Finding a great book to read isn’t always as easy as you’d like it to be, but when the weather starts turning warm, and you’re no longer required to read the books that your teacher tells you to, that’s the best time to start looking for a great book for yourself. Any of the books we have here are going to be great for creating a quality middle school reading list for boys. In this post, we’ll review the best books for middle school boys.
Whether you’re looking for something funny, relatable, magical, informative or anything else, you can find a little of everything with these books for seventh grade boys. They’re going to help you immerse yourself in whole new worlds and amazing new experiences. Not to mention you’re going to have absolutely no problem passing them on to your friends either. Each of these books is going to be great, whether you’re heading into 6th grade or you’re heading into 8th (or even higher).
Let’s take a look at some of the best fiction and non-fiction books for eighth grade boys that you’re going to find out there. Not all of them are brand new books within the last year or so, but they’re all going to be books that you want to read (and maybe you know someone who’s read them before). There’s even poetry (the fun kind) that you can really have some fun with, so you don’t think that all poetry is like the stuff your teachers make you read in class.
Looking for books for middle school girls? We have a post on that as well here.
The 5 Best Fiction Middle School Books for Boys Before High School
If you’re the type of person who loves fantasy worlds and completely made up characters, then this is the section for you. Each of these books is meant to put you somewhere you’ve never been (at least partially). Whether you’re looking for the slightly different world of a ‘Wimpy Kid’ or you’re looking for a futuristic world like Ender’s Game, you’re going to find something right here to raise your interest.
diary of a wimpy kid. rodrick rules by Jeff Kinney
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is one that is still expanding, which means you’re not going to run out of something to read anytime soon. You are going to have a book that shows you all the stuff about middle school. Whether it’s the good or the bad, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is all about poor Greg Heffley, who finds himself suddenly thrown into a whole new world when he enters middle school.
If you’ve been feeling like middle school is just too much to deal with, this series is going to put a fun spin on things. This journal style story is one that any student can relate to. And it’s one that’s going to make you laugh the whole way through. Just make sure you have the next book in the series lined up for when you finish the first one. You’re definitely going to want it ready to go.
What Makes it Great:
- Hilarious take on middle school and everything it entails
- Relatable and fun for middle school students and older
Why Choose This Book:
- Great for children who don’t like to read
- Story of surviving middle school from beginning to end
- Paperback - 2008
- Kinney, Jeff (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Last update: 2024-05-01
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Getting preteens and teenagers to want to read poetry is definitely a task in itself, but this book is one that has been around for quite some time and has been popular almost as long. It’s one of the best quick reads for middle school boys. The poems in Where the Sidewalk Ends aren’t meant to be deep or even to be really explored. They’re meant to be fun, funny and just a little bit crazy at the same time. No matter what you like to read about, there’s probably a poem in Where the Sidewalk Ends that will make you laugh.
Poetry is one of those things that it can take a while to get into unless you’re reading short poems that are only really intended to keep you laughing at every turn. Whether you’ve read any of Silverstein’s other books or this is your first one, it’s definitely going to be an adventure. For anyone who loves fantasy and more than a little bit of craziness, Where the Sidewalk Ends is going to deliver for you.
What Makes it Great:
- Great for kids and adults of all ages
- Several options by the same author and in the same style
Why Choose This Book:
- Short and funny poems get kids into poetry
- Fun and inventive drawings throughout
- Hardcover Book
- Silverstein, Shel (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Last update: 2024-05-01
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
What would happen in a world where children are breed into soldiers, and the next alien invasion is imminent? You’ll find out for yourself in the Ender’s Game series. Ender is destined to be one of the leaders of the battles and the war to protect their world, but is he really ready? Battling your peers in the Battle Room is entirely different from actually fighting the enemy. And he thought just getting through the pressure from his peers was hard enough.
Ender’s Game is a story of a young boy who has more pressure thrust on him than he knows. It’s also a story of family, and what can be achieved by the right group of people. Of course, if Ender and his team can’t save the world, there’s going to be nothing left for them. But if they can … Ender and his siblings just might be able to create an entirely new world for all of them.
What Makes it Great:
- Young hero is smart and strong, but still faces his own difficulties
- Fast-paced plotline that draws you in
Why Choose This Book:
- Excellent writing style and descriptions throughout
- Get into the mind of Ender to understand the world through his eyes
- Card, Orson Scott (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 352 Pages - 07/15/1994 (Publication Date) - Tor Science Fiction (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-01
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
We’ve read a number of different stories of the Holocaust told by survivors and victims alike. But an account from the point of view of a child on the other side of the fence (literally) is one that hasn’t been told. Children don’t understand hatred. They don’t understand differences, and they really don’t care about them. So for Bruno, the boy on the other side of the fence is simply a new friend that he wants to spend time with. After all, there’s no one else nearby for him to talk to.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is about a young boy named Bruno, whose father is given a promotion within Hitler’s regime. This promotion leads them to live in a house near a concentration camp, and when Bruno explores, he finds another little boy his own age. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, is strange to Bruno only because he gets to wear his pajamas outside the house but the story of this unlikely friendship and just what it means for both of them, is one that will leave you stunned.
What Makes it Great:
- A new view on one of the greatest tragedies of history
- A beautiful story of love and friendship
Why Choose This Book:
- Creates a human touch to a different side of a terrible story
- Suspenseful and full of the naivete of children
- Boyne, John (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 215 Pages - 10/23/2007 (Publication Date) - David Fickling Books (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-01
Divergent 10th Anniversary Edition (Divergent Series, 1) by Veronica Roth
The world that Beatrice Prior lives in is one of absolutes. There is no room for being different. You must fit in, though you’re given a single choice, to decide which of the five absolutes you will choose. Divergent is the story of a young girl who is looking for a way to survive in a world where being different is grounds for death. But where her brother has always been good at absolutes, she has never managed to fit in, and she’s not sure that she ever will.
Being Divergent could get her killed, but when Beatrice, now Tris, decides that she can’t live in the shadow of Abnegation any longer, she enters into a world that she never knew existed. Even worse, the world she’s now in is more dangerous to her than ever before. Because now the people in charge know that Divergents are out there, and they’re determined to do whatever it takes to control them, and every other aspect of their world.
What Makes it Great:
- A story of what truly happens when differences are punished
- Descriptive scenes and well-developed characters
Why Choose This Book:
- Relatable and strong character who comes into her own throughout the course of this book and others
- Full series of books that leaves you still wanting even more
- Roth, Veronica (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 544 Pages - 06/01/2021 (Publication Date) - Katherine Tegen Books (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-01
The 4 Best Non-Fiction Middle School Books for Boys to Read Before High School
Non-fiction doesn’t have to be the boring textbooks that you read every day in school. Instead, it can be really interesting and informative at the same time. Whether you’re looking for relatable history or a whole lot of adventure or even the story of one of your favorite people, these books are ones that are definitely going to change your opinion about non-fiction entirely. Not to mention you’re going to be looking for a whole lot more when you finish up here.
The Grand Escape by Neal Bascomb
The Grand Escape tells the story of a group of men who find themselves held in Holzminden, a German POW camp with a bad reputation. For the men trapped there, every day is a torment they don’t know will ever end. That’s what prompts them to look for their own way out. The Grand Escape tells the story of just that, a harrowing escape from a secure prison, where to be caught would mean certain death, but to be free … is worth the risk.
For anyone who’s been intrigued by World War I in any respect, this true story tells about the men who risked everything to get out. Not only that, but it’s a story of what they experienced in the camps, what happened between the different countries involved in the war and a whole lot more. This is actually a highly informative book, even while being a story of bravery and strength. It’s not just about the men who escaped, but about everyone who fought in the war.
What Makes it Great:
- Provides a strong background to understand the situation
- Offers a thorough understanding of World War I for a younger student
Why Choose This Book:
- Interesting facts mixed in with the story
- Detailed and harrowing telling of each part of the story
- Hardcover Book
- Bascomb, Neal (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Last update: 2024-05-01
Escape From Tibet by Nick Gravy
A dangerous and tumultuous journey begins when Pansang returns to his home with a plan to take his young brother with him out of the country. Though Tenzin has no idea what’s happening or why Pansang and their mother know that it’s the only way to protect them all. In Escape From Tibet, the two boys are forced into a journey that requires more than just courage, but a fierce determination and love for one another. It’s going to take everything they have only to get away.
It’s the mid-1990’s when Pansang and Tenzin begin their journey there’s a lot of animosity going on between Tibet and China. That is part of what makes the trip so difficult for both of them, especially with Pansang being under watch from the Chinese authorities. Filled with photographs, maps, and even a timeline, Escape From Tibet tells an amazing story that will captivate any audience.
What Makes it Great:
- True rendition of a flight for the lives of two young boys
- Plenty of adventure throughout
Why Choose This Book:
- Photos and other documentation make it more interesting to read
- Stories told from an observer perspective on the journey
- Gray, Nick (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 164 Pages - 07/18/2014 (Publication Date) - Annick Press (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-01
When the Worst Happens by Tanya Lloyd Kyi
What would you do if you were stuck in a situation that you had no idea how to get out of? What if you were fighting for your life or trapped in a mine? Or even if you were stranded alone in the mountains, a jungle or on an island? All of these things and more are the basis of stories in When the Worst Happens. The ‘characters’ are real people who found themselves facing extreme situations without any kind of planning or preparation.
When the Worst Happens is filled with stories of critical decisions, psychological studies, historical information, and a great deal more, that show how some survive and some don’t. After all, there’s no telling when the worst could happen, so isn’t it a good idea to be prepared for what it’s going to take to survive? Overcoming the odds is the only way that you’re going to be able to make it, and it’s the only way that these people did (at least some of them).
What Makes it Great:
- A variety of stories from different situations and different people
- Amazing tales of bravery and courage
Why Choose This Book:
- Short stories that are easy to read in one sitting
- Background information and stories built into the book
- Lloyd Kyi, Tanya (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 128 Pages - 09/11/2014 (Publication Date) - Annick Press (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-01
The Greatest: Muhammad Ali by Walter Dean Myers
Known as The Greatest boxer who ever lived, Muhammad Ali grew up in a world that many wouldn’t have expected. He was born in the south when segregation was still very much a presence, and yet, he continued to fight his way through every obstacle that was put in his way. Not only that, but he continued to push for more than just his rights, but the rights of everyone around him as well. Ali was talented, courageous, and one of the strongest symbols of the antiwar movement.
Known for his ability to ‘float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,’ Ali continued to fight well into his later years and even when he was faced with Parkinson’s disease he wouldn’t back down. This Olympic gold medalist and former heavyweight champion truly did become one of the strongest and most influential people to ever live, and that’s why The Greatest is a book that you’re going to want to read for yourself. It tells the story of a man who never backed down when he felt he was needed.
What Makes it Great:
- Story of the true strength of character and love
- Provides a background and an even stronger understanding of a man known for his boxing career
Why Choose This Book:
- Closer look at famous fights in a thorough manner
- A look at history and dedication to a cause, within the context of boxing
- Myers, Walter Dean (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 172 Pages - 12/01/2001 (Publication Date) - Scholastic Paperbacks (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-01
Summary of the Best Books for Middle School Boys
To sum up, here are the books for middle school boys we looked at today:
If you’ve been looking for a new summer reading list to try out and you’re not sure where to get started this is definitely going to be your first stop. Each of these books for sixth grade boys and older is going to immerse you in something totally different, and before you know it, one of these 9 books just might turn into your new favorite read of all time. You’ll never know until you take a little time to read them through.
Did you find this helpful and want more books to explore? Check out all of our reading book lists here. Or, if you want a headstart on your summer reading list, check out our summer must reads here.
Lastly, teaching boys about how to think about money is important. Check out our post on teaching kids on money here.
