A recent thread on the boards inspired this post: community member MamaBehr asked for recommendations of books geared for boys. She mentioned that there seemed to be a ton of books geared specifically for girls (Fancy Nancy, Ladybug Girl, etc) but couldn’t find “boy-themed” books for her son. At first, I hesitated a little about writing this post because there shouldn’t be gender distinction when it comes to books, blah, blah, blah… But, when thinking more about it, while yes, boys shouldn’t be limited to reading “boy” books and vice versa, there is an entire adult “genre” of books dedicated to women (I’m looking at you, Chick Lit — and totally also reading some of you and giggling right along with Becky Bloomwood and the like)… so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to share some titles that might be of particular interest to little boys, especially if they are anything like my rambunctious 3 year-old boy!

Here are some of my favorite titles and series for little dudes:

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1. Dazzling Diggers: If your little man is interested in any sort of transportation or construction vehicles, you are in luck because there are TONS of titles to choose from! This one, by Tony Mitton, is about diggers and contruction machines and Lil’ CB actually got the entire set of books in the series, Amazing Machines: Truckload of Fun, for his 3rd birthday. The books are short and the pictures are of high interest because there are a lot of little details for little eyes to take in. These books would probably be best for children 3 and up.

2. Nighttime Ninja: Read along as this little ninja sneaks out of bed to obtain the ultimate treasure: a sweet midnight snack! Will he accomplish his mission or be caught in the act by his mommy (who, like all mommies, has an awesome ninja skill set of her own)? For children 3 and up (though I haven’t read this to Lil’ CB yet because I don’t want to give him any ideas about sneaking out bed for a snack!).

3. I Love Trains!: This book is one of many similar titled and themed books by Philemon Sturges. This one happens to be Lil’ CB’s favorite of the series because yes, he, too, LOVES TRAINS! All of the books feature a young boy as the narrator and they share facts about different types of trains (or planes, trucks, bugs, tools, etc). The words are easy to understand and would be appropriate for boys as young as 2.

4. Building a House: Byron Barton’s book are great for the toddler and preschool set. The illustrations are bright and colorful but simple and the text is easy to understand while explaining details of high-interest subjects. We love many of his titles and this one is especially suitable for little guys who are interested in construction and building. For ages 2 and up.

5. My Football Book: Gail Gibbons is my favorite non-fiction book author for children. She is wonderful about explaining things in kid-friendly language and her illustrations are always engaging. There are several other titles in this series about sports and if your little guy is a mini jock, he’ll love reading these books! Best for kids 4 and up.

6. Kel Gilligan’s Daredevil Stunt Show: This book is a hilarious look at the everyday tasks and chores that little boys (and girls!) might find daunting. It’s very tongue-in-cheek and features different levels of humor that will make grown-ups and kids laugh for different reasons. Best for kids 4 and up.

7. Otis: This book reminds me a bit of the classic Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel. It’s a sweet story of a loveable little tractor and how he saves the day even after he is long forgotten for a bigger and better machine. Best for kids 3 and up.

8. How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?: This a well-known and beloved favorite and if your little guy is interested in dinosaurs, he will love this title as well as all the other titles in the series. The illustrations by Mark Teague are beautiful and your little guy will enjoy learning names of new dinosaurs or finding familiar dinosaurs on each page. Suitable for kids 18 months and up.

9. Smash! Crash!: Author Jon Scieszka teamed up with well known illustrators to create Trucktown, which is exactly what it sounds like: a town full of trucks (think Cars, but with trucks)! Scieszka actually created this series specifically for preschool-aged boys as way to hook them into reading. He also has some great titles for older elementary school kids (The True Story of the Three Little Pigs is hilarious!). Scieszka also founded Guys Read, a foundation focused on books for boys and developing boys into lifelong readers. Basically, Jon Scieszka is awesome. For kids 3 and up.

10. Leonardo, the Terrible Monster: There is no way I could write a book list post and leave out my favorite, Mo Willems! This is a very sweet and hilarious story about Leonardo who is a terrible monster: terrible meaning he’s really bad at scaring people. Laugh along as Leonardo researches the perfect scaredy cat “candidate” and use the sweet ending as a way to talk to your little one about friendship. Best for ages 4 and up.

11. I Love You Stinky Face: Suddenly, my sweet little boy is into all things gross and yucky. This book celebrates that love of all things stinky and gross and hairy in the form of a surprisingly sweet bedtime story that is a dialogue between and boy and his mama. Best for children 3 and up.

12. Whistle for Willie: If you are familiar with Peter from Ezra Jack Keats’ The Snowy Day, you’ll enjoy this story about Peter and his dog Willie. There are several books featuring Peter and I love that they take place in his diverse urban neighborhood. There is nothing overtly boy-ish about these books, but they do feature a likable and relate-able male protagonist. For ages 3 and up.

What are some of your little guy’s favorite books?