Book Talk Group

[Ally Thompson]

I would like to start a booktalk club for Middle school boys. Does anyone have a title that they have recently read that they could recommend?

[jennifer]

the 39 clues is awesome for boys. i am doing one now with both girls and boys - and they both LOVE IT!!!!!!

[Lisa Nocita]

Rash by Pete Hautman
& Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

[Jorge Delgado]

Ally-
I run a book discussion program at my library and have had incredible responses to the following books:

Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Alabama Moon by Watt Key
Ruins of Gorlan by Richard Flanagan
Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver
The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
Magyk by Angie Sage
Akhenaten Adventure by PB Kerr
Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle

Many of the boys that come to my booktalks are frequent visitors to our library. These kids tend to enjoy the books that are part of a series (typically fantasy) as they are avid readers. Those that are less avid tend to enjoy books that deal with real life situations (eg action/adventure or humor). For those that are less avid readers try to encourage them to not be put off by the size of a book...I like to tell them a juicy morsel from the book and usually that is enough to pique their interest. For example, Black Duck starts off slowly but it really takes off if you can get past the exposition. I told some kids it involved a murder and crooked cops and that was enough to get them going.

[Cynthia Durbin]

Here a few suggestions based on what I've read myself and what I see my middle school boys taking out and commenting on:
The Lightning Thief is HUGE with my boys right now and keep the copies on the shelf. I haven't read it myself yet, but they seem to really love it.

Any of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. Can't keep these on the shelves either.

The Graveyard Book, which I read and loved and I think would appeal to boys as the main character is a boy.

Schooled, again I read this and loved it and a boy is the main character as well. Each chapter is written from different perspectives of the people in the story. It's a story about being different, yet staying true to your beliefs which change the perspectives of the other people/students about who this boy really is. This also touches on the types of bullying that goes on is schools and how kids can overcome it.

Any of the Hatchet books in the series if your boys are into the outdoor survival thing.

Hope you find these helpful!

Cynthia

[Stephanie Paul]

I totally agree with Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Couldn't keep it on my shelves either. Some boys took it out more than once.