<p>My son was never a science fiction fan. He enjoyed Jon Krakauer, John Irving, and Pat Conroy at that age. Those along with “Catcher in the Rye,” “On the Road,” “Flowers for Algernon,” “Catch-22,” “The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” and “The Kite Runner” are still among his “favorite books” picks on his Facebook page. (Along with, I’m happy to say, the books I read to him when he was a toddler: “The Little House,” “Where the Wild Things Are” and “Chicka-Chicka-Boom-Boom.”)</p>
<p>And John Green is quite simply a national treasure! I don’t know one person who doesn’t enjoy his books.</p>
<p>One Hundred Percent Lunar Boy by Stephen Tunney. It’s about a high school boy who lives on a lunar colony, and both I and my kid enjoyed reading it. The characters are really interesting and the story line combines science fiction with a road trip adventure. Seriously, I can’t recommend this one enough. I heard that a movie is in the works. </p>
<p>At that age my S liked the plot driven type of books at that age. He read all the Ian Flemming James Bond books, and lot of books by John Grisham (ex. The Firm, A Time to Kill etc.), Robin Cook (ex. Coma, Fever etc.) and other similar writers (James Patterson, David Baldacci) If you are desperate and he has a favorite tv show, check amazon because they make some tv shows into serial books – they are pretty junky but they are what got my son hooked on reading years ago. IMO it is more important that he read than that he read great books. Once he re-discovers a joy of reading the rest will follow. As a young adult, my S now enjoys all kind of books.</p>
<p>Another vote for Stephen King. Start with the short stories and the shorter novels. I also like the idea of Malcolm X, I plan on having my reluctant reader try that one this summer. Has he read some of the YA fiction that has been made into movies, like Hunger Games? </p>
<p>Edited to add maybe spy novels?</p>
<p>I can’t imagine any boy spending the summer reading Jane Austen or even classics like The Great Gatsby.</p>
<p>My kids read mostly sci fi and fantasy, but if your kid would rather read thrillers or mysteries that’s fine too. Or maybe even non-fiction about sports or medical mysteries.</p>
<p>You’ve had some good sci-fi suggestions. Not mentioned, but my kids also liked David Weber’s Honor Harrington books and Joe Haldeman’s The Forever War books (military sci fi)</p>
<p>For fantasy my kids also liked Garth Nix ( especially the Abhorson trilogy). Diane Duane’s various series.</p>
<p>For thrillers, Tom Clancy, Alistair McClean, Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, Lee Child.</p>
<p>For autobiography - Surely your Joking, Mr. Feynman (very funny early life of a Nobel prize winning physicist). There’s a sequel too. Boy and Solo by Roald Dahl. Horrific childhood followed by adventures flying with the RAF in WW2. </p>
<p>For interesting essays: Freakonomics by Stephen Dubner. The Man Who mistook his Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks. (Many more collections if he likes that.)</p>
<p>Also he could try short story collections - not a genre I care for, but you could do worse than reading Edgar Allan Poe or Sherlock Holmes.</p>
<p>At that age my sons liked books by Carl Deuker. Especially “Heart of a Champion”. I also read it and liked it. I used to buy my middle son his latest book as a Christmas present and this last year, he gave ME the latest book. I loved that he remembered. That, or he was hoping to get to read it when I was done. He is now 30.</p>
<p>Guess im the only dude who likes sappy romance books lol…</p>
<p>As others have suggested, thrillers may be good-- John Sanford, Lee Child, Dan Brown, Jeffrey Deaver. As a teen I liked Kurt Vonnegut a lot; though my daughter didn’t. If he likes Jon Krakauer, then others in that non-fiction vein are “Devil in the White City”, “Isaac’s Storm”, “Endurance”, “In the Heart of the Sea”, “Perfect Storm”. All of those, while true, may be classified as “thrillers”. </p>
<p>The Game of Thrones series is a good suggestion (my son devoured those at that age). But be warned, they are full of sex and violence (or so I’m told anyway). I’m a libertarian when it comes to what my kids read, but other parents may not be the same.</p>
<p>If he likes science essays, any of Stephen Jay Gould’s collections are fun reads, too. (Although I’ll admit that my kids don’t find him nearly as amusing and interesting as I do.) </p>
<p>The Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher. (Detective thrillers featuring Chicago’s only practicing wizard.)</p>
<p>If he likes Jon Krakauer-esque adventures, try Alone on the Ice, Ice Masters, Ice Blink: The Tragic Fate of Sir John Franklin’s Lost Polar Expedition, In the Land of the White Death, Endurance: Shackelton’s Incredible Voyage, Touching the Void, Deadliest Sea: The Untold Story Behind the Greatest Rescue in Coast Guard History.</p>
<p>Not gonna happen. It’s very likely his brain has been corrupted by technology via iPhone, iPad and TV and laptop… and an interest in girls. I predict a summer with a very frustrated mom and a teenage son that starts hating you. Not kidding.</p>
<p>Until Southern Hope chimes back in with his son’s preferences, I’m not sure what to recommend - there’s a wide gulf between Nicholas Sparks and “Game of Thrones.”</p>
<p>Although I love the classics myself, there are so many amazing Young Adult novels out there now, and I know that boys often prefer nonfiction to fiction.</p>
<p>Some suggestions:
<a href=“http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/06/ready-set-read-summer-fiction-ideas-for-kids-of-all-ages/”>http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/06/ready-set-read-summer-fiction-ideas-for-kids-of-all-ages/</a>
A list of summer reading lists: <a href=“Cybraryman Internet Catalogue”>Cybraryman Internet Catalogue</a> </p>
<p>The Hunger Games and the Divergent Series. Both are ultrapopular and easy to read.</p>
<p>The Expanse series by James S.A. Corey (first book is “Leviathan Wakes”), “Fault in Our Stars” (John Green), The Martian (astronaut gets accidentally left behind on Mars), River of Doubt (Theodore Roosevelt exploring a tributary of the Amazon after his presidency), Year Zero (about aliens who owe Earth royalties under copyright laws for music streaming out into the galaxy)</p>
<p>
D’s bf is going to be an English major. Gatsby is one of his favorite books. And I assure you I have on good authority that he’s a boy. Stereotype much?</p>
<p>What about non-fiction? Is there some topic he would like to know more about?</p>
<p>Also, he might be more interested in reading shorter things like magazine type articles rather than whole books. </p>
<p>I have to say that Gatsby is the one book that has been taught with passion by the teachers at D’s school. And it’s catching…I’ve been impressed by how sophisticated and in-depth the discussions I’ve overheard regarding Gatsby have been compared to other books that were included in the curriculum this year. </p>
<p>I have a 15 year old son that likes to read and buys books that he reads over and over. Here are
some of the books/authors that he likes:
The Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher.
The Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and The Kane Chronicles both by Rick Riordan
The Beyonders series by Brandon Mull
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson </p>
<p>John Steinbeck has some short stories and shorter novels that a young man may enjoy reading. And, maybe reading a biography or autobiography on Steinbeck first would help him get into reading the novels.</p>