Are you looking for series’ geared particularly toward early elementary boys? If so, I hope this list is helpful! My oldest son is just entering this age range, and these have all been fantastic choices for him. They all would make wonderful read-alouds, but boys between 6-8 could read these early elementary series’ independently if they are able.
Big Foot/Little Foot
This has been one of my boys’ very favorite finds over the last year or so. A homeschooled boy named Boone meets and befriends a Sasquatch, and the series tells of all of their adventures together. The world Ellen Potter created is such a happy, interesting one, and the books are genuinely engaging plot-wise.
Nate the Great
There are LOTS of Nate the Great books to choose from (28 in all), but these first 10 give a great sampling. Nate is a neighborhood detective who solves all kinds of mysteries. I have found that these books can be great for early readers or as first read-aloud chapter books.
Alvin Ho
My son really loved listening to this series on audiobook because he connected with Alvin’s character. Alvin Ho is an Asian-American second-grader who is scared of everything. So many books for boys around this age have protagonists who are bold, strong, and outgoing, but Alvin is none of those things. If you have an introverted or deep-thinking son, he will probably really connect with Alvin’s character.
Obadiah the Bold
These are very short books about a young Quaker boy named Obadiah growing up in colonial Massachusetts. Since our chuch’s roots come from the Quaker tradition, this has been a fun one to learn more about Quaker history and culture — plus, the stories themselves are fun and easy to read.
Travels with My Family
This is a fun series if you love to travel or have children who are particularly interested in geography. Each book chronicles the travels of a family with two young sons, and there is plenty of adventure along the way! I found it helpful to have a map handy so we could pinpoint the locations of each travel destination.
Billy and Blaze
If you have a horse-loving boy, this is a fun, short series about a young boy and his beloved pony, Blaze. The plot lines have some adventure, but each installment is still gentle and usually able to be read in one sitting.
Akimbo and the Lions
Young Akimbo lives on an African game reserve with his father, the head ranger. Each of these stories centers around Akimbo’s interaction with a different animal on the game reserve, and there is plenty of adventure along the way.
Bad Kitty
If you’d like to give graphic novels a try with your young boys, this series is a great one to begin with! These 10 are only the tip of the iceburg, but they are all fun, engaging, and silly stories. Generally we can get through a book in one (longer) sitting, but they can also be divided up over a few reading sessions.
26 Fairmount Avenue
Tomie DePaola is a prolific children’s author who wrote this autobiographical series about his own childhood. I highly recommend the audiobooks because Tomie himself reads them and really captures the essence of the stories. The first four are wonderful for all ages, while the second four focus more on World War II and have a bit heavier content.
Calvin Coconut
Calvin Coconut lives in Hawaii and chronicles his daily life and adventures in this series. The setting and diverse characters are particularly refreshing. One thing to note: Calvin’s parents are divorced and he also deals with some bullying, so make sure your child is ready for discussion of those issues if you read this series.
Hank the Cowdog
I will be honest and say this isn’t my personal favorite to read aloud, but my sons love these stories! I would particularly recommend the audio books because they are well done, engaging, and generally short enough to listen to during an afternoon rest time or two. There are also 72 books total in this series, so you’ll never run out of choices!
No 1. Car Spotter
If you loved the Anna Hibiscus series, don’t miss this similar series by Atinuke! No. 1 is an African boy who loves spotting cars and problem solving for his African village. It gives an authentic portrait of life in Africa, and the character of No. 1 is quite endearing.
I hope these wonderful series’ for early elementary boys will be helpful as you encourage your son or student in his learning! Happy reading!
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