Books About Boys

STEP-UP J FICTION (Grades 2-3)

Freckle Juice
by Judy Blume
J BLUME
Andrew wants freckles so badly that he buys Sharon’s freckle recipe for 50 cents.  47 pgs.  (Look for other titles by this author) 

The Stories Julian Tells
by Ann Cameron
J CAMERON
Relates episodes in 7-year-old Julian’s life which include getting into trouble with his younger brother, Huey, planting a garden, trying to grow taller, losing a tooth, and finding a new friend.  
71 pgs.  (Look for other titles by this author.)

The Hit-Away Kid*
by Matt Christopher  
J CHRISTOPHER
Barry McGee, hit-away batter for the Peach Street Mudders, enjoys winning so much that he has a tendency to bend the rules.   60 pgs.  (Look for other titles by this author.)
 
The Beast in Ms. Rooney’s Room
by Patricia Reilly Giff    
J GIFF
Held back for a year in 2nd grade, Richard can’t seem to help getting into trouble, until he gets interested in reading and helps his class in a special way.  76 pgs. (Look for other titles by this author.)

Owen Foote, Soccer Star  
by Stephanie Greene  
J GREENE 
When eight-year-old Owen and his best friend Joseph join a neighborhood soccer league, they not only face a test of their game skills but also of their friendship.  88 pgs.  (Look for other titles by this author.)

Tooth Trouble
by Abby Klein    
J KLEIN
Unhappy to be the only one in his class who still has not lost a tooth, first-grader Freddy tries to find a way to expedite matters but then is faced with another problem.  95 pgs. 
(Look for other titles in the Ready Freddy series.)

Herbie Jones
by Suzy Kline   
J KLINE
Herbie’s experiences in 3rd grade include finding bones   in the boy’s bathroom, wandering away from his class on their field trip, and being promoted to a higher reading group.  95 pgs. 
(Look for other titles by this author.)

Dinosaurs Before Dark
by Mary Pope Osborne  
J OSBORNE
Eight-year-old Jack and his younger sister Annie find a    magic treehouse, which whisks them back to an ancient time zone where they see live dinosaurs.  68 pgs.  (Look for other titles in the Magic Tree house series.)

Tac’s Island
by Ruth Yaffe Radin   
J RADIN
During a summer week on an island off the coast of Virginia, a friendship develops between two boys--one an island native, the other a visitor.  74 pgs.

Knights of the Kitchen Table*
by Jon Scieszka   
J SCIESZKA
Joe receives a magic book as a birthday present, and with his friends, Sam and Fred, is transported to a time when evil knights, fire-breathing dragons and vile-smelling giants roamed the land. 
55 pgs.   (Look for other titles in the Time Warp Trio series.)

My Robot Buddy
by Alfred Slote
J SLOTE
Jack wants a robot for his tenth birthday so he’ll have someone to play with.  92 pgs.   

J FICTION (Grades 3-6)

Windcatcher*
by Avi   
J AVI
While learning to sail during a visit to his grandmother’s,
11-year-old Tony becomes excited about rumors of sunken treasure in the area and starts following a couple who seem to be mysteriously searching for something.  124 pgs.

Henry Huggins*
by Beverly Cleary 
J CLEARY
Henry finds Ribsy, a skinny dog, who looks like he needs a home and then his adventures begin.  155 pgs.
(Look for other titles featuring Henry.)

Lunch Money*
by Andrew Clements   
J CLEMENTS
Sixth-grader Greg, who has always been good at moneymaking projects, is surprised to find himself teaming up with his lifelong rival, Maura, to create a series of comic books to sell at school.  222 pgs.   (Look for other titles by this author.)

The Secret Life of Owen Skye
by Alan Cumyn    
J CUMYN
Owen lives in a small, rural village with his brothers, parents, and weird Uncle Lorne. The Skye boys have a knack for turning innocent incidents into full-blown adventures.  175 pgs.

The Winter Worm Business
by Patricia Reilly Giff    
J GIFF
When his look-alike cousin moves into town, acts like an idiot, and takes away his friend, 5th grader Leroy is sure his life is ruined.  132 pgs.   (Look for other titles by this author.)

In Ned’s Head
by Anders Jacobsson
J JACOBSSON
Eleven-year-old Ned , who prefers the name Treb, uses his diary to record his wild thoughts about school, romance and the rest of his eventful life.  133 pgs.

Skinnybones
by Barbara Park
J PARK
Alex’s active sense of humor helps him get along with the school braggart, make the most of his athletic talents, and simply get by in a hectic world.  112 pgs.
(Also look for the sequel:  Almost Starring Skinnybones.)

Soup*
by Robert Newton Peck   
J PECK
This is the story of the adventures and misadventures of two boys growing up in a small Vermont town.  96 pgs.
(Look for other titles featuring Soup.)

How to Eat Fried Worms*
by Thomas Rockwell 
J ROCKWELL
Two boys set out to prove that worms can make a delicious meal.   115 pgs.

There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom*     
J SACHAR
by Louis Sachar  
An unmanageable, but lovable 11-year-old misfit learns to believe in himself when he gets to know the new school counselor, who is also a misfit.  195 pgs.  (Look for other titles by this author.)

Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective
by Donald Sobol   
J SOBOL
Fifth-grader “Encyclopedia” Leroy Brown solves ten mysteries and, by putting the solutions at the back of the book, challenges readers to do the same.  88 pgs.  (Look for other titles in the Encyclopedia Brown series.)

Maniac Magee*
by Jerry Spinelli
J SPINELLI
After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee’s life becomes legendary as he accomplishes athletic and other   feats, which awe his contemporaries.  184 pgs.  (Look for other titles by this author.)

Niagara Falls or Does It?*
by Henry Winkler 
J WINKLER
Fourth-graders Hank, Ashley, and Frankie are excitedly preparing for a magic show at the Rock ‘N Bowl when Hank’s creative English assignment lands him in detention and grounded the week of the show.  184 pgs.   (Look for other titles by in the Hank Zipzer series.)

JH FICTION (Grades 6-8)

Nothing But the Truth
by Avi   
JH AVI
A 9th grader’s suspension for humming “The Star     
Spangled Banner” during morning homeroom announcements escalates into a national news story about First Amendment issues.  177 pgs.    (Look for other titles by this author.)

The Thief and the Beanstalk
by P.W. Catanese    
JH CATANESE
Everyone knows the story of Jack and the beanstalk. Everyone also knows that Jack’s little adventure made him a very rich man. But what they don’t know is what happened a long time after Jack.... That’s where Nick comes in.  272 pgs.

Countdown*
by Ben Mikaelsen 
JH MIKAELSEN
In two parallel stories, a 14-year-old who is NASA’s first Junior Astronaut and a 14-year-old Maasai herder in Kenya both edge into maturity while questioning their family traditions.  248 pgs.

Harris and Me
by Gary Paulsen  
JH PAULSEN
Sent to live with relatives on their farm because of his unhappy home life, an 11-year-old city boy meets his distant cousin Harris and is given an introduction to a whole new world.  157 pgs.
(Look for other titles by this author.)

Framed!
by Malcolm Rose 
JH ROSE
Sixteen-year-old forensic investigator Luke Harding and his robot sidekick Malc race to discover who is behind three student murders, only to find that the evidence points to Luke himself.  223 pgs.  (Look for other titles in the Traces series.)

The Wrecker
by David Skinner 
JH SKINNER
Theo, the boy genius, enlists Michael, the new kid, as an ally in a secret plan to “wreck” the bully of the eighth grade once and for all.  106 pgs.

Taking Sides*
by Gary Soto   
JH SOTO
Fourteen-year-old Lincoln Mendoza, an aspiring basketball player, must come to terms with his divided loyalties when he moves from the Hispanic inner city to a white suburban neighborhood.  138 pgs.

Crash*
by Jerry Spinelli 
JH SPINELLI
Seventh-grader John “Crash” Coogan has always been comfortable with his tough, aggressive behavior, until his relationship with an unusual Quaker boy and his own grandfather’s stroke make him consider the meaning of friendship and the importance of family.  162 pgs.  (Look for other titles by this author.)

* Indicates title also available on audio book

This list was revised by Youth Services at St. Charles Public Library
(630) 584-9390

7/98; revised 9/06 MEC