60+ Fantastic Books for 8 Year Old Boys

I’ve rounded up a list of fantastic books for 8 year old boys. Pop in your email address below and I’ll send the printable list right to your inbox!

A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy, illustrated by John Steven Gurney
This was the perfect mystery book series for Ella. She’s gone on to read all of this series as well as the Calendar Mysteries and often revisits both when she’s out of new books.

Alvin Ho by Lenore Look, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Alvin Ho is VERY scared of everything, especially school, where he never says a word. But when he’s at home? He turns into Firecracker Man who isn’t afraid of anything.

Beast Quest by Adam Blade
I’ve never heard of these before, but with 124 books in the series (you read that number right) I think it speaks for itself! Each book features a new beast as a boy’s journey to save his village turns into much more than he was anticipating.

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
I was obsessed with this chapter book series growing up and read probably a hundred of them. I like that the mysteries aren’t too scary and I really love that they showcase siblings that like each other, get along, and work together to solve problems.

Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
While I’ve never been the biggest fan of Captain Underpants myself (thanks to all the potty humor), there’s no denying this underwear-clad superhero is a favorite with kids everywhere!

City Spies by James Ponti
This book was on my 2020 Summer Reading Guide and I’m delighted that Ella enjoyed it too. City Spies is the story of five kids from all over the world brought together to operate out of a secret MI6 base in Scotland, working on cases that adults can’t get anywhere near. It’s clever and funny and fast-paced and a total kid pleaser.

Diary of a Minecraft Zombie by Zack Zombie
For the Minecraft fan, this wildly popular series is an easy win (and with 40+ books, it’ll keep them busy for a while!). I know basically nothing about Minecraft myself, but this one’s told from the point-of-view of a Minecraft Zombie, and readers who do love Minecraft are absolutely obsessed. Between fighting the urge to snack on pumpkins (not brains, thankfully), navigating middle school, and figuring out friendships, this diary-style story is funny, fast-paced, and seriously hard to put down.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney
This beloved graphic novel by many a kid tells and illustrates all the struggles of being a kid. With more than 250 copies sold, it’s no surprise that there are a LOT of Diary of a Wimpy Kid lovers out there. These books are full of hijinks and school settings, plus fun combinations of text and art.

Dog Man by Dav Pilkey
The Dog Man series are wildly popular with young readers and upper elementary students alike (although there are plenty of parents who could live without the bathroom humor) and have helped many elementary schoolers catch a love for reading for the first time.

Dragon Masters by Tracey West
This fantasy adventure is perfect for any child who loves dragons, kings, wizards, and magic! My girls have listened to this series a million times over the past few years – it’s definitely on the younger side (the books are more like 100 pages), so they’re perfect for a child to read solo if they’ve been listening to Wings of Fire or for a child who wants to be like an older sibling! 

Framed by James Ponti
Another book by James Ponti and Ella blew through this series in a week! This book follows Florian Bates who is the only kid that the FBI Director has on speed dial (and a kid that a whole lot of criminals want taken care of). After a move to DC, Florian and his new friend Margaret uncover a mystery that involves a major crime ring, the FBI and the National Gallery. It’s up to them to solve the mystery AND get their homework done.

Gangsta Granny by David Walliams
The title of this series alone should peek the interest of any 10 year old boy. Ben doesn’t want to stay at his grandma’s house. She’s boring. Her Scrabble game is even more boring. But while Ben is there he discovers his grandma used to be a successful jewel thief and she’s looking into getting back into the business with Ben’s help!

Geronimo Stilton series by Geronimo Stilton
This chapter book series has about ten bazillion books in it, so if your child can get hooked, you are set for a bit. These books follow Geronimo Stilton, a mouse journalist who is always accidentally finding himself in the middle of mega-adventures. When I was a librarian, I heard some complaints from other librarians about the text having occasional words in different colors or fonts and that it made it hard to read, but I think it’s fine and makes the pages look more fun and less intimidating to elementary kids.

Hank Zipzer series by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver
I love when a series is inspired by the author’s own life, and this one comes straight from Henry Winkler’s childhood with undiagnosed dyslexia. The books follow Hank, a funny, big-hearted kid whose different way of thinking leads to all kinds of misadventures. In the first book, his “brilliant” science project (taking apart the family cable box) takes a wild turn when his sister’s iguana decides to lay eighteen eggs inside it.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
I have a long history of loving Harry Potter. When my mom started reading the first one to me and my sisters, we only made it through one chapter before we were completely hooked. I also have some very happy memories of snuggling my nursing baby in the my in-laws’ basement, reading the British versions of several of the books. I have read the entire series multiple times, seen all the movies, and I still never get tired of this story.

Hilo by Judd Winick
D.J. and Gina are normal kids, but things get weird when Hilo falls out of the sky with no clue where he came from or why he’s here. It’s going to be up to the three of them to solve the mystery of Hilo’s past (and future!) in this delightful graphic novel series.

Holes by Louis Sachar
Holes is one of my favorite Newbery winners and since my girls love the Wayside School books, I was excited to read this to them a few years back. It was just as good as I remembered and when we finished, we had a special outdoor movie night with our giant screen to watch the film version.

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowl
Ella listened to this whole series and loved every second of it. My sister has three boys and they are obsessed with it too. There are 13 books in the series and these stories of Vikings and dragons are fast paced and delightful.

I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis
If you have a non-fiction lover, these short middle grade books about big historical events are really fun and high action. They’re a perfect fit for reluctant readers, especially those with low patience for made up stories.

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
I have some fantasy lovers in my household that would love this one! During a visit to his grandpa, Christopher spots something unbelievable – a rush of mythical creatures charging down the hill. That’s when he learns his grandfather is the keeper of a hidden gateway to a magical world. But there is one BIG problem…the barrier separating the two worlds is beginning to fail.

InvestiGators by John Patrick Green
This might be one of the most popular graphic novel series I’ve ever suggested (Ella included it in an episode of Ella Enjoyed a couple of years ago) and for good reason. It’s just so fun and engaging with two clever gators working to solve some mysteries with their very cool spy gear.

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
Ella come home from school saying one of her friends was raving about this series. Happily, I happened to have a copy and Ella devoured this book about Sophie doesn’t fit in at school or in her family, in part because she can read minds. Then she meets a boy who has the same powers she does and it turns out there are a lot of secrets about herself and the world around her that she doesn’t know. But she’s going to find out pretty quickly!

The Land of Roar series by Jenny McLachlan
This one sounds like it has a feeling reminiscent of Chronicles of Narnia. Whenever twins Rose and Arthur stay at their grandfather’s house, they play their made-up game Roar. The game would always begin by them crawling into a folding bed and entering a new world. After several years pass and the twins are helping their grandfather clean out his loft, they come across the bed…what could possibly happen this time?

Land of Stories by Chris Colfer
Alex and Conner, sister-brother twins, open up a beloved book of stories only to find themselves sucked into the book. In a mysterious land where magic runs rampant, they find themselves interacting with fairy tale characters they’ve heard about all their lives. The real question is. . . can they ever get home? This series has been especially popular in my house!

Legends of Lotus Island by Christina Soontornvat
First off, I’ve never met a Christina Soontornvat book I didn’t adore! Now, imagine a school where kids can transform into magical animals – yep, that’s Guardian Academy! Plum is excited to join, but when her powers won’t show up, she faces losing not just her shot at adventure, but the first real friends she’s ever made.

Lightfall by Tim Probert
For fans of Star Wars and epic graphic novels, this is a must-read adventure! Bea, the Pig Wizard’s granddaughter, joins forces with Cad, a rare and mysterious creature, on a daring quest to save their world from being swallowed by eternal darkness.

Liesl Shurtliff books
I have been recommending her fractured fairy tales for years, because they are that good. Rump is a personal favorite of mine!

Mac B. Kid Spy Books by Mac Barnett
You may know Mac Barnett as an author but before that? He was a spy for the Queen of England in this series that the publisher calls James Bond meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It’s filled with a nice dose of historical facts. Smart and funny, this is a winner series.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
This is one of those middle grade novels that took the world by storm – it has been SO popular and for good reason. Mr. Lemoncello is a world-famous game maker AND he’s designed the new city library. And on opening night, there will be a lock-in for kids where they have to solve the puzzles to find the hidden escape route. (You can see why it spent 100 weeks on the NYT Bestseller List). (Full review here)

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
I’d read this one as a child, but couldn’t remember a thing about it except that he gets a penguin in the mail. Now I’ve read it multiple times to my girls and it was so fun to watch the story play out when none of us knew how it was going to turn out.

My Weird School by Dan Gutman
This is a silly series reminds me of the Wayside School series. This series is geared more for beginning readers, but all the adults at Ella Mentry School are just a little bit weird…maybe REALLY weird! 

National Park Mystery Series by Aaron Johnson
This 10 book series is perfect for readers who love exploring the great outdoors, scavenger hunts, and coded messages! Jake, Wes, Amber, and their families embark on a two-month trip to explore ten national parks. But when Jake receives a scrapbook with a mystery to solve from his late grandfather, he must decide whether to solve it alone or trust his friends with the secret.

Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend
Morrigan Crow was born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, and thus lives a cursed life. As she awaits her fate, she is whisked away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor. She learns that to stay in the safety of Nevermoor she has to compete in four difficult trials and discover her own extraordinary talent- or have to leave the city and face her deadly fate.

Ninja Kid by Anh Do
Laugh-out-loud and fast-paced, this one follows Nelson, an awkward, totally un-cool kid who wakes up on his tenth birthday to discover he’s the last ninja on earth…which is a bit of a problem since he can barely get dressed correctly. It’s full of goofy humor and tons of black-and-white illustrations throughout.

Pax by Sara Pennypacker
This book got ALL the awards – National Book Award finalist, Amazon Best Book of the Year, etc – and I’d love to read it. I think they are probably old enough!

Percy Jackson by Rick Riordin
I grabbed my mother-in-law’s copy of this book when we were living there and I suddenly found myself without a next book to read to the girls and they are SO INTO it. Seriously, there were shrieks of despair every night when I finished for the evening. I read it back in 2008 and it’s fun to revisit – I enjoyed it MUCH more as a read aloud than I did when I read it solo! (Full review here).

Press Start by Thomas Flintham
Animal Town is home to Super Rabbit Boy who is super fast and brave and also? Is a video game character. Which means that when things get dicey, he needs to save the day. But only if the player, Sunny, can manage to stop losing each level.

Roald Dahl books
From Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, to Matilda, to The BFG, I mean, you just can’t go wrong with Roald Dahl. With so much silliness and plots that move right along, it’s no wonder his books were suggestions countless times.

Sherlock Holmes (youth editions)
Sherlock Holmes might be the most famous detective of all time, and this classic mystery series delivers plenty of clever cases featuring Holmes and his loyal partner, Dr. Watson. This youth edition is abridged and filled with full-color illustrations throughout, making it a fantastic, approachable introduction for beginner sleuths.

The Pirate Who’s Afraid of Everything by Annabeth Bondor-Stone and Connor White
Pirates are meant to be fearless, but Shivers might be the most scaredy-cat pirate to ever sail the Seven Seas. On a daring quest to save his parents, he’ll hunt for buried treasure and face a giant squid in an adventure packed with danger – and laughs!

Story Thieves by James Riley
My girls loved James Riley’s series Half Upon a Time, so I was delighted to hear about this one. Bethany is a half-fictional person who can climb in and out of books and is the only one who knows about it, until Owen sees her jump out of a book in the library. Owen promises to keep her secret if she will just take him into his favorite series, but we all know it can’t be that simple.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Can you believe I’ve only ever read ONE Judy Blume book!? And shockingly it wasn’t from this series. Life is hard with a little brother, especially when your little brother is Fudge. Grown-ups think Fudge is cute, but Peter and his turtle Dribble know he’s a whirlwind of mischief!

Tales of an 8-Bit Warrior by Cube Kid
I’m the first to admit that I know nothing about Minecraft, but I can guarantee that most 10 year old boys know a thing or two about it. This story follows, Runt, a Minecraft villager who is bound and determined to become a Minecraft warrior! Another Minecraft series suggestion was Minecraft Woodsward Chronicles!

The Academy series by T.Z. Layton
Leo Doyle’s never even been on a plane, but when a scout spots his soccer skills, he suddenly gets the chance of a lifetime – a tryout with the London Dragons, one of the biggest teams in the world! Two hundred kids are competing for just eleven spots, and Leo is up against bullies, homesickness, and his own nerves. This one is perfect for soccer fans or any kid who has big dreams.

Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey
Ella LOVES this series about a crew of traditionally “bad” animals (shark, wolf, snake, etc) that decide they’re tired of being bad and want to be good instead. Funny and LOTS of black and white illustrations.

The Candymakers by Wendy Mass
The Candymakers is just the kind of book I wish my school libraries had been full of. Funny, mysterious, and clever. Four kids trying to invent a new candy, all of them harboring secrets? This book is a winner. (Full review here)

The Double Life of Danny Day by Mike Thayer
What would you do if you got to live everyday twice!? For Danny, this is reality. When Danny’s family moves across the country, his unusual gift helps him make friends, outsmart bullies, and even take down a cheating ring, proving that second chances can make all the difference.

The First Cat in Space by Mac Barnett
If there is one author that knows how to pique the interest of a 10 year old boy, it’s Mac Barnett! The Terrible Two and Mac B. Kid Spy are fan favorites, but this graphic novel about the heroic first cat in space saving the moon from moon-eating rats sounds right up any 3rd or 4th grade boys alley.

The Ghost in the Noonday Sun by Sid Fleischman
Believe it or not, this novel was written in the 1970s, but any kid who loves ruthless pirates and hidden treasure will still be hooked. Twelve-year-old Oliver Finch dreams of whaling adventures, but ends up snatched up by the red-bearded Captain Harry Scratch, who needs Oliver’s ghost-seeing powers to track down a long-lost pirate treasure. It’s Treasure Island…but with ghosts, disappearing-ink maps and high-seas mischief!

Last Kids on Earth series by Max Brallier
For kids who love anything monsters and zombies this graphic novel series will be a hit! After monsters took over, Jack Sullivan has been surviving the apocalypse alone in his treehouse while others were zombified or evacuated. As he finds other kids still around, they band together and turn the treehouse into a stronghold to fight back.

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
This series is pretty recent (in the last ten years), but it has the feel of a classic and we all loved these stories about four sisters and their summer vacation. There’s a reason these books are BELOVED. We’ve listened to many of the books in the series on road trips and we all just love them.

The Terrible Two Series by Mac Barnett & Jory John
Ella and I listened to it together several years ago (all of my kids went on and listened to the rest of them one million times) and it’s hilarious about two boys trying to out-prank each other. Now, all of my girls can recite pretty much the entire book from memory because they’ve listened to it so many times.

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
The girls and I listened to this fun audiobook a few years ago and I’ve heard from SO MANY families that have loved this one too. And now with the movie out, it’s a great one to read the book and watch the movie!

Weird But True by National Geographic Kids
This series is so good for someone who loves to have some facts in their back pocket – especially facts that are incredibly strange, but true! And if you want even more…Nat Geo’s 5,000 Awesome Facts books are a huge hit too!

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
At this point, Shel Silverstein’s name is basically synonymous with children’s poetry and even the most reluctant child can’t help but crack a smile at some of his wacky poems.

Wild Rescuers by StacyPlays
All Stacy has ever know is her wolf family who she was raised by. And humans – well they are dangerous and unpredictable. Stacy and her wolf family help protect the other forest animals that is until the forest starts changing and new dangers arise.

Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland
This middle grade fantasy fiction is a gripping tale about seven dragon tribes that have been at war for generations. A plot is hatched to finally bring an end to the fighting but the five dragonets that are at the heart have a different plan. This series is WILDLY popular!

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
I first read Wonder about a decade ago and was blown away by how good it is. And, of course, I wasn’t the only one – it’s been a wildly popular book almost since the moment it was first released, both with parents and teachers and with young readers. My girls and I listened to it a few years ago and we all really loved it.

Warriors by Erin Hunter
The Warrior Cat series is one of those book concepts where you think “I can’t believe someone thought this would be a good book plot.” And then it works better than you ever could have imagined.