125+ Best Chapter Books for Boys Ages 6-18

Today I’m sharing 125+ best chapter books for boys ages 6-18! Finding wholesome books for boys that are clean, exciting, and age-appropriate can be challenging, right? Especially when there are so many books to filter through. Trust me, I’m there. I’m always on the hunt for books that will challenge my son’s mind, build his character, and spark his imagination.

In a world with so much ‘fast content’ like movies, video games, and the internet, I’m finding it’s more important than ever to raise my kids to love reading. But not just any old books (Yikes, have you seen some of the trash they are offering to our kids now?!), but rather good and beautiful, high-quality reads.

With that being said, we have this growing list of our favorite high-quality chapter books for boys and decided it was time to share them with you. I hope you enjoy!

Choosing Wholesome Chapter Books for Boys

Presenting our boys with a feast of good and beautiful literature is the goal, but let’s be real, a lot of today’s books are packed with crass humor, bad language, sexual content, and a general lack of respect for parents or authority. It can feel pretty overwhelming trying to find the good stuff in the middle of all that.

When I pick out chapter books for my son, I try to offer a mix of timeless classics, fun adventures, inspiring biographies, and modern stories that highlight courage, friendship, humor, faith, character, and what it means to grow into a good man. This list is just a starting point, definitely not exhaustive, but I hope it gives you a great place to begin.

125 Best Chapter Books for Boys

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Before we jump into our chapter books for boys list, let me give you a few quick notes. First of all, I’ve divided this list into general age/grade categories: elementary, middle school, and high school, but they aren’t set in stone because reading levels can vary between students. Secondly, since I did not write a snippet or review for each book, I’ve linked each one to Amazon, where you can find more info, read reviews, and decide for yourself if it is a good fit for your child. And lastly, if you have any other book suggestions, leave them in the comments below! Now let’s jump in!

Elementary Chapter Books for Boys:

1. The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh
2. The Sword and the Tree by Clyde Robert Bulla
3. Eagle Feather by Clyde Robert Bulla
4. Riding the Pony Express by Clyde Robert Bulla
5. McBroom’s Wonderful One-Acre Farm by Sid Fleischman
6. The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
7. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
8. Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
9. Stewart Little by E.B. White
10. Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat
11. Chocolate by Hershey by Betty M. Burford
12. Little Pilgrims Progress by Helen L. Taylor
13. Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
14. Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
15. Boy of the Pyramids by Ruth Fosdick Jones
16. Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary
17. Henry and the Paper Route by Beverly Cleary
18. Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
19. Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary
20. The Beatinest Boy by Jesse Stuart
21. The Rightful Owner by Jesse Stuart

22. The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson
23. The Boxcar Children Series by Gertrude Stein Warner
24. The Magic Treehouse Series by Mary Pope Osborn
25. Nate the Great Series by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
26. The Secret of the Hidden Scroll Series by M.J. Thomas
27. Sugar Creek Gang Series by Paul Hutchens
28. The Imagination Station Series by Paul McCusker
29. Ranger in Time Series by Kate Messner
30. The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
31. The Borrowers by Mary Norton
32. A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

“Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift.” – Kate DiCamillo

33. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
34. James and the Giant Peach by Ronald Dahl
35. Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater
36. Urchin of the Riding Stars by M.I. McCallister
37. Urchin and the Heartstone by M.I. McCallister
38. The Heir of Mismantle by M.I. McCallister
39. The Urchin of Raven War by M.I. McCallister
40. Five Children and It by E. Nesbit
41. The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
42. The Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit
43. Toliver’s Secret by Esther Wood Brady

44. The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
45. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
46. The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss
47. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
48. The Falcon of Eric the Red by Cathrine Cate Coblentz
49. Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
50. Centerburg Tales by Robert McCloskey
51. The Toothpaste Millionaire by Jean Merrill
52. Little Lord Fauntleroy by Francis Hodgson Burnett
53. Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
54. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
55. Ben and Me by Robert Lawson

“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” ― C.S. Lewis

56. On the Edge of the Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson
57. North! Or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson
58. The Monster in the Hollows by Andrew Peterson
59. The Warden and the Wolf King by Andrew Peterson
60. The Moffats by Eleanor Estes
61. The Middle Moffat by Eleanor Estes
62. Rufus M. by Eleanor Estes
63. The Moffat Museum by Eleanor Estes
64. Stone Fox by John Reynold Gardiner
65. The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic by Jennifer Trafton
66. The Black Star of Kingston by S.D. Smith
67. The Green Ember by S.D. Smith

This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links. I may earn a commission for sales made. Thank you!

Please Note: In this chapter book list for boys, particularly for middle school and high school, I’ve included some classic book selections. With this, it’s important to note the time period in which they were written, making considerations for varied language, racial, and socially accepted norms.

Middle School Chapter Books for Boys

68. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
69. Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus
70. The Candymakers by Wendy Mass
71. The Prince Warriors Series by Priscilla Shirer
72. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
73. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
74. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
75. The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
76. George Muller (Christian Heros Series) by Janet and Geoff Benge
77. Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
78. The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright
79. The Four-Story Mistake by Elizabeth Enright
80. Then There Were Five by Elizabeth Enright
81. Spiderweb for Two by Elizabeth Enright
82. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
83. The White Stag by Kate Seredy
84. Gentle Ben by Walt Morey
85. Year of the Black Pony by Walt Morey
86. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
87. Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington
88. The Chronicles of Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis
89. The Stout-Hearted Seven by Neta Lohnes Frazier
90. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
91. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
92. A Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli
93. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
94. Little Men by Louisa May Alcott
95. Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates
96. The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
97. The Tales of Kingdom Trilogy by David and Karen Mains
98. Hardy Boys Series by Franklin W. Dixon
99. The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black

Teen Chapter Books for Boys

100. The Lord of the Rings Series by J.R.R. Tolkien
101. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
102. Moby Dick by Herman Melville
103. The Red Badge of Courage by Steven Crane
104. Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
105. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
106. Ben Hur by Lew Wallace
107. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas Pere
108. The Complete Father Brown Stories by G.K. Chesterton
109. The Best of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton
110. The Best Short Stories of O. Henry by O. Henry

“If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

111. Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
112. Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
113. The Old Man at Sea by Ernest Hemmingway
114. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
115. Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
116. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
117. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
118. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
119. The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan (& Alan Vermilye)
120. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
121. The Odyssey by Homer
122. End of the Spear by Steve Saint
123. Gifted Hands by Ben Carson
124. Radical by David Platt
125. God Smuggler by Brother Andrew
126. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
127. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
128. The Giver by Lois Lowry

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Finding More Book Suggestions

I’m always on the lookout for books I can add to my kids’ booklists. Here are a few things I do that help to keep the book suggestions flowing:

1. Keep a running list of your favorite, trustworthy authors. Oftentimes, they will have multiple books or series that you can draw from in the future.
2. Use the Amazon suggestions tab under the books that you buy. Sometimes you can find similar books that would be just as good. Goodreads also makes recommendations that can be helpful as well. (Be sure to read reviews and dig a little deeper before purchasing from an unfamiliar source.)
3. Collaborate with friends and family with similar values. I don’t know how many times I’ve received a great book suggestion from my sister, a friend from church, or even a subscriber. Ask around, and I’m sure you will discover new book ideas to add to your list.