Reddit reviews American Boy's Handy Book

one book that really caught my eye when i was younger was

http://www.amazon.com/American-Boys-Handy-Daniel-Beard/dp/0804844038/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1458068521&sr=1-2&keywords=boys+outdoor+survival+guide

and then this one more so as a teen...

http://www.amazon.com/Camping-Woodcraft-Handbook-Travelers-Wilderness/dp/0870495569


they are both old texts, and really don't focus on what you shouldn't do, but all the really awesome shit you CAN do and make while you are outside. Safety advice isn't near as inspiring as awesome possibilities, and you cant be an outdoorsman if you don't want to get out there in the first place!

If your son is young enough to still enjoy being read to, definitely read gary paulson's "hatchet" and his other books, as well as "my side of the mountain" by some author i can't remember now. nothing makes camping more fun for a kid than having it relate to something awesome and enjoyable BEFORE his first experience relates more to mosquito bites and sleeping on an uncomfortable sleeping pad in a wet tent.