More Great Book Series for Elementary Boys

When boys are learning to read, it can sometimes be more of a chore than an enjoyable experience. The best thing you can do to encourage reading with your boy is to find book series for boys that he'll enjoy. When you find boys' books that he enjoys, it can turn him onto reading and encourage him into a lifelong enjoyment of literature. These five book series for elementary boys are engaging, humorous, and written on a level that will keep boys interested without frustrating them as they practice their new reading skills. Each one features plots and characters that boys can relate to and find interesting, keeping them turning pages in these boys' books until the end. And since each series has multiple books, you can keep him engaged for quite some time, which is a great thing.

A to Z Mysteries
Just as the title leads you to believe, this clever mystery series includes 26 books, each starting with a different letter of the alphabet. From The Absent Author through The Zombie Zone, follow Dink and his two best friends, Josh and Ruth Rose, as they work together to solve each mystery. This book series for elementary boys is perfect for beginning readers, combining an interesting plot which encourages the reader to find clues with humor and fun illustrations every few pages to keep boys entertained. While it may be a good idea to start with book one, since it introduces the series' characters, each book is a new mystery, so there's no need to read them in order. Parents will enjoy reading these books with their children, as the tongue-and-cheek humor is fun for adults, too.

The Boxcar Children
Written by a teacher in 1942, using only the 500 most common words in the English language, The Boxcar Children series is still delighting readers today. The first story opens with 4 siblings, ages 5 to 15, who have just lost their parents, are running from their mean grandfather, and find a place to live in an abandoned boxcar in the woods. These books for boys (and girls) are filled with mesmerizing details about how these children find things around them in order to survive together. In a world of playdates and scheduled children, The Boxcar Children offer a refreshing change and sense of adventure and wonder that any boy will love.

Captain Underpants
If you don't mind some harmless potty humor, then the Captain Underpants series is a fun escape book series for boys that will have them laughing page after page. This book series for elementary boys follows George and Harold, 2 friends who write ridiculous comics, including "The Adventures of Captain Underpants." When their silly superhero comes to life through their principal, the antics begin and get crazier with each book. While this boys' book series won't teach any life lessons or impart an expansive vocabulary, if your primary goal is just to get your boy reading, then this series is perfect. Part comic book and part chapter book, each one of these stories will get boys reading and laughing through each potty-humored adventure. They may not be classic literature, but they will get your boy turning pages and introduced to a love of reading.

Horrible Harry
Follow Harry through the second and third grades as he and his friend, Doug, solve mysteries and go on adventures. This beginning readers' series for boys is used in schools (including my son's) to teach reading to kids, since the stories are fun and keep kids reading to the end to find out what happens. Boys will enjoy Harry's antics at school, his humor, and trying to solve mysteries right along with him. These elementary boys' books are great for home, and since there are many in the series, your boy will have lots of books to choose from.

Star Wars: Adventures in Hyperspace
This brand new (June 2010) series from Scholastic follows Han Solo and Chewbacca before they met Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in their exciting life running errands for questionable characters like Jabba the Hutt. The series has 2 books so far and is easy to read, with a good-sized font and comic book-like illustrations on most pages, which will keep boys engaged. My son (who's a huge Star Wars fan) got the first 2 books from his last book order of the year, and already can't wait for new adventures to be published. This book series for elementary boys is sure to be a winner, combining comic-like pictures with easy-to-read adventure stories; boys will be eagerly anticipating more books in this series.

For more books for boys, visit these articles:
Great Book Series for Elementary Boys
Mystery Books for Boys