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Great Books for Boys

Kidsreads.com Founder Carol Fitzgerald frequently has been told by mothers how difficult it is to get their sons to read. Some are busy participating in sports and other extracurricular activities, watching television, playing video games and surfing the Internet, while others simply don't like to read, no matter how much free time they may have.

This inspired her to enlist her son Cory, an avid reader, to compile a list of books that he thinks are great reads for boys. Included are series titles and stand-alone fiction that cover a variety of genres: fantasies, mysteries, thrillers, action/adventure novels and historical fiction. While many of these selections also will appeal to girls, they especially will capture the attention of boys, who often are much more reluctant readers.

Here are the titles we’ve added most recently:

THE BATBOY by Mike Lupica COSMIC by Frank Cottrell Boyce KINGDOM KEEPERS III: DISNEY IN SHADOW by Ridley Pearson LORD SUNDAY by Garth Nix MAXIMUM RIDE #6: FANG by James Patterson MILLION-DOLLAR THROW by Mike Lupica PETER AND THE SWORD OF MERCY by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson POWERLESS by Matthew Cody STEEL TRAPP: THE ACADEMY by Ridley Pearson THE UNUSUAL MIND OF VINCENT SHADOW by Tim Kehoe A WHOLE NOTHER STORY by Dr. Cuthbert Soup

The 39 Clues, Book One: The Maze Of Bones by Rick Riordan

What would happen if you discovered that your family was one of the most powerful in human history? What if you were told that the source of the family's power was hidden around the world in the form of 39 clues? What if you were given a choice --- take a million dollars and walk away ...or get the first clue and begin the search? At the reading of their grandmother's will, Dan and Amy are given this choice --- and they take the clue. Immediately, they are caught in a dangerous race against their own family members. The hunt is on. 

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The 39 Clues, Book Two: One False Note by Gordon Korman

Amy and Dan Cahill were spotted on a train, hot on the trail of one of 39 Clues hidden around the world. But wait! Police report a break-in at an elite hotel, and the suspects also sound suspiciously like Amy and Dan. Update! Amy and Dan have been seen in a car . . . no, in a speedboat chase . . . and ... hold everything! They're being chased by an angry mob?!

When there's a Clue on the line, anything can happen.

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The 39 Clues, Book Three: The Sword Thief by Peter Lerangis

Amy and Dan Cahill have been located once again, this time in the company of the notoriously unreliable Alistair Oh. Could they have been foolish enough to make an alliance?
Spies report that Amy and Dan seem to be tracking the life of one of the most powerful fighters the world has ever known. If this fearsome warrior was a Cahill, his secrets are sure to be well-guarded . . . and the price to uncover them just might be lethal.

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The 39 Clues, Book Four: Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson

A Clue found in Book Three sends Amy and Dan jetting off to find out just what's behind the fierce rivalry between the Tomas and Ekaterina branches of the Cahill family. Was a Clue stolen from the Tomas branch? Where is it now? And most important, can Amy and Dan get their hands on it before their rivals do?

It's a wild race that will take Amy and Dan deep into the bowels of the earth . . . and right into the hands of the enemy.

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The 39 Clues, Book Five: The Black Circle by Patrick Carman

Where are Amy and Dan Cahill? The two kids were last seen in Egypt, hunting for one of the 39 Clues that could make them the most powerful people on earth. But no one has seen the siblings since. Has the ruthless Irina Spasky finally tracked them down? Or worse . . . the Madrigals?

No one knows where the Clue hunt leads next. But one thing is certain --- Book Five is gearing up to be Dan and Amy's most dangerous adventure yet.

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The 39 Clues, Book Six: In Too Deep by Jude Watson

The 39 Clues gets treacherous. Book six takes Amy and Dan across oceans on the trail of a famous aviator, but they find more than they're looking for. Their enemies are becoming more vicious, and the truths they discover more crushing than ever.

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The 39 Clues, Book Seven: The Viper’s Nest by Peter Lerangis

It's no longer a game. The body count is rising. Shaken by recent events, Amy and Dan flee to an exotic land and trace the footsteps of their most formidable ancestor yet: a military leader of mythic proportions. Yet just as the siblings begin to master the art of ancient warfare, they confront a dangerous enemy that can't be felled with a sword: the truth. With the stakes higher than ever, Amy and Dan uncover a devastating secret that changes everything.

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The 39 Clues, Book Eight: The Emperor's Code by Gordon Korman

As the race to find the 39 Clues builds to its explosive finish, Amy and Dan must explore an ancient culture and steal a Clue guarded by thousands of the world's best-trained soldiers. It's the most dangerous Clue search yet. As their enemies crowd in, Amy and Dan find themselves separated for the first time ever. The choice lies before them --- find the next Clue or find their way back to each other.

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The 39 Clues, Book Nine: Storm Warning by Linda Sue Park

Throughout the hunt for the 39 Clues, Amy and Dan have encountered some of the darkest aspects of history . . . and had to deal with the role their family played. But are they ready for the truth? In this thrilling ninth installment, Amy and Dan hit the high seas as they follow the trail of some infamous ancestors to track down a long lost treasure. However, the real prize isn’t hidden in a chest. It's the discovery of the Madrigals' most dangerous secret and, even more shockingly, the true identity of the mysterious man in black.

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The 39 Clues, Book Ten: Into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Throughout the hunt for the 39 Clues, Amy and Dan Cahill have uncovered history's greatest mysteries and their family's deadliest secrets. But are they ready to face the truth about the Cahills and the key to their unmatched power? After a whirlwind race that's taken them across five continents, Amy and Dan face the most the difficult challenge yet --- a task no Cahill dared to imagine. When faced with a choice that could change the future of the world, can two kids succeed where 500 years worth of famous ancestors failed?

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