I received a request via email for a list of book suggestions for nine year old boys. So I immediately turned to my resident expert, Karate Kid, and asked him for ideas. All the books he named were series books, and I remembered that nine year olds in general, girls and boys, tend to like series. Actually, adults do, too. Isn’t it nice to find a dependable author that you know you will enjoy? Taking a chance is sometimes fun, but a series is comfortable. So, here are nine series for nine year old boys, with thanks to Karate Kid for many of the suggestions:
1. The Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon. Oldies but goodies. Brothers Frank and Joe have some “swell” adventures, and it’s all good clean fun.
2. Geronimo Stilton All the books are said to be written by Geronimo Stilton himself, a mouse journalist who has adventures and solves mysteries. My urchins are eating them up, but I think they’re a little cheesy —just like that joke. These books were originally written in Italian and translated into English (and many other languages). They’re best-sellers in Italy and across Europe. Maybe that’s why I find them weird.
Scholastic Publishers’ Geronimo Stilton site
3. Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erikson. I’m much more a fan of Hank the Cowdog, maybe because he and I share a Western (Texas) heritage. I’m from West Texas; author John Erikson lives in the Texas Panhandle near Amarillo. I think Hank the Cowdog is funny, and there are now 48 books in the series, enough to keep any nine year old busy until his tenth birthday.
Hank the Cowdog’s Official Website
4. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. I really like the Boxcar children, four orphan siblings who, in the first book, live on their own in an old abandoned boxcar. I remember thinking that it would such an adventure to live in the woods in a boxcar and have to figure out how to take care of my younger sister.
5. Magic School Bus by Joanna Cole. The Magic School Bus books are a bit busy, but a great introduction to an assortment of science topics. Ms. Frizzle is the kind of teacher I would like to be.
Scholastic’s Magic School Bus website.
6. Childhood of Famous Americans by various authors. If you can find the old hardback, usually ex-library, editions of these biographies, they’re worth collecting, not for monetary reasons, but because they were and are good reads. The books were somewhat fictionalized, and they focus mainly on the childhood years of the famous figures who are te subjects of each book, but again they’re just good books. Especially the older ones, and the ones written by Augusta Stevenson.
A chronological listing of the books in the series.
7. Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne. Jack and Annie via their “magic treehouse”, travel back in time and meet famous people and observe or participate in world-changing events. They also work with historical figures to solve a mystery.
8. Tin-Tin by Herge. Karate Kid also devours these comic book adventures from the 1930’s. Tintin is a Belgian reporter whose adventures take him around the world.
9. Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol. Leroy Brown, better known to his friends and family as Encyclopedia, is the brains behind the solution of many a mystery in Idaville. He helps his father the police chief solve his cases, and when he’s not reading the encyclopedia, he solves mysteries for his friends for a nickel a case. Or maybe it’s a quarter. No matter, it’s a good deal because Encyclopedia Brown always gets his man.
Although I could have listed more, I limited myself to nine. So, what series of books would you recommend to a nine year old boy?
I am a big fan of the old Sugar Creek Gang series. My oldest son absorbed wonderful character traits from those books.
Don’t forget the Great Brain books! Love em !
My 8yo sports crazy son likes the No-Stars – a group of misfits who come together to form a team and play various sports. Not great literature, but fun.
You must check out Guys Write for Guys Read by Jon Scieszka. It is the ultimate guy book. I gave a copy to my 4th gr. nephew and my sister reports he reads and re-reads and re-re-reads and re-re-re-reads…well you get the idea. She says it is his favorite book.
My 11-year-old son recommended the Time Warp Trio books, the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books, and the Chronicles of Narnia, although, as he noted, that’s not really a series.
My favorite books for nine year old boys are the Eddie books by Carolyn Haywood. They will wish they lived next door to Eddie and so will you.
The series by Ralph Moody is like a Little House series for boys. It begins with the book Little Britches, and is a true account of the author’s life. I read these aloud to my sons when they were 8 and 5. My second son reread the series when he was older. They are a heartwarming and interesting read. I enjoyed them as much as my children! I found all eight of them at my library.
My 10 year old adored many you listed, although he was easily bored by the Magic Schoolbus chapter books and the Magic Treehouse. The companion non-fiction “Research Guides” for the latter series were an outstanding hit, though!
Recent series beloved by my kidlets (I have only observed a very minimal gender difference in my children’s preferences) are: Gordon Kormon’s Macdonald Hall Series, Harry Potter, Eric Wilson’s mystery series, anything Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume’s Tale of a Fourth grade Nothing/Fudge/etc. ‘series.’
Longstanding favourites are: Swallows and Amazons and sequels, Narnia, LIW’s Little House books (My son adored Little House in the Big Woods,) Farley Mowat’s Owls in the Family and the Dog Who Wouldn’t Be duo.
Another fun series we discovered recently is Our Canadian Girls. They are some of the best adventurous historical fiction for the age group with Canadian content. A few award winning kid lit and young adult authors have contributed to the series. The heroines usually have a brother/cousin/friend for ‘male’ content and my son has loved the ones in our collection. He is hungry for historical detail and a good main character, regardless of gender, will hold his attention.
One new looking series we have just purchased is ” Joe Sherlock: Kid Detective – The Haunted Toolshed” by Dave Keane. There looks to be 2 more in the series for ages 7-10.
Also picked up “Tom Swift: Young Inventor – Into the Abyss” by Victor Appleton, ages 8-12. There was another one in the series and another due this October 2006.
How about the Danny Dunn series?
so many series so little time — we have enjoyed many of these listed here. Magic School Bus also has chapter books now. We have also loved Animal Ark and LIttle Animal Ark books by Ben Baggilo. The Littles have also been a favorite around here.
Going to have to look up those child hood of Famous Americans books.
Is your next post like this going to be for 12 year old boys? 🙂 Looking forward to it!
Enjoyed the inclusion of Hank the Cowdog. When I first met Hank I thought of Curious George, and found the kids really loved both.
Will Howard
Hi there! My name is Mike Berman and I am screenwriter/author who has written extensively for Disney, MGM, Sony and Dreamworks. I have recently published my first book for kids 9+ and am looking to give away free Advance Review Copies. Whether you are an official reviewer with a paper, or simply a mom or dad with kids who love to read, please send me an email at MDBERMAN@VERIZON.NET and I will drop a preview copy of my book “ORION” in the mail. Orion is an adventure story about a boy who leaves who small farm in Kansas City and sets off across the galaxy in search of his missing parents. A bit of Harry Potter mixed with Star Wars. If you have or know kids who enjoy this genre, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Or if you yourself enjoy quality, wholesome childrens’ adventure stories, please feel free to request a copy. My only request is that if you read the book and enjoy it, please post a (positive!) review on Amazon.com, where it is currently on sale. Again, please contact me at MDBERMAN@VERIZON.NET, include your shipping address, and I will send you this free young adult adventure book, 192 pages, professionally published, in paperback. Thanks and hope to hear from you.
–Mike Berman
P.S. You can check out my author page on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002CLUM3U
My son LOVES LOVES LOVES the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” Series by Jeff Kinney. He has read every one of them countless times and continues to associate with the characters and laugh. They are very well written and they dont want to put them down!
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