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Do you have a boy who would rather be climbing a tree, hiking in the woods, hunting with his dog, fishing, or making his own DIY survival kit than almost anything else? Then this outdoor boy booklist is for you! And, your outdoor boy;)
The outdoor boy booklist is a compilation of books for the boy who loves the great outdoors and all things survival skills. A boy just like mine who is more at home among the trees than in his own room.
The titles in this list are some of our absolute favorites. Ones that we have read-aloud over the years or that my son has read on his own and found worthy of the outdoor boy booklist.
Outdoor Boy Booklist
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
My side of the Mountain has to be the first title on an outdoor boy booklist. We have read this book countless times. Sam is a boy from New York City who desperately wants to live on his own in the wilderness. So, he leaves home and heads into the Catskills and puts all his survival skills to the test for an entire year. It is full of wildlife adventures, building shelters, finding food, making clothing… And, a special relationship with a falcon he his determined to train. It is everything a boy who dreams of the woods would love.
My Side of the Mountain Trilogy by Jean Craighead Geroge
Sam and Frightful’s adventures continue in the remaining two books in this series, On the Far Side of the Mountain and Frightful’s Mountain.
There’s An Owl in the Shower by Jean Craighead George
This is a story of a logger’s son who heads to the woods to find the spotted owls whom he blames for his father’s unemployment. But, instead of finding a place to lay blame he finds an owlet. He can’t help but pity the baby owl and he brings it home to care for it. Your outdoor boy will love hearing the story of how this owl steals the hearts of his adoptive, family. It also provides lots of opportunity for conversations about how real-life decisions are never black and white.
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Billy Coleman lives in the Ozark mountains during the Great Depression. He dreams of having a great hunting team and spends years saving the money he needs to buy just the right dogs. A classic boy and dog story.
A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements
This story is set in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Mark is the new kid after a move he didn’t want to make. And, to make things worse his teacher thinks he’s just a spoiled kid. When the class goes on their yearly Week in the Woods trip Mark decides to head off into the woods alone to prove to his teacher that he can take care of himself.
Tree Castle Island by Jean Craighead George
This story is set in Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp. Jack is 14 years old and sets off an adventure into the swamp. But, he gets lost and has to stay in the swamp using his survival skills and knowledge to help him find food, make shelter, and ultimately survive. This story has a big twist at the end.
The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt
A pair of raccoon brothers and a young boy come together to save the Sugar Man Swamp. This story will take you through every emotion as you cheer on the raccoon scouts and 12-year-old Chap. My son loved hearing the story from the perspective of the humorous raccoon scouts as they worked hard to protect the swamp.
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
This classic wilderness survival story is another one you might remember from your childhood. Matt is a young teenage boy entrusted with the task of watching over his family’s new homestead in Maine while his father travels back to Massachusetts to get his mother and siblings. He encounters trials and finds friends in unexpected places that teach him what he needs to know to survive.
Wild Life by Cynthia DeFelice
This is a story about a boy, a dog, and North Dakota. The story centers around a boy named Eric, whose parents are army reservists. When they both get called to Iraq, Eric is sent to North Dakota to stay with his grandparents. Tensions run high as pieces of the families past comes to light and Eric runs away with his dog. Believing he can survive alone in the rural wilderness of the North Dakota Praire.
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
This story is a classic survival tale. After a plane crash leaves 13-year-old Brian the only survivor, he must find a way to survive and hope for rescue. *This story does contain scenes of the dead pilot and also references the infidelity that ended Brian’s parent’s marriage. If these are topics you don’t want your child to read alone you could pre-read or use it as a read aloud. I read this one to my son and we talked about the topics as they came up.
The River by Gary Paulsen
After surviving the Canadian wilderness and returning safely home the government comes to Brian and asks him to do it again! This time they want to study him and see what he did to stay alive. He’s accompanied by a psychologist who will observe his survival skills. But, of course, everything goes wrong and Brian is left fighting for survival again in this sequel to Hatchet.
Check out my Book Lists board on Pinterest to get more great ideas for books by grade level and topic.
https://www.pinterest.com/poolnoodlespixiedust/book-lists/
I hope you find a new title on this list and have fun reading with your boy!
Heidi
