High interest and proven page turners, these tried and true titles make great choices for any reader!
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Well, if you're looking for some great books that have boys as main characters, there are plenty of them out there!
These books feature boys as the main character, but girls love 'em too!
Looking for more books ideas? Check out these posts for more great books!
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15 Books for Kids Who Love Ice Cream
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Even kids who aren't big readers will find something that draws them in from this list!
Whether it's action and adventure, mystery and crime solving or something that makes you laugh, we've got you covered!
25+ Great Books With Boys As Main Characters!
Here is a basic age guide to help if you're doing the choosing. Every kid is different, but this should put you in the ballpark.
Adults enjoy these books too! Give 'em a read!
Age Breakdown:
Kids = 7-9
Mids= 10-12
Teens = 13+
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
by Rick Riordan
Rick Riordan's best-selling series is filled with a great cast of characters! Led by 12-year-old Percy Jackson, The Lightning Thief brings Greek mythology to life in the most entertaining way possible!
Overflowing with funny scenes, fantasy, action and adventure, Percy Jackson & The Olympians is a fantastic series with a great follow-up series as well!
When your kid has finished all of the Percy Jackson books, The Heroes of Olympus series will be there to entertain!
Age: Kids, Mids, Teens +
Book Series
Holes
by Louis Sachar
A multilayered mystery, quirky characters and a family curse make this a book that is impossible to put down until you've reached the last page!
Read our review for Holes and find some fun activities to go along with this award-winning book here!
Age: Kids, Mids (Teens -and adults- would also definitely enjoy)!
I,Q - Book One - Independence Hall
by Roland Smith
13-year-old Quest and his older stepsister, Angela, are thrown together by way of their famous musician-parents' marriage and join them on the road for a year-long concert tour.
As if dealing with new family dynamics isn't enough, Quest & Angela find themselves in the middle of secrets, mysteries and a high-stakes conspiracy!
It's James Bond with a little bit of Indiana Jones thrown in and I,Q will no doubt keep you turning the pages and eager to read the next book in the series!
Age: Kids & Mids
Book Series
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series
by Jeff Kinney
This series features fun illustrations, a handwritten font and an easy conversational style of writing that make this a great series for kids!
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid books are a cross between a comic book/graphic novel and a journal. Even kids that don't normally love to read will find themselves flying through the pages and laughing along with Greg Heffley and the rest of the gang!
Fabulous books for kids that go in for funny reads, graphic novels/comic books and want a story that moves along at a quick pace!
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid books have super fun movie adaptations as well!
Age: Kids & Mids
Book Series
The Magic Tree House Series
by Mary Pope Osborne
This is an incredible book series that is a great way to get your kid excited about reading!
Jack and Annie are a brother and sister team that travel throughout time, meet historical people, mythical creatures and characters, and experience everything you could just about think of! Young readers will turn page after page to see what happens next!
There's something for everyone with this series! Culture, history, magic, space, sports, dinosaurs and ninjas are just a few of the adventures that Jack and Annie experience in the Magic Tree House book series!
Perfect for young readers, The Magic Tree House series of beginning chapter books are high-interest reads that provide both quick-paced stories and plenty of follow ups to keep the adventures coming!
A Magic Tree House Series Bonus: Many of the Magic Tree House books have 'Fact Tracker' companion books like this one which are fabulous non-fiction additions to learn more about the subject!
Age: Young Kids (6-9)
Book Series
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
by Roald Dahl
Willy Wonka, the eccentric owner, is finally opening the doors to his highly secret factory! Five lucky winners will find a golden ticket in the Wonka chocolate bar and be able tour the Wonka Chocolate Factory!!
Whether it's the Oompa Loompas, Willy Wonka, or Charlie and the golden ticket holders, there's no shortage of crazy fun characters, a great story line and fantastic settings which is everything you need to make this a book that's fun for kids and adults alike!
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a modern classic that has thrilled readers for generations and been translated to the big screen with great success! Here is our favorite version!
Even reluctant readers won't be able to put down this book filled with quirky characters, a wild-ride storyline and a hero to root for!
Loved it? See what happens next with the next book in the sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator!
If your reader enjoyed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, click here to see more titles by Roald Dahl!
Age: Kids & Mids
James and the Giant Peach
by Roald Dahl
If you liked Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, take a fun trip in a Giant Peach with James and his unlikely companions!
Age: Kids & Mids
Alex Rider -Stormbreaker
by Anthony Horowitz
This is a terrific book series for all those kids who are into spies and adventure!
This fast-paced series is great for reluctant readers and has plenty of hold-your-breath moments that will keep kids glued to the book page after page!
Thing Tom Cruise and Mission Impossible, but British!
Click here for some fun things to do and cool ideas to go along with Stormbreaker!
Age: Mids, younger teens
Book Series
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
by J.K. Rowling
The Harry Potter book series goes without needing an intro! Just in case your kid hasn't read it yet, though- let me assure you, this is an incredible series that has it all!
Magic, quests, humor, friendship, drama and surprises are woven into a compelling story line that have solidified it's spot as the best-selling book series in history!
Harry Potter has some of the best movie adaptations we've ever seen as well! However, you definitely need to read the books first!
Age: Mids, Teens+
Note: Older kids or younger kids with strong reading skills have enjoyed these books as well, but fyi the reading level of the Harry Potter series is 6th grade and up.
Also, there are some mature themes and intense moments that you may not wish your younger reader to encounter independently yet.
Book Series
The Mysterious Benedict Society
by Trenton Lee Stewart
Four kids pass a series of challenging tests and puzzles that bring them to the next step - to go undercover on a secret mission.
Arriving (undercover) as students at an educational institute located on a nearby island, Reynie, Sticky, Kate and Constance must work together to thwart the attempts of a criminal mastermind!
Far from your average kids' book, The Mysterious Benedict Society has an intricately woven plot with clever twists, fantastic characters and worthy surprises that will capture and hold your attention to the very end!
Age: Kids & Mids, (Teens and adults like it too! It's a fantastic book with great follow-ups!)
Book Series
Hatchet
by Gary Paulsen
13-year-old Brian Robeson survives a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness and has only his wits and a simple hatchet to survive!
This award-winning survival adventure has been thrilling readers since Hatchet was first released in 1987! A modern classic with plenty of follow up books for when you've finished the last page!
Read our review for Hatchet and find some fun things to do here!
Age: Older Kids, Mids, Teens
Follow up Books/Series
Spy School
by Stuart Gibbs
This book draws you in from the first sentence! Funny, fast-paced writing + spy stuff = perfection!
12-year-old Ben Ripley finds himself in a spy school trying to survive misadventures, maintain his cool and impress the girl!
A popular series with tons of fans, there are plenty more books waiting when this one is finished!
(Above is a copy of Spy School from our public library; you can tell it's a hit with kids based on its well-read condition!)
Age: Kids & Mids
Book Series
Track Series
by Jason Reynolds
Recommended by both kids and adults, this high-interest series grabbed the world by it's first installment, Ghost and fortunately has follow-ups to keep the energy going!
