Books for 8 Year Old Boys - Busy Kids Happy Mom

I love book lists! Whenever we’re getting ready for a trip, vacation, stay-cation, or just need new reading material, I take these book lists and then request books from the library.

The local library is a great place to get started with finding books. Let boys experience all types of books. Some days they may feel like a graphic novel, other days it may be fun facts, and the next it may be a mystery. The fun of free reading at the library, is that you get to choose the book out that you want to read.

You’ll notice that you don’t see many of the “gross” books that some boys like in this reading list below. What a lot of people don’t realize is that those books are written for older kids, who read at a lower grade level. So in my opinion as a Reading Specialist, they’re not necessarily a good fit for younger kids.

Many of these books for 8 to 11 year old boys are book series. Helpful Tip: Get the first book in the series on CD from the library or Audible and listen to it during quiet time or in the car together. Just get them hooked on the first book and you are set!

This list of reading books for boys, has been put together by my boys. This is their book recommendations for kids ages 8 to 11 years old.

{Note: I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience, should you wish to learn more about a particular book.}

Fiction – Historical Fiction – Nonfiction – Magazines

Fiction Books for 8 Year Old Boys & Older

Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary
The Genius Files by Dan Gutman
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stone
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Secrets of Droon by Tony Abbot
Ricky Ricotta by Dav Pilkey
Ralph S Mouse by Beverly Cleary
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo
Floors by Patrick Carman
Geronimo Stilton by Geronimo Stilton
Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osbourne
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
Dragon Rider by C. Funke
A-Z Mysteries by Ron Roy
Shiloh by Phillis R Naylor
Rascal by Sterling North
Encyclopedia Brown by Donald Sobol
Young Hardy Boys and Hardy Boys by Franklin Dixon
The 39 Clues by Rick Riordan
The Silver Crown by Robert O’Brien
Fergus Crane by Paul Stewart
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

Historical Fiction Books for Kids

Baseball Card Adventures by Dan Gutman
I Survived Series (Titanic, Pearl Harbor, Hurricane, Earthquake)
Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Spear
Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osbourne
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

books for 8 year old boys - our favorite picks

Best Boys Non Fiction

National Geographic Books – The books above are our top pick for boys non-fiction reading. You can’t go wrong with these books and there are quite a few of them now which are guaranteed to get any boy interested in reading.