I have a confession to make. Since discovering the absolute genius that is audiobooks (see here for a primer on how to get started if you’ve never read with your ears before), I’m rapidly reverting back to the bookworm I was as a child.
It’s glorious.
I’ve even participated in a mini book club with my mom friends about the book Little Girls Can Be Mean. Having started exploring the topic of parenting girls, I now want delve into the subject of sons (appropriate since I have two of them).
So, of course, I turned to our resident librarian, Janssen, and she didn’t disappoint. Here she is..
A lot of you know I’ve already written a post about parenting books for raising girls. It was so popular, we decided we needed to do a boy version too!
So here are the ten books not to miss if you’re raising little men:
- Boys Should Be Boys: 7 Secrets to Raising Healthy Sons by Meg Meeker. I love Meg Meeker. She’s smart and her books about parenting are so useful and relatable. Her book Strong Mothers, Strong Sons: Lessons Mothers Need to Raise Extraordinary Men is also worth a read.
- Masterminds and Wingmen: Helping Our Boys Cope with Schoolyard Power, Locker-Room Tests, Girlfriends, and the New Rules of Boy World by Rosalind Wiseman. If you’re struggling to connect with your son or figure out why he’s so emotionally distant, this book is a lifesaver, as it walks you through “boy world” and its unwritten rules.
- Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys by Stephen James. As any parent knows, raising children is definitely more of an art than a science. This book focuses on the physical, emotional, and spiritual elements of a young boy and how to help them grow and develop into the man you want him to be.
- That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week: Helping Disorganized and Distracted Boys Succeed in School and Life by Ana Homayoun. This author is an educational consultant and she’s seen enough boys in the school system to understand why even super smart boys struggle within the framework of a typical school. And she offers a lot of strategies to help you and him cope. If you know your son can handle the information in school but is having trouble staying on top of school work, this book will prove invaluable.
- What a Son Needs from His Mom by Cheri Fuller. Parenting a son can be difficult for a mom because she’s never been a boy, young or otherwise. This book is filled with practical wisdom for becoming the mom your son can turn to and rely on throughout his life.
- Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men by Leonard Sax. I read this long before I had children and found it utterly fascinating. I can only imagine how much more interesting and useful it would be now that I’m actually a parent, going through these stages with children of my own.
- How Do You Tuck In a Superhero?: And Other Delightful Mysteries of Raising Boys by Rachel Balducci. If you want less advice and more commiseration, this is the perfect laugh-out-loud read about a real mom raising her five wild and delightful boys. It’s a perfect gift for a new mom expecting her first little boy, too.
- The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money by Ron Lieber. Money is such a tricky issue with kids. How do you deal with allowance? Do you tell them how much you make? When do you say no and when do you say yes? This book is full of good ideas, useful tactics, and interesting stories to help you raise children that appreciate money and know how to use it well.
- The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults by Frances E. Jensen and Amy Ellis Nutt. We all know that the teenage years can be hugely stressful on both teenagers and their parents. Happily, this book gives a lot of insight into what’s going on in their brains and how you can help them (and you!) navigate these crucial years.
- The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson. What do you get when a neuropsychiatrist and a parenting expert join forces? This fantastic book, with twelve strategies for raising calmer, happier children. It’s jammed with age-appropriate strategies for dealing with the daily issues that come up with children and you’ll wonder how you parented without it.
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Janssen
Blogs at at Everyday Reading
Janssen is a former librarian and avid reader who is always maxing out her library card. She now stays at home with her three young daughters (with another girl on the way) and blogs about books for readers of all ages, her favorite recipes, and parenting adventures at Everyday Reading.
Latest posts by Janssen (see all)
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