Books For Boys Under 12

Stereotypically, it can be hard to get boys to sit down and read. Some boys do, and some boys just don’t because traditionally, boys are usually the more active gender, choosing sports and physical activity over quieter activities. But with more and more fantastic authors coming out with age appropriate, interesting books for boys, especially pre-teen boys, it’s exciting to see more and more boys getting into reading and the world it opens up for them.

Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan 

Percy Jackson was a normal kid, he had a few problems at home and at school but nothing major, until he vapourised his maths teacher. He is thrown into the world of demi-gods, half-blood children of Greek gods and mortals, and now spends his days sword fighting, battling monsters and trying to stay alive.

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Being a kid can really stink. And no one knows this better than Greg Heffley, who finds himself thrust into high school where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. Luckily, Greg has his best friend and sidekick, Rowley. 

Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

A bit more ‘old-school’, but still a classic, The Outsiders  is a ground-breaking, timeless story about coming of age and the battles faced with friends when growing up.

Lord Of The Flies by William Golding

A plane crashes on an uninhabited island and the only survivors, a group of schoolboys, assemble on the beach and wait to be rescued. By day they inhabit a land of bright fantastic birds and dark blue seas, but at night their dreams are haunted by the image of a terrifying beast. 

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Inarguabley one of the best story books ever written, this classic is loved by boys and girls of all ages! It tells the story of Charlie Bucket, a very poor but sweet young boy who loves chocolate. And Mr Willy Wonka, the most wonderous inventor in the world, is opening the gates of his amazing chocolate factory to five lucky children. Adapted twice for the screen, this book needs to be read before the movie!

The BFG by Roald Dahl

Another fantastic story by one of the best authors of all time, The BFG tells the story of a kind-hearted giant living amongst his mean and horrible brothers in arms, and the lovely Sophie, who is captured by the BFG and helps him save all the children of England. Not the best story to read young boys who have fears of monsters in the night, but great for older boys who just want a laugh.

The Twits by Roald Dahl

All about the most hideous couple you’ve ever met, The Twits capitalises on all the things boys love most – disgusting habits, filthy living and horrible behaviour.

Lord Of The Rings by J.R.R Tolkien

Steeped in unrivalled magic and otherworldliness, its sweeping fantasy has touched the hearts of young and old alike, with one hundred and fifty million copies of its many editions sold around the world. Even if you never get around to reading the whole lot, every boy should have a copy of these books.

The Day My Bum Went Psycho by Andy Griffiths.

‘This is my story. It really happened. Not even the names have been changed. Like most people I took my bum for granted. I agreed to tell my story in the hope that others could learn from it. If this book can save even just one person from making the same mistake, then I will be happy. Who knows? The next bum it saves might be yours’. 

Captain UnderPants by Dav Pilkey

When we last saw our heroes George and Harold, they had been turned into evil zombie nerds doomed to roam a devastated, post-apocalyptic planet for all eternity. But why, you might ask, didn’t the amazing Captain Underpants save the boys from this frightening fate?  

13 Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths

Who wouldn’t want to live in a treehouse? Especially a 13-storey treehouse that has a bowling alley, a see-through swimming pool, a tank full of sharks, a library full of comics, a secret underground laboratory, a games room, self-making beds, vines you can swing on, a vegetable vaporiser and a marshmallow machine that follows you around and automatically shoots your favourite flavoured marshmallows into your mouth whenever it discerns you’re hungry?

Goosebumps by R.L Stine

A series of horror fiction novellas written with young teens in mind. The author wrote the books about child characters finding themselves in sticky situations with the strict intent to simply get kids to read. With 178 books written in total, and 350 million copies sold world-wide, Goosebumps is one of the most popular pre-teen book series around.

Zack Power by H.I. Larry

Zac Power is a children’s book series by a team of writers under the corporate pseudonym H.I.Larry. The series is based upon the adventures of Zac Power, a twelve-year-old boy, and his fifteen-year-old brother, Leon

Deltora Quest by Emily Rodda

The Deltora Quest book series is the collective title for three series of children’s literature fantasy books, in which Lief, Jasmine and Barda face monsters and sorcery in their battle to save Deltora from the evil Shadow Lord. 

How many of these books has your boy read? Can you suggest any more books for boys under 12?