40+ kind, clever, smart, hardworking, and creative boys in children’s literature

After you all helped me compile a list of awesome girls in books every kid should read, I asked you about your favorite boys in children’s literature. A bunch of Joy Makin’ Mamas and Papas, the odd English Teacher or two, and some dudes who just love books weighed in to create this (very long) list, and thereby expand my summer reading list by quite a bit! Thank you all so much for your help. Without further ado, here are your favorite boys in literature!

  • Encyclopedia Brown
  • The Lost Boys from Peter pan
  • Harry Potter
  • Tom sawyer
  • Huck Finn
  • Christopher robin
  • Charlie Bone
  • Fidelio Gunn
  • Jack (from The Magic Tree House series)
  • Stanley Yelnats (Holes)
  • Peeta
  • Frodo
  • Dak (Infinity Ring series)
  • Dan Cahill (The 39 Clues)
  • Peter from the Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
  • Tom Shaw in An Old Fashioned Girl
  • Jo’s Boys (Louisa May Alcott)
  • Heo the printer’s devil (Westmark)
  • Will Stanton (The Dark is Rising)
  • Kit Rodriguez (So You Want To Be A Wizard)
  • Bastian and Atreu (The Neverending Story)
  • Charles Wallace (Wrinkle in Time and sequels)
  • Danny, the Champion of the World
  • Jasper Dash (Whales on Stilts and sequels)
  • Calamity Jack (Rapunzel’s Revenge and sequel)
  • Briar (Circle of MAgic series)
  • Johnny Maxwell (Only You Can Save Mankind and sequels)
  • Mau (Nation)
  • if non-humans count, then Nurk, A Very Brave Shrew would be a good one
  • Benjamin from (George)
  • Bruno and Boots from the Macdonald Hall books
  • Samuel and Stands Straight from The Arrow Over The Door
  • Tom Swift Jr.
  • Tom “The Great Brain” Fitzgerald (The “Great Brain” series by John Fitzgerald)
  • Johnny Tremain
  • Alex Rider (from the series by Anthony Horowitz)
  • Percy Jackson (The Lightning Thief, et. al)
  • Bilbo and Frodo Baggins- and Samwise Gamgee (although Lord of the Rings may not count as Children’s Literature- YMMV)
  • Shrek (you knew there was actually a book series there, right?)
  • Artemis Fowl
  • Jack Sawyer from Stephen King and Peter Straub’s The Talisman
  • Ender Wiggin from Ender’s Game
  • Tasslehoff Burrfoot from the Dragonlance: Chronicles Trilogy
  • Derek Dynamo from Super Dinosaur

About Meghan G

I like blues, punk, and crime drama. I love having boys, keeping active, and the outdoors. I'm a cat person, but I think dogs should have equal opportunities.

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3 Comments on “40+ kind, clever, smart, hardworking, and creative boys in children’s literature”

  1. You just did my job for this week!!! I wanted to sit and find out books which had boys as a main character so I could recommend them during summer reading. Thanks for compiling this list!!

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