Thoughts. Additions. Discussion?
Why would they have book 4 of the Belgariad, but no mention of the other books in the series?
I think the Boy Scout Handbook should be on there.
Whut? None of the Straight Dope books?
And why A Hat Full of Sky of all the Discworld books?
Not nearly enough golden age science fiction. Every boy should read at least one of the robot books by Asimov, likewise Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein, and let’s not forget Childhood’s End and (a “young adult” but still wonderful book) Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke. In fact, that last book is what got me into science fiction, which is a wonderful horizons-expanding literature. I might also suggest Lord of the Flies and Heart of Darkness for their morals on human nature. Finally, I’d suggest that everyone read At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft, a great adventure story.
I was interested to see this list because I need some more books to read with my son. (Right now we’re reading Gary Paulsen’s Tracker, and the only joy we’re getting out of it at this point is by making fun of how Mr. Paulsen repeats himself a lot. The only joy. Making fun of Mr. Paulsen, I mean. Because he repeats himself a lot. Arrgh!)
I haven’t read too many of these, but I didn’t care much for the ones I have. Except for Lemony Snicket, and as **O&OW ** said, why the last one of a series and not the whole thing?
Strange list…I also wondered why they only had one book in a series? And the middle book at that. Looks to me like someone put this list together from a “top seller” kind of data list, not what books boys really should have. Some of them I agree with, but to me the list has too much fantasy, and not enough boys science fiction. I’d say some of the Tom Swift books should be there…as well as Hardy Boys and The Three Investigators. Give them some books that will let them figure stuff out along with the story. Along those lines Encyclopedia Brown should be in there someplace.
Edited to add:
Good point 1point618 about Lord of the flies. I had forgotten that book. I’d also say Swiss Family Robinson over Treasure Island. I suppose some of the books depend on how old the boy is. Asimov and Heinlein didn’t catch my eye until I was like…12 or so…so the list probably should be broken into some sort of age range.
The Great Brain series by J.D. Fitzgerald?
The Henry Reed series by Keith Robertson?
The Alvin Fernald series by Clifford B. Hicks?
And Encyclopedia Brown, of course!
Also, Holes by Louis Sachar should be on the list. And as for Heinlein, I’d add Have Spacesuit, Will Travel.
This tipped me off to the fact that it’s a British list. (The American title is The Golden Compass.)
Abso-friggin-lutely, though I might have suggested one (or, heck, all) of Heinlein’s “juveniles.”
Yes indeed. Maybe it got left off because of the list’s anglocentrism?
There must, must, must be some Sherlock Holmes on the list.
And how about Jack London (Call of the Wild or The Sea Wolf)? Jules Verne (Around the World in 80 Days)? Kipling (The Jungle Books)? That list skews really modern, and ignores the classics.
Wow, that’s a long list that doesn’t have any context, it made me a little bleary reading through it. My gut reaction was “too much trendy, not enough classic” but then I realized that maybe this list was intended more for librarians (who presumably already know the hit parade of classics) than for parents/children, and it probably works okay that way.
I would have found this more helpful if it had been broken down by age level, and also by genre or theme. Areas that seemed to be lacking are science fiction, survival stories, and animal stories (doesn’t every young child need to be traumatized for life with “Where the Red Fern Grows”?)
Things I’d add (some have already been mentioned):
Holes
The Mouse and the Motorcycle (younger readers)
Looking for Alaska (older readers)
nearly anything by Pinkwater
at least something by Joan Aiken
Harriet the Spy (one of my favorites for recommending to boys)
The Dark is Rising (how do you have that much fantasy and not The Dark is Rising?)
The Westing Game
no Prydain?
… you know, I realize that nearly all my suggestions are American, so perhaps I am showing my -centrism.
No Gravity’s Rainbow or Finnegan’s Wake? Pshaw!
The Lucky Star series by Asimov and the EE “Doc” Smith Lensman books.
If he can make it through the Belgariad, he’s old enough for Alistair McLean, I’d say. The Night Without End might be a bit much, but The Guns of Naverone and Where Eagles Dare are about right.
All the Pat McManus, of course.
Good point, although I read Stranger when I was about 13, and I consider that part of my boyhood still. As someone else mentioned, the list doesn’t do a very good job of defining “boys”. One of my favorite “juvenile” books from Heinlein is Tunnel in the Sky, which probably fits up there with Lord of the Flies as far as lost children books go.
Oh, if you’re going with Jack London, you can’t leave out his short story, “To Build a Fire,” possibly one of the most harrowing adventure stories ever. That one gave me nightmares growing up in Alaska. Also, I’ll give a +1 to Sherlock Holmes, The Great Brain, Encyclopedia Brown, Tom Swift, the Hardy Boys and other “detective” books.
Two books I recall from my youth that I think should be on the list:
Follow my Leader - about a kid who goes blind following a firecracker explodes, and learns to sue a seeing eye dog
Then Again Maybe I Won’t - coming of age puberty story
What a strange list! I’m thrown off, for example, by Bill Bryson’s “A Short History of Nearly Everything” being in the number three spot. Not that I think it’s a bad book, but it’s a little advanced for what I’d think of as “boys.” I also assumed something like this would be mostly fiction. Why is the Guinness Book of World Records on there??
Funny; the first thing I thought when I saw the title of this thread was that I hoped it had some Gary Paulsen on it! I haven’t read Tracker, but I loved things like “Hatchet” and “The River” when I was a kid. Very much my idea of a boy’s book.
Also, why isn’t J.K. Rowling on the list?
Seconded. I used to love that stuff.
I read Hatchet a few years ago and don’t recall it having this problem. This problem where everything is repeated. Tracker is a book about a kid dealing with his grandpa’s death, so maybe Mr. Paulsen’s trying to create some sort of mood. A mood, or a feeling of depth or something. All it’s doing is giving us the giggles.
Nothing by Arthur Conan Doyle?
No Edgar Allen Poe?
No Jack London?
No Kurt Vonnegut?
No Jules Verne?
No H. G. Wells?
No Eric Frank Russell?
Not nearly enough science fiction, for sure…
Give the lad a spine.
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress.
Never too early to expose the spawn to political ideas.
Well, the CLASSICS, yeah. Everyone DirkGntly said.
But also The Forgotten Door, by Alexander Key. Taught me how to live right.