Just for Boys
Lawn Boy (by Gary Paulsen)
Reading Level: Age 10+
One day I was 12 years old and broke. Then Grandma gave me Grandpa's old riding lawnmower. I set out to mow some lawns. More people wanted me to mow their lawns. And more and more. . . . One client was Arnold the stockbroker, who offered to teach me about "the beauty of capitalism. Supply and Demand. Diversify labor. Distribute the wealth." "Wealth?" I said. "It's groovy, man," said Arnold.
If I'd known what was coming, I might have climbed on my mower and putted all the way home to hide in my room. But the lawn business grew and grew. So did my profits, which Arnold invested in many things. And one of them was Joey Pow the prizefighter. That's when my 12th summer got really interesting.
The Giggler Treatment (by Roddy Doyle)
Reading Level: Age 9+
This silly tale reveals what happens to grown-ups who are mean to children. The Gigglers don't let these grown-ups get away with sending a child to his room without dinner or making him wear clothes he hates. The Gigglers inflict the "Giggler Treatment"--but when one grown-up is about to get the treatment and doesn't deserve it, it's up to a talking dog named Rover to save him.
The Kid Who Ran for President (by Dan Gutman)
Reading Level: Age 9+
Judd Moon is just an average sixth grader, until his politically savvy best friend convinces him that he has what it takes to be president. Told in first-person narrative, this cleverly conceived satire will have readers laughing all the way to the Electoral College. The fact that they can't help but learn a thing or two about the election process is purely coincidental.
The Castle in the Attice (by Elizabeth Winthrop)
Reading Level: Age 8+
William has just received the best present of his life. It's an old, real-looking stone and wooden model of a castle, with a drawbridge, moat, and a finger-high knight to guard the gates. It's the mysterious castle his housekeeper has told him about, and even though William is sad she's leaving, now the castle is his!
William can't wait to play with it--he's certain there's something magical about the castle. And sure enough, when he picks up the tiny silver knight, it comes alive in his hand!
Sir Simon tells William a mighty story of wild sorcery, wizards, and magic. And suddenly William is off on a fantastic quest to another land and another time--where a fiery dragon and an evil wizard are waiting to do battle . . . .
The Chocolate Touch (by Patrick Skene Catling)
Reading Level: Age 8+
John midas loves chocolate. He loves it so much that he'll eat it any hour of any day. He doesn't care if he ruins his appetite. He thinks chocolate is better than any other food! But one day, after wandering into a candy store and buying a piece of their best chocolate, John finds out that there might just be such a thing as too much chocolate....
How to Eat Fried Worms (by Thomas Rockwell)
Reading Level: Age 9+
*Paperback only
Because of a bet, Billy is in the uncomfortable position of having to eat fifteen worms in fifteen days. The worms are supplied by his opponent, whose motto is "The bigger and juicier, the better " At first Billy's problem is whether or not he can swallow the worm placed before him, even with a choice of condiments from peanut butter to horseradish. But later it looks as if Billy will win, and the challenge becomes getting to the worm to eat it. Billy's family, after checking with the doctor, takes everything in stride. They even help Billy through his gastronomic ordeal, which twists and turns with each new day, leaving the outcome of the bet continually in doubt.
The Great Brain (by John D. Fitzgerald)
Reading Level: Age 8+
The best con man in the Midwest is only ten years old. Tom, a.k.a., the Great Brain, is a silver-tongued genius with a knack for turning a profit. When the Jenkins boys get lost in Skeleton Cave, the Great Brain saves the day. Whether it's saving the kids at school, or helping out Peg-leg Andy, or Basil, the new kid at school, the Great Brain always manages to come out on top — and line his pockets in the process.
There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom (by Louis Sachar)
Reading Level: Age 9+
Bradley Chalkers IS the oldest kid in the fifth grade. He tells enormous lies. He picks fights with girls. No one likes him—except Carla, the new school counselor. She thinks Bradley is sensitive and generous, and knows that Bradley could change, if only he weren’t afraid to try. But when you feel like the most-hated kid in the whole school, believing in yourself can be the hardest thing in the world...