luckymom Posted January 29, 2016 Posted January 29, 2016 I want to give my 13-year-old nephew the gift of his own mini-library. To celebrate his 13th birthday, I would like to give him 13 books every boy should read. That's my theme. The books can be a little "young" or "old" for him. I just want it to be a collection of old and new classics that he can read and keep as a memory of boyhood/teenhood. I am not interested in anything that is "sexy" or "dark." Please recommend your favorites. Thanks. 2 Quote
Ethel Mertz Posted January 29, 2016 Posted January 29, 2016 Treasure Island Swiss Family Robinson The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Those are the last 3 books that DS 13 read. Quote
luckymom Posted January 29, 2016 Author Posted January 29, 2016 Thank you! Please keep them coming! Quote
Lori D. Posted January 29, 2016 Posted January 29, 2016 (edited) What a lovely thought and gift! :) - My Side of the Mountain (George) -- OR -- The Cay (Taylor) - The Black Stallion (Farley) - Where the Red Fern Grows (Rawls) -- OR -- Shiloh (Naylor) - The Phantom Tollbooth (Juster) - Knight's Castle (Eager) - The Hobbit (Tolkien) - Grimm's Fairy Tales (Grimm) -- OR -- One Thousand and One Arabian Nights (McCaughrean) -- OR -- Just So Stories (Kipling) - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Doyle) -- OR -- The Westing Game (Raskin) -- OR -- And Then There Were None (Christie) - Call of the Wild (London) - Ben Hur (Wallace) -- OR -- Ivanhoe (Scott) - The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (Pyle) -- OR -- King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table (Green) - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Twain) - A Christmas Carol (Dickens) -- OR -- Oliver Twist (Dickens) I'm thinking a biography of an inspiring person would also be a nice addition to a library. Or a volume that is a collection of short biographies of great people, but can't think of something I've run across that is engagingly written… Perhaps something like this OOP Hall of Fame: Book of Collected Short Biographies by Blackswan (here is the table of contents) -- but with more recent inspiring figures… OR a sports biography if your nephew likes sports… Still thinking... Edited January 29, 2016 by Lori D. Quote
Lori D. Posted January 29, 2016 Posted January 29, 2016 PS -- And to give you even more choices here are some great lists: 100 Books Every Boy Should Read, from Book Zone by Boys' Life 50 Best Books for Boys and Young Men, from The Art of Manliness 1000 Good Books: grade 4-6 booklist; grade 7-9 booklist 1 Quote
luckymom Posted January 29, 2016 Author Posted January 29, 2016 Great recommendations. Thanks. I am going to go through those lists. Quote
lewelma Posted January 29, 2016 Posted January 29, 2016 Robin Hood by Pyle Have you seen the middle school Mensa list? http://www.mensaforkids.org/achieve/excellence-in-reading/ Quote
Alte Veste Academy Posted January 30, 2016 Posted January 30, 2016 (edited) I love this! I'm totally going to steal it. Here are my ideas. I'm sure I'll think of more essentials after I hit send. The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (This is $$$$ but so very good, maybe actually my #1 choice. My kids also love The Complete Far Side.) The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings Harry Potter The Chronicles of Narnia a good book of Greek mythology The Chronicles of Prydain Holes The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Robinson Crusoe The Wind in the Willows The Complete Nonsense Books of Edward Lear an Edgar Allan Poe collection Favorite Poems Old and New Journey to the Centre of the Earth The Call of the Wild Frankenstein Just So Stories Lord of the Flies Ender’s Game A Wrinkle in Time Black Beauty Oh, the Places You'll Go If you aren’t keeping it to fiction, maybe a good science/nature and history encyclopedia and a world atlas? Also, Study Is Hard Work and maybe How to Be a High School Superstar. Edited January 30, 2016 by Alte Veste Academy 1 Quote
Emerald Stoker Posted January 30, 2016 Posted January 30, 2016 (edited) What a thoughtful gift! You're a great aunt! Some ideas: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand and Stars Isaac Bashevis Singer, A Day of Pleasure Armstrong Sperry, All Sails Set BB, Brendon Chase Roderick Haig-Brown, Starbuck Valley Winter Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped Antony Hope, The Prisoner of Zenda H. Rider Haggard, King Solomon's Mines William Bowman, The Ascent of Rum Doodle Gerald Durrell, My Family and Other Animals Salman Rushdie, Haroun and the Sea of Stories TH White, The Sword in the Stone Erskine Childers, The Riddle of the Sands Rosemary Sutcliff, Warrior Scarlet Farley Mowat, The Dog Who Wouldn't Be China Miéville, Un Lun Dun PG Wodehouse, Laughing Gas Jerome K Jerome, Three Men in a Boat One of my kids just said I had to include J Meade Falkner, Moonfleet, Philippa Pearce, Minnow on the Say, Leon Garfield, Smith, Jules Verne, Around the World in Eighty Days, and The Dangerous Book for Boys. Edited January 30, 2016 by Emerald Stoker Quote
luckymom Posted January 30, 2016 Author Posted January 30, 2016 Wow! You guys are amazing! There are so many great options here, I don't know how I am going to choose only 13! Quote
Kareni Posted January 31, 2016 Posted January 31, 2016 I'll second the suggestions of Calvin and Hobbes a Sherlock Holmes collection a collection of stories by Poe Regards, Kareni Quote
Targhee Posted February 1, 2016 Posted February 1, 2016 I probably don't have any new suggestions. Here are some of DS's and DH's favorites. Hatchet Treasure Island The Call of the Wild Robin Hood (Pyle) Chronicles of Prydain The Lord of the Rings The Phantom Tollbooth A Wrinkle in Time The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes The Chronicles of Narnia Harry Potter Call it Courage Journey to the Center of the Earth Quote
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