| You want to encourage your son to read, but also | | | | Earth Movers, Big Stuff - Tractors |
| want to steer clear of The Transformers, G.I Joe, | | | | PIRATES - |
| Star Wars and all the other over-marketed, | | | | OK, although they may be a little on the violent side, |
| too-violent usual suspects from Hollywood to Hasbro. | | | | pirate stories do spark a child's imagination -- |
| Well then, here's a selection of topics that boys will | | | | transporting him to a distant land on the open sea, |
| love - and actually have plenty of redeeming | | | | filled with treasure chests (and free of parent |
| educational value to boot (go figure)! | | | | restrictions). Did somebody say "y'argh"? |
| SPACE - | | | | Cool icons: Tall ships, canons, eye patches, loads and |
| Granted, with NASA's recent funding trouble, | | | | loads of treasure |
| astronaut is not the career track it was thirty years | | | | Great books from the genre: How I Became a Pirate, |
| ago, but still, there's nothing a boy likes more than | | | | Treasure Island, Pirate Pete, The Night Pirates, |
| reaching for the stars. From distant planets to rocket | | | | Patch-Time Soldiers Book #3 |
| launchers, astronomy and space exploration hold a | | | | KNIGHTS - |
| particular kind of magic for the young male reader. | | | | An absolute "natural" for boys! Now what little boy |
| Cool icons: The Space Shuttle, Apollo anything, | | | | didn't grow up "sword-fighting" with a cardboard |
| planets of the solar system, black holes | | | | shield and wrapping paper tube in hand? Shining |
| Great books from the genre: Georges Secret Key to | | | | armor, white horses, castles and kings, adventures |
| the Universe, Me and My Place in Space, The | | | | for honor and glory...this topic has it all, and really |
| Usbourne First Encyclopedia of Space | | | | engages the imagination! |
| DINOSAURS - | | | | Cool icons: Knights, Castles, Armor, Dragons |
| The gold standard of boyhood passions. Not only do | | | | Great books from the genre: Ivanho, Knights (DK |
| dinosaurs help build vocabulary skills, they teach kids | | | | Eyewitness Book), King Arthur and the Knights of |
| about biology, history and geography all in one fell | | | | the Round Table, Arthur - Time Soldiers Book #4 |
| swoop! Plus they pull off the rare feat of crushing | | | | MUMMIES - |
| destroying stuff while staying somewhat cuddly at | | | | Here's another category that's got it all. Ancient |
| the same time. | | | | Egypt always holds a special place in boys' hearts |
| Cool icons: T-Rex, Velociraptor, Pterodactyl, | | | | because, well, they wrapped people up and |
| Apotosaurus | | | | mummified them back then. It's hard to find a boy |
| Great books from the genre: How Do Dinosaurs Say | | | | who doesn't say "whoa" when they learn that little |
| Goodnight, Dinosailors, Danny and the Dinosaur, Rex - | | | | factoid. |
| Time Soldiers Book #1 | | | | Cool icons: Mummies, the Pharaoh, the Sphinx |
| CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT - | | | | Great books from the genre: If I Were a Kid in |
| They grow out of this one at a pretty young age, | | | | Ancient Egypt, Mummy (DK Eyewitness Book), |
| but oh how little boys love big things that move | | | | Mummies Made in Egypt, Mummy - Time Soldiers |
| stuff from one place or thing to another. Got that? | | | | Book #5 |
| Big picture books filled with giant trucks, tractors and | | | | Whichever topics you choose to focus on, the |
| construction equipment are an excellent | | | | important thing is that you read to your son every |
| entrée into reading for boys. | | | | day and instill in him a love of reading at a very |
| Cool icons: Giant earth movers, bulldozers, tractors, | | | | young age. In return, you get a smart, successful |
| monster trucks | | | | well-adjusted child who is just plain great to be |
| Great books from the genre: The Construction | | | | around! |
| Alphabet Book, Building with Dad, Big Stuff - Giant | | | | |