009)

R. A. Nelson. Days of Little Texas. (Knopf, 2009)

Dan Poblocki. The Stone Child. (Random House, 2009)

Stephen Spignesi. The Weird 100: A Collection of the Strange and the Unexplained. (Citadel Press, 2004)  

Rich Wallace. Restless: A Ghost's Story. (Speak, 2003)

Paul Zindel. Loch . (HarperCollins, 1994)

 

 

Historical Fiction

Avi. Crispin: Cross of Lead. (Hyperion Books for Children, 2002) 

Joseph Bruchac. Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two. (Speak, 2005)

Christopher Paul Curtis. The Watsons Go to Birmingham. (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 1995)

Nancy Bo Flood. Warriors in the Crossfire. (Boyd's Mill Press, 2010)

Helen Hemphill. The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones. (Front Street, 2008)

Chris Lynch. Gold Dust. (HarperCollins, 2000)

Gary Paulsen. The Rifle. (Harcourt Brace & Company, 1995)  

Gary Paulsen. Woods Runner. (Wendy Lamb, 2010)

Roland Smith. Elephant Run. (Hyperion Books for Children, 2007)

 

 

Humor

Terence Blacker. Boy 2 Girl. (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005)

Terence Blacker. Parent Swap. (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006)

Don Calame. Swim the Fly. (Candlewick, 2009)

D.L. Garfinkle. Storky: How I Lost My Nickname and Won the Girl. (Putnam, 2005)

Carl Hiaasen. Flush. (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2005)  

Carl Hiaasen. Hoot. (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2002)  

Carl Hiaasen. Scat. (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2009)

Gordon Korman. Born to Rock. (Hyperion, 2006)

Gordon Korman. No More Dead Dogs. (Hyperion, 2002)

Gordon Korman. Son of the Mob. (Hyperion, 2002)

Son of the Mob: Hollywood Hustle. (Hyperion, 2004)

Christopher Moore. Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings. (Morrow, 2003)

Christopher Moore. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. (Morrow, 2002)

 

 

Nonfiction

Bill Bryson. A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail . (Broadway Books, 1998)

James Buckley. The Bathroom Companion: A Collection of Facts About the Most-Used Room in the House. (Quirk, 2005)

Samantha Ettus. The Experts' Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know. (Clarkson Potter, 2004)

Jack Gantos. Hole In My Life. (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002)

David Gram. The Lost City of Z : A Tale of Deadly Obsession. (Doubleday, 2009)

William Gurstelle. The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, and More Ancient Artillery. ( Chicago Review Press, 2004)

William Gurstelle. Backyard Ballistics. ( Chicago Review, 2001)

Nawuth Keat. Alive in the Killing Fields: The True Story of Nawuth Keat, a Khmer Rouge Survivor. (National Geographic Children's Books, 2009)

Jon Krakauer. Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster. (Villard, 1997)

Roland Laird, Taneshia Nash Laird. Still I Rise: A Graphic History of African Americans. ( Sterling , 2009)

Michael Lewis. The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. (Norton, 2007)

Joy Masoff. Oh Yuck!: the Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty. (Workman, 2000)

Joy Masoff. Oh Yikes!: History's Grossest, Wackiest Moments. (Workman, 2000)   

Jennifer Morse. Guiness Book of World Records 2009. (Scholastic Reference, 2008)

Deborah Noyes. Encyclopedia of the End: Mysterious Death in Fact, Fancy, Folklore, and More. (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2008)

Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht. The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook. (Chronicle Books, 1999)

Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht. The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Extreme Edition. (Chronicle Books, 2005)

Cal Ripken, Jr. and Mike Bryan. The Only Way I Know. (Viking, 1997)

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Special Edition 2009. (Scholastic, 2008)   

Nancy Rica Schiff. Odd Jobs: Portraits of Unusual Occupations. (Ten Speed Press, 2002) 

Nancy Rica Schiff. Odder Jobs: More Portraits of Unusual Occupations. (Ten Speed Press, 2006)  

Michael J. Rosen, with Ben Kassoy. No Dribbling the Squid: Octopush, Shin Kicking, Elephant Polo, and Other Oddball Sports. Andrew McMeel, 2009.

Adam Selzer. The Smart Aleck's Guide to American History. (Delacorte, 2010)

Ken Silverstein. The Radioactive Boy Scout: The True Story of a Boy and His Backyard Nuclear Reactor. (Random House, 2004)

Stephen Spignesi. The Weird 100: A Collection of the Strange and the Unexplained. (Citadel Press, 2004)

James L. Swanson. Chasing Lincoln 's Killer. (Scholastic, 2009)

This Book Really Sucks!: the Science Behind Gravity, Flight, Leeches, Black  Holes, Tornadoes, Our Friend the Vacuum Cleaner, and Most Everything  Else That Sucks. (Planet Dexter, 1999)

Stanley "Tookie" Williams. Life in Prison. (Chronicle Books, 2001)

Chris Woodford, et al. Cool Stuff and How it Works. (Dorling Kindersley, 2005)  

Chris Woodford and Jon Woodcock. Cool Stuff 2.0 and How it Works. (Dorling Kindersley, 2007)

Chris Woodford. Cool Stuff Exploded. (Dorling Kindersley, 2008)  

Chris Woodford and Jon Woodcock. The Gadget Book: How Really Cool Stuff Works. (Dorling Kindersley, 2007)

Chris Woodford. How Cool Stuff Works. (Dorling Kindersley, 2008)  

 

 

Realistic Fiction

Avi. Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel. (Orchard Books, 1991)

Don Calame. Swim the Fly. (Candlewick, 2009)

John Green. An Abundance of Katherines. (Dutton Juvenile, 2006)

Pete Hautman. Godless. (Simon & Schuster, 2004)

Gordon Korman. Jake Reinvented. (Hyperion, 2003)

Gordon Korman. The Juvie Three. (Hyperion, 2008)

Kris Kroatin. Heavy Metal and You. (Push, 2005)

Walter Dean Myers. Handbook for Boys. (Amistad, 2002)

Walter Dean Myers. Monster. (Amistad, 1999)

Walter Dean Myers. Shooter. (Amistad, 2004)

Walter Dean Myers. Sunrise Over Fallujah. (Scholastic, 2008)

Gary Paulsen. The Car. (Harcourt Brace & Company, 1994)

Jerry Spinelli. Maniac Magee. (Little, Brown, 1990)

Todd Strasser. Boot Camp. (Simon & Schuster, 2007) 

Todd Strasser. Give a Boy a Gun. (Simon Pulse, 2002)

Todd Strasser. If I Grow Up. (Simon & Schuster, 2009)

Todd Strasser. The Wave. (Laurel Leaf, 1981)

Richard Uhlig. Boy Minus Girl. (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2008)

Ned Vizzini. It's Kind of a Funny Story. (Hyperion, 2006)

Jake Wizner. Spanking Shakespeare. (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2007)

 

 

Sci-Fi

M. T. Anderson. Feed. (Candlewick, 2004)

Nancy Butts. The Door In the Lake. (Front Street, 1997)

Pete Hautman. Rash. (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2006)

Kenneth Oppel. Dead Water Zone. (HarperTeen, 2007)

Kenneth Oppel. "Matt Cruise" (Series):

Airborn. (HarperTeen, 2004)

Skybreaker. (HarperTeen, 2007)

Starclimber. (HarperTeen, 2009)

James Patterson. "Maximum Ride" (Series) 

The Angel Experiment. (Little, Brown, 2005)

School’s Out – Forever. (Warner, 2006)

Saving the World, and Other Extreme Sports. (Little, Brown, 2007)

The Final Warning. (Little, Brown, 2008)

Max. (Little, Brown, 2009)

James Patterson and NaRae Lee. Maxium Ride: The Manga. (Yen Press, 2009)

Rodman Philbrick. The Last Book in the Universe. (Blue Sky Press, 2000)

Neal Schusterman. Unwind. (Simon & Schuster, 2007)

Rebecca Stead. First Light. (Wendy Lamb Books, 2007)

Will Weaver. Defect. (Farrar Strauss Giroux, 2007)

 

 

Sports

Carl Deuker. Gym Candy. (Houghton Mifflin, 2007) [Football]

John Grisham. Playing for Pizza. (Doubleday, 2007) [Football]

Alfred Martino. Over the End Line. (Houghton Mifflin Co., 2009)

Alfred C. Martino. Pinned. (Harcourt, 2005) [Wrestling]

Michael Lewis. The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. (Norton, 2007) [Football - Nonfiction]

Walter Dean Myers. Game. (HarperTeen, 2008) [Basketball]

Walter Dean Myers. Hoops. (Delacorte, 1991) [Basketball]

Walter Dean Myers. The Outside Shot. (Delacorte, 1984) [Basketball]

Walter Dean Myers. Slam! (Scholastic, 1996) [Basketball]

Michael J. Rosen, with Ben Kassoy. No Dribbling the Squid: Octopush, Shin Kicking, Elephant Polo, and Other Oddball Sports. Andrew McMeel, 2009. [Nonfiction]

David Skuy. Off the Crossbar. (The Writer’s Collective, 2006) [Hockey]

 

Visual Fiction: Comics/Manga/Graphic Novels

Ken Akamatsu. Negima!: Master Negi Magi. (Del Ray, 2004- )  [Manga]

Tohru Fujisawa. Tokko: Devil's Awaken. (Tokyo Pop, 2008-   )  [Manga]  

Neil Gaiman, John Bolton, Scott Hampton, and Charles Vess. The Books of Magic. (DC Comics, 1993) [Graphic Novel]

Matsuri Hino. Vampire Knight. (Shojo Beat, 2007-    ) [Manga]

Satomi Ikezawa. Othello. (Del Ray, 2004- ) [Manga]

Dean Koontz and Queenie Chan. In Odd We Trust. (Ballantine Books, 2008) [Graphic Novel]

Roland Laird, Taneshia Nash Laird. Still I Rise: A Graphic History of African Americans. ( Sterling , 2009) [Graphic Novel – Nonfiction]

Morgan Llywelyn and Michael Scott. Ireland: A Graphic History. (Element, 1995)

Mahiro Maeda and Yura Ariwara. Gankutsuou: the Count of Monte Cristo. (Ballantine Books, 2008-    ) [Manga]

Mitsukazu Mihara. Haunted House. ( Tokyo Pop, 2006) [Manga]

James Patterson. Daniel X: Alien Hunter. (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2008) [Graphic Novel]

James Patterson and NaRae Lee. Maxium Ride: The Manga. (Yen Press, 2009)

William Shakespeare, illustrated by Emma Vieceli. Hamlet: Prince of Denmark . [Manga Shakespeare] (Harry N. Abrams, 2007) [Manga]

William Shakespeare, illustrated by Sonia Leong. Romeo and Juliet. [Manga Shakespeare] (Amulet Books, 2007) [Manga]

Sue Stauffacher. Wireman. (Sue Stauffacher, 2005-2006) [Comic Books]

Yukiru Sugisaki. D.N. Angel. (TokyoPop, 2004- ) [Manga]

Yoshihiro Togashi. YuYu Hakusho. (Viz Media, 2003- ) [Manga]

Naoki Urasawa. 20th Century Boys. (Viz Media, 2009- ) [Manga]

Bill Watterson. "Calvin and Hobbes" (Series)

    Calvin and Hobbes. (Andrews and McMeel, 1987)

    Something Under the Bed is Drooling. (Andrews and McMeel, 1988)

    Yukon Ho! (Andrews and McMeel, 1989)

    Weirdos From Another Planet! (Andrews and McMeel, 1990)

    Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink'. (Andrews and McMeel, 1991)

    Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow  Goons. (Andrews and McMeel, 1992)

    The Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes. (Andrews and McMeel, 1992)

    The Days are Just Packed. (Andrews and McMeel, 1993)

    Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat. (Andrews and McMeel, 1994)

    There's Treasure Everywhere. (Andrews and McMeel, 1996)

    It's a Magical World. (Andrews and McMeel, 1996)

Josh Whedon, Karl Moline, and Andy Owens. Fray. (Dark Horse, 2003) [Graphic Novel]

Futaro Yamada & Masaki Segawa. Basilisk. (Del Rey, 2006- ) [Manga]

 

 

Books About Boys and Reading

Alison M. G. Follos. Reviving Reading: School Library Programming, Author Visits and Books that Rock! Libraries Unlimitted, 2006.

Michael Gurian. Boys and Girls Learn Differently!: A Guide for Teachers and Parents. Jossey-Basse, 2001.

Stephen Krashen. The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research. Libraries Unlimitted, 2004.

Thomas Newkirk. Misreading Masculinity: Boys, Literacy, and Popular Culture. Heinemann, 2002.

Daniel Pennac. Better Than Life. Stenhouse, 1999.

Leonard Sax. Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know About the Emerging Science of Sex Differences. Doubleday, 2005.

Michael W. Smith, Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. Reading Don't Fix No Chevys: Literacy in the Lives of Young Men. Heinemann, 2002.

Michael Sullivan. Connecting Boys With Books: What Libraries Can Do. ALA Editions, 2003.

Michael Sullivan. Connecting Boys With Books 2: Closing the Reading Gap. ALA Editions, 2009.

 

                              Last Updated 03/01/2010