Books for Boys

I recently posted a list of kids' books with strong female leads on Facebook. A couple of friends expressed that they have more trouble finding books with strong male leads that are not graphic novels nor full of potty humor.

Here's a list of ones my boys have enjoyed. Many are part of a series.

The Adventures of Tintin
Nate the Great
Henry and Ribsy
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Mars Needs Moms
How to Train your Dragon
The Great Brain
The Mad Scientists’ Club
Magic Treehouse Series
Chronicles of Narnia
A Wrinkle in Time
Kenny and the Dragon
Jimmy Zangwow’s Out of this world Moon-Pie Adventure
The Wednesday Tales: The Palace of Laughter
Gideon the Cutpurse
Harry Potter
The Wonderful  Flight to the Mushroom Planet
The  Boy Who Could Fly Without a Motor
Beast Quest series
The Mysterious Benedict Society
Deltora Quest Series
Encyclopedia Brown
The Secrets of Droon series
George’s Cosmic Treasure Hunt
Have Space Suit-Will Travel
Bernie and the Bessledorf Ghost
Larklight Series
An Accidental Adventure series
The Sherlock Files: The Beast of Blackslope
The Boy Who Loved Words
Odd and the Frost Giants
The Kane Chronicles
Percy Jackson series
The Indian in the Cupboard
The Code Busters Club
Flat Stanley
Albert
Whales on Stilts (Pals in Peril)
The Clue of the Linoleum Liederhosen
Horton Halfpott: Or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series
Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror
The Ashtown Burials series
The Strictest School in the World: Being the Tale of a Clever Girl, a Rubber Boy and a Collection of Flying Machines, Mostly Broken
The Castle in the Attic
Floors
100 Cupboards
The 39 Clues
Aliens on Vacation
The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict
The Slippery Map
Candleman
The Bears on Hemlock Mountain
The Picture of Morty and Ray
Dark Life

Service Project

We have started helping out our local food bank twice per month. We go by a local warehouse store and pick up any donations, and drop them off at the food bank. It is a simple task, loading and unloading, and it only takes an hour our of our morning, but we feel like we are really helping people. We all agree is it silly to have all that food go to waste.

I did a year of service in AmeriCorps after I finished my bachelor's degrees. It made a huge impact on my life to so much direct service. I want my kids to experience the challenges and the joys of community service.

Coincidentally, we read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl this week. (I wish I could plan my lessons so well and thoroughly, but sometimes I just rely on synchronicity and luck.) If, like me, you hadn't read this gem in 20 years, consider revisiting it. It discusses hunger and poverty in a very relatable way.

Crossing a Bridge

Thing One came home from the library with dad today at 5:45. He immediately picked up a book, a Franny K. Stein book. He read straight thru dinner, paying more attention to his book than to the chicken and green beans, and finished the 102 page book at 6:45. He's not even six years old yet. I'm so proud!!!