My friend Isra says her 8-year-old son is a reluctant reader. He likes Diary of a Wimpy Kid but now he’s exhausted that series so here are more! Books to appeal to an eight-year-old reluctant boy reader!
More Books Like Diary of a Wimpy Kid for Boys
Alvin Ho series by Lenore Look
My son thought this series was hysterically funny. Alvin is a boy who is nervous about a lot of things including girls, camping, school, and science projects. Set in Concord, Massachusetts, Isra’s son might also enjoy this Massachusetts connection!
Ninjago Early Chapter Book series: Kai Ninja of Fire, Zane Ninja of Ice, Jay Ninja of Lightning, Cole Ninja of Earth from Scholastic
I will confess that I wasn’t too eager to read these to my son but he insisted and they turned out to be pretty engaging stories, even for me, who had never watched Ninjago on tv nor played with the lego sets. But if your child already likes Ninjago, then run with this! There are also Ninjago graphic novels. My library, unfortunately, doesn’t carry this “fluff” but I was able to get them from another library in our system.
Dragon Breath series by Ursula Vernon
There are fewer illustrations in this series than in Dairy of a Wimpy Kid but what kept my son reading this series is: 1) dragons (he likes dragons), 2) amusing adventures, and 3) funny dragon characters. It’s a great series to hook reluctant young readers and you might try these as a read-aloud or shared reading if the word-filled pages are too intimidating. I usually read all full pages out loud to my son and he reads the partial page at the end of each chapter (which is to say that I do most of the heavy lifting).
Frankie Pickle series by Eric Wight
The first Frankie Pickle book had just come out when my son was in 2nd grade and he waited impatiently for the next one, but by the time it came out, he already moved on to Percy Jackson and that took over his full attention for two years. My son really loved the first Frankie Pickle book and I loved how this series is very appealing to reluctant readers. There are plenty of illustrations; there are graphic novel pages within the story, and the font size and line spacing are larger than is typical.
Zapato Power: Freddie Ramos Stomps the Snow by Jacqueline Jules, illustrated by Miguel Benítez
I really love this early chapter book series starring Hispanic Freddie Ramos whose shoes give him superpowers turning him into an almost full-fledged superhero. In this book, Freddie needs a new version of Super Shoes to help with a blizzard and stop a thief.
Graphic Novels: Gateway to Reading
Big Nate series by Lincoln Peirce
I feel like the Big Nate books are a right of passage for boys. It seems like every single boy I know has enjoyed a few of these at some point whether in elementary school or even middle school. It’s good clean fun and funny to boot.
The Adventures of Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey
My son likes potty humor and the Captain Underpants series certainly delivers. When my son finished this series, he moved on to a few other books by Dav Pilkey including his Caveman graphic novel and The Super Baby one. He enjoyed and recommends all of them!
Ninjago Graphic Novels
NinjagoWe only found a few of these graphic novels in our library — graphic novels are very popular! — and I found the plot hard to follow but my son did not have that problem. We read the graphic novels alongside the Ninjago chapter books (and watched the cartoon and played with the legos). It was all Ninjago, all the time for a short while.
Percy Jackson Graphic Novel
This is what you do if your son’s friend is racing through the Percy Jackson series and your child feels left out. My son’s friends also started acting out the books at recess which make it even more imperative to read the books. If the Percy Jackson chapter book is too overwhelming — they are actually YA books! — then try the graphic novel. The characters look like teenagers in the graphic novel but it stays true to the plot. Also, try the Percy Jackson audiobooks. You can find those at your library too!
Sidekicks by Dan Santat
My son loves superheroes and this is a fun graphic novel that is a sweet story of pets who want to be their human’s superhero sidekick and the lengths they go to show him that they can do the job.
Mom Made Us Write This in the Summer by Ali Maier
A fun notebook novel idea: twin siblings forced to keep a journal because mom thinks they are incredible and talented writers. 10-year-old Max and Maggie also have to share a journal, alternating their points of view as they also “edit” each other’s work.
Non Fiction: Hook Them by Targeting Their Interests
Big Book of Superheroes by Bart King
My son is reading this book now as a 4th grader but the short chapter with extension activities would work for an 8-year-old too. It’s a funny running commentary on superheroes, both famous and obscure, from DC and Marvel comics. Corny jokes — my son’s favorite kind — and interesting factoids are peppered throughout the book too.
Guinness World Records
You don’t even need a recent copy of this book to get boys hooked. The illustrations and the ability to flip around the book make it a sure-fire way to get boys reading. Try it. It’s never failed me!
Ripley’s Believe It or Not
Interest in the Guinness Book of World Records winding down? Now’s the time to introduce Ripley’s Believe It or Not.
101 Most Disgusting Things on the Planet series by Anna Claybourne
The layout and narrowness of this book series contribute to this book’s appeal, I think. My son always buys a book from this series at the school book fair. It’s another book that you can flip around and read whatever page catches your eye which also makes it a great bedtime book when you don’t have a lot of time to read.
National Geographic Almanac
Teach Mama said this was the hit of her summer reading pile with her kids. That’s an endorsement that I can’t resist. I bought my son a copy and he read it happily for months!
Reading Strategies to Try
Book Club for Boys: I have a series of posts documenting our Book Club for Boys (and Girls). I will attest to the power of peer pressure in getting boys to try new books!
Shared Reading: You read a little and I read a little. Sometimes getting a child over the hump of reading means that you, the adult, have to do the heavy lifting. That’s ok! Research shows that just listening to a book read out loud has the same benefit as a child reading it by himself.
Read to Dog: Some libraries have a literacy program where a child can read to a [non-judgemental] dog. My library doesn’t have this program but now we do have a dog. Try it with a pet or a stuffed animal.
Book Tasting: Get a group of boys around a table with a small pile of books and have them try each book for a short period of time and then … ding … switch books. At the end of the session, pick the books that appeal to check out and take home.
Audio Books: Audiobooks are expensive so try your library first. If you tire of reading aloud, switch on an audiobook. Try it while following along with the paper book or in the car.
Visit the Library, Book Store, and Tag Sales: Select new books on an ongoing basis. Try a different library than your town. Just visit one section — we just to make a beeline for the graphic novel section or the Scholastic TV series books choose books for 5 minutes and head out.
What books or reading strategies have worked for your kids? Please share!!
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You really are the come-to person for books for boys in elementary school. Am familiar with a few like Big Nate, Captain Underpants etc. I think boys like gross and laughter. Nice selection.
Thanks so much Patricia,
I’ve been down that road with my 10-year-old so I am happy to share what worked for us. I should add the Otis Doodah series too. That was a funny one that my son enjoyed!
Great list, Mia.
It’s sad about the “fluff” comment. I know I have to fight my inner book snob sometimes too, but I truly believe if kids want to read a book, then it’s a book worth reading – for them at that time.
Hi Susan,
There were definitely some books I read to my kids that they loved and requested over and over that I grew to hate, but I agree with you; there’s no such thing as a bad book if your child wants to read it! It’s so hard to tear them away from screens that any book or kind of reading material is my preference!
Johnny really likes the Ninjago books. He isn’t “hooked” as a reader yet, though.
Hi MaryAnne,
I’m glad Johnny likes Ninjago books too! It’s still work for me to get my son reading too, even though he enjoys it when we are doing it. It’s just that pretty much everything else in the world, especially screens, tempts him more. I had great luck with graphic novels and a few series to make him Drop Everything And Read but unfortunately, there aren’t enough of them out there to keep him reading consistently on his own so he still requires prompting. And searching for “good” books. And shared reading at night.
I think you could have called this post: “Books for Kirsten’s Son” because he is a 2nd Grade Boy Reluctant Reader. A fabulous reader, but refuses to read at home. All of these books are great choices (my older two have read most of them and loved themI), so thanks for the list! Saving this and heading to the library tomorrow!
Hi Kirsten,
YAY! I’m so glad that this list works for your son too! I’ll keep updating it as my son finds irresistable books (which are few and far between!).
My son is no longer 8, but I do remember how different it was to choose books for him in comparison to his sisters. Many of your suggested books were also his favorites. Captain Underpants of course and the Diaries of a Wimpky Kid. He LOVED Percy Jackson and every book from Rick Riordan. A good writer for boys is the British author Anthony Horowitz. A good reader can enjoy his series around this age. Retrospectively this is later that I was more challenged to find books to sustain my son’s need for adventure and fast-paced action. By twelve he had exhausted all books written for his age and had to move to adult books, which weren’t always 100% appropriate for his maturity level even though he could read them. Great selection and happy reading to your sons, everyone.
Thanks so much Evelyne and for your great suggestion. I haven’t read any of Anthony Horowitz’s books yet but I’ll get one to try for my son. Which one do you suggest to start with?
Hi Mia,
I think Jack’s Tales fits this list, however, it is quite unique as well.
The aspect that is different about Jack’s Tales is that it is very high interest and funny and perfect for 8-11 year old boys, and it also has some thematic depth, deep characterization, and places that teachers can use for inferential thinking.
I’d like to send you a few paperback copies. One for you and one for you son. It’s three stories about the same boy-showing him dealing with fears when he is 8, 9, then at ten years old. The third story is a big-time high interest story about soccer, and the anxiety that sometimes is attached to playing youth sports these days-the emphasis on being elite or the best. I think your son will love it.
I had the book launch party a few weeks ago in my home town and I’m getting awesome feedback from parents with sons 8-10 or so who don’t like reading much and they loved it!
Thanks, Mia.
Jim
Hi Jim,
Thanks so much! We’d love to read it!