{"id":593,"date":"2026-02-15T14:57:48","date_gmt":"2026-02-15T20:57:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/?p=593"},"modified":"2026-02-15T14:57:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-15T20:57:48","slug":"books-my-boys-are-currently-loving-fun-reads-for-kids-ages-10-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/?p=593","title":{"rendered":"Books My Boys Are Currently Loving: Fun Reads for Kids Ages 10-12"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"788\" src=\"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/@readersgottaread1-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-600\" srcset=\"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/@readersgottaread1-1.png 940w, http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/@readersgottaread1-1-300x251.png 300w, http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/@readersgottaread1-1-768x644.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>My boys LOVE to read, and fostering a love of books has been a priority for my husband and I since they were born. In fact, the first thing I bought when I found out when I was pregnant with my oldest son was a collection of books that I loved as a child (see post <a href=\"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/?p=120\">here<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your child hasn\u2019t caught the reading bug yet, that\u2019s OK! A love for reading wasn\u2019t always the norm around our house, either. You can read my tips for reluctant readers <a href=\"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/?p=49\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some ways we\u2019ve encouraged reading:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>My husband and I read to them every night at bedtime.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We enroll them in as many summer reading programs as we can. Pizza + prizes = motivating<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I always say yes to books at Goodwill (they\u2019re only $1!)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If they\u2019re interested in a topic, we help them explore it \u2013 often including a library trip so they can dive deeper (see <a href=\"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/?p=405\">this post<\/a> for more info on that).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We\u2019ll read the book first and then watch the movie together. Favorites include <em>Charlotte\u2019s Web<\/em>, <em>The Lord of the Ring <\/em>trilogy and <em>Harry Potter 1-3<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Books My 10-Year-Old Is Loving Now: Funny &amp; Illustrated Reads<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"788\" src=\"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/@readersgottaread2-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-602\" srcset=\"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/@readersgottaread2-1.png 940w, http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/@readersgottaread2-1-300x251.png 300w, http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/@readersgottaread2-1-768x644.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>My younger son, age 10, is really into humor, silly stories and funny illustrations. These are the titles he can\u2019t put down right now:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4tHzVba\">13 Story Treehouse Series<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Terry and Andy, best friends and budding authors, build an imaginative 13-story treehouse. Each new book adds 13 stories to the existing treehouse and follows their hilarious adventures. (Books in series &#8211; 13)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4qBDwoo\">Bad Kitty Series<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bad Kitty is a grumpy housecat who is easily annoyed and creates havoc in her owner\u2019s home. Perfect for kids who love humor and quirky characters. (Books in series &#8211; ~13)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3ZCKLl2\">Cat Ninja Series<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A graphic novel series about Claude, a spoiled house cat with a secret ninja persona, protecting the town from bad guys. (Books in series &#8211; 6)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3MGdbYi\">Dead Sea Squirrels Series<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two petrified squirrels, Merle and Pearl, navigate the modern world with their friend Michael. Humor, adventure and Biblical lessons make this series a hit for young readers. Fun fact: The author of this series is also co-creator of <em>Veggie Tales<\/em>. (Books in series &#8211; 12)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3Ouz9hr\">Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Greg Heffley, a middle-schooler, records his life in his journal, complete with funny drawings and relatable situations. (Books in series &#8211; 20)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4ruw27G\">Geronimo Stilton Series<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These books are told by Geronimo Stilton, a mouse editor juggling chaos at <em>The Rodent\u2019s Gazette<\/em>. With 100+ books and themed series, there\u2019s no shortage of reading materials for kids who love adventure and humor. (Book in series &#8211; 80+ in main series)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Books My 12-Year-Old Is Loving Now: Survival Stories, War Fiction and Fantasy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"788\" src=\"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/@readersgottaread3-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-601\" srcset=\"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/@readersgottaread3-1.png 940w, http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/@readersgottaread3-1-300x251.png 300w, http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/@readersgottaread3-1-768x644.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>My older son, age 12, is diving into war fiction, survival adventures, and fantasy stories. These are his current favorites:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Alan Gratz Books<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Explore history from a kid\u2019s perspective with books about World War II, 9\/11, and the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Some of his favorites include: <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4cf3ACn\">Heroes<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3OHci2a\">Allies<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3ZyHSlb\">Refugee<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4rVqjba\">Survivors Series<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A fantasy series about a group of dogs who join together in a pack after a devastating earthquake leaves them without their humans. (Books in series &#8211; 6)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3ZyHWkV\">Hatchet Adventure Series<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow 13-year-old Brian as he learns wilderness survival after a plane crash leaves him stranded in the Canadian wilderness. (Books in series &#8211; 5)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4qHmBAS\">Seekers Series<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Four bears search for a safe place to live without human interaction and harassment. (Books in series &#8211; 6)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3ZD2Zmk\">Stranded Series<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Four children are shipwrecked on a South Pacific island, forced to survive with no adults or instructions to guide them. (Books in series &#8211; 6)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4aOzm7Q\">Sign of the Beaver<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Set in the 1700s Maine, 13-year-old Matt must survive alone on a homestead while his father returns to Massachusetts to bring back the rest of the family. Matt finds help from a Native American boy and is invited to join the tribe when Matt fears his family won\u2019t return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4rP3sOd\">The Wingfeather Saga<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Inspired by C.S. Lewis\u2019 <em>Chronicles of Narnia<\/em>, this fantasy series follows four siblings who discover they are heirs to a lost kingdom and must escape danger together. (Books in series &#8211; 4)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>How We Track the Books They Read<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While researching my post on <a href=\"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/?p=517\">best book tracking apps<\/a>, I discovered <a href=\"https:\/\/landing.beanstack.com\/mobile-app\">Beanstack<\/a>, a fantastic app for tracking children\u2019s reading. I wish I could go back and track every book my boys have read since birth, but I\u2019ve started this year \u2013 and it\u2019s been amazing to see their reading journey evolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I love watching their interests shift and discovering new quality books for kids together. They recommend books to each other and even to me. Part of the joy of reading is sharing stories with those you love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether it\u2019s funny illustrated books, fantasy adventures, or survival stories, the key is finding books your kids actually love to read. Encourage them, track their reads, and celebrate each story they finish. The love of reading is a gift that keeps growing, one book at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019d love to hear from you\u2014what books are your kids loving right now? Drop their favorites in the comments below so we can all discover our next family read!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Join the daily conversation on my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=61571135243421\">Facebook page<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/readersgottaread.blog\/\">Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>My boys LOVE to read, and fostering a love of books has been a priority for my husband and I since they were born. In fact, the first thing I bought when I found out when I was pregnant with my oldest son was a collection of books that I loved as a child (see [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[221,22],"tags":[385,390,386,336,387,388,189,389,393,392,394,391,395],"class_list":["post-593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-tracking","category-kids","tag-13-story-treehouse","tag-alan-gratz","tag-bad-kitty","tag-beanstack","tag-cat-ninja","tag-dead-sea-squirrels","tag-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid","tag-geronimo-stilton","tag-hatchet","tag-seekers","tag-sign-of-the-beaver","tag-survivors","tag-wingfeather"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=593"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/593\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":603,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/593\/revisions\/603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}