It’s hard to get kids to read.
I am an exception to that rule: I have read incessantly since childhood. but I see that my son, who is now five years old, does not stay still long enough to read: he prefers to build things or run or annoy his sisters. Which means if you want kids to read, you have to give them material that excites them, that fascinates them, that captivates them.
You are reading: 11 books every boy should read
With that in mind, here are 11 books every child should read.
The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas
The book is simply a swashbuckling classic: juicy, fun, and exciting. The story of d’Artagnan and his companions Athos, Porthos, and Aramis wandering pre-revolutionary France, attempting to navigate the dangerous worlds of national and international politics, is simply indecipherable and, unlike much ancient literature, eminently readable. A major film version of the book was split into two films, The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974), with Michael York, Oliver Reed, Frank Finlay, richard chamberlain, raquelle welch, faye dunaway and charlton heston, among others. appropriate for ages 12 and up, depending on the translation.
shane, by jack schaeffer
The western is an American art form, and shane is the highest literary version of that form. the novel is all but forgotten because the movie is a classic, but that shouldn’t be: it’s beautifully written, understated, and a throwback to a time when heroes were expected to be heroic.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne
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if you want to cultivate in your boy the love of learning, give him some jules verne. Verne lives somewhere between Robert Louis Stevenson and Isaac Asimov, bridging the gap between pure adventure story and early science fiction. Imaginative, purely readable, and based on the kinds of questions your kids love to ask about the natural world, Verne’s work is great both on its own and as a springboard for further reading.
the man who would be king, by rudyard kipling
kipling is for your teenager, if your teenager is looking for a fast-paced adventure and a solid dose of British civilizational pride. Kipling can’t be beat either. Both hilarious and heartwarming, this book follows two British soldiers, part-time quacks, who decide to become kings of Kafiristan. so they just pack up some rifles and head through the mountains to fulfill their destinies. another book that became a great movie, with sean connery, michael caine and christopher plummer.
sherlock holmes, by sir arthur conan doyle
there is nothing better than the original sherlock holmes. Often imitated but never duplicated, Doyle’s Holmes is a masterful creation of British Victorian mystery: a sophisticated drug addict, always one step ahead, engaged in battles of wits with a variety of villains. there’s a reason why the character has become perennial, and why old wine has been poured into such a wide variety of new bottles, from house to sherlock to elementary .
Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson
The story of a boy coming of age on a pirate adventure is perfect for kids – an exciting read, full of mystery, murder and treasure. It’s everything you love about Pirates of the Caribbean, minus the ghosts. and long john silver is a character for the story.
the call of the wild, by jack london
no one beats jack london for sheer excitement. the call of the wild, the story of a domestic dog kidnapped and sent to alaska to help with dog sledding, is something of an animal coming of age story, though london takes care if it is not done. anthropomorphize Buck, the dog at the center of the story, constantly noting that he is a creature of habit and instinct. the story is also a reminder that cruel nature lurks behind every façade of civilization.
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the lord of the rings, by jrr tolkien
tolkein’s big world is a children’s playground. It’s a tough sled, Tom Bombadil isn’t exactly a barrel of thrills, but a world of good and evil where decisions matter and consequences pay for actions is a world every child should explore. Tolkein fills his world with references to civilizations, but kids don’t have to learn them all to immerse themselves in adventure.
the chronicles of narnia, by cs lewis
cs lewis recognized that instilling values in children required telling them important stories. she once wrote, “Since they are so likely to meet cruel enemies, they have at least heard of brave knights and heroic courage. otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker.” The Chronicles of Narnia is one of those stories, and it stands the test of time.
the former and future king, for white
This is simply the best work of fantasy ever written. The first half of the book, which details King Arthur’s upbringing and explores the various views of civilization’s development with reference to the animal world (ants are fascists, for example), is followed by a much richer and richer second half. poignant, detailing the attempts to build the round table, the forbidden love between gin and lancelot -who here emerges as a symbol of human vulnerability- and the dangerous tragedy of jealousy.
lord of the flies, by william golding
golding’s novel follows a group of children stranded on an island, forced to find a way to survive, and deals with the collapse of the norms of civilization as morality gives way to basic natural instinct. chilling and fascinating and a great reminder that children without civilizing influences are not naturally good.
Opinions expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the newspaper.
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