Reddit reviews Holes

Some non-girly recommendations:

• Leviathan trilogy by Scott Westerfeld, a retelling of WWI where the British have genetically engineered whale blimps and the Austro-Hungarian Empire uses mechas
  
• The Giver by Lois Lowry, which bears no relation to the movie trailer, but is about a boy in a utopian world given the task of remembering what it used to be like.
  
• Sideways Stories From Wayside School and similar by Louis Sachar, individual stories about 4-5th grade students at a wacky school.
  
• Holes, also by Louis Sachar, about a boy cursed with bad luck who ends up in a prison camp.
  
• Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan, about an orphan training to be a ranger in an introductory medieval fantasy world.
  
• Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, about an evil genius 12-year old who plans to kidnap and ransom a fairy.
  
  Would also recommend Tamora Pierce, even though she's "officially" girly. She writes about girls and boys training to be knights or mages.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio, about a boy with facial deformities who goes to public school for the first time.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, as recommended above.

Rules by Cynthia Lord, about a girl who has a brother with autism.

Pretty much anything by Laurie Halse Anderson, although her books tend to gear a little older than middle school (in my opinion, anyway).

Mockingbird by Erin Erskine, about a girl with aspergers.

The Thing About Luck, a National Book Award winner about a Japanese-American girl in the Midwest dealing with family issues.

Books that might be a stretch, but I'm not sure since I don't know all the details of your assignment (and some I just like for that age):

Holes by Lois Sachar. The Giver by Lois Lowry. Maniac Magee by Jerri Spinelli. Hoot by Carl Hiaasen. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool. Savvy by Ingrid Law.


Hope these help!

I'm so excited for your son to have fallen in love with reading - books are some of the best comforts one can have.

Ages 6 - 8 (some of these may be challenging)

Flora & Ulysses (Newbery Award winner) by Kate DiCamillo

I actually haven't read this book, but DiCamillo is an amazing author, and Newbery award winners are usually a safe bet. Tale of Despereaux is another great book of hers.

Everything written by Roald Dahl

Just in case he hasn't read them yet - I suggest Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, BFG, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Mathilda, James and the Giant Peach, and The Witches.

The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis

Fantastic fantasy series to prepare him for Lord of the Rings trilogy I'm sure he'll watch/read in the future. Fun fact: the authors were dear friends.

Ages 9 -12 (more challenging)

The Giver, by Lois Lowry

A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L'Engle

Holes, by Louis Sachar


Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls

Warning: he will cry at the end. Everyone cries at the end.

Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli

A runaway kid who starts a new life - like a children's version of Forrest Gump.

The A. I. Gang Trilogy, by Bruce Coville

• Operation Sherlock
  
  
  
• Robot Trouble
  
  
  
• Forever Begins Tomorrow
  
  
  Bruce Coville is a great children's author and this series would be right up your kid's alley if he likes spies. Five kids go to an island with their mad scientist parents and basically have amazing spy adventures. This series is geared toward 9+ years, but his other books and collections of stories are geared for younger kids (some of which are about aliens, which may appeal to his Star Wars attraction).
  
  There are so many more books out there, but I didn't want to overwhelm you with choices. Please let me know if there are a specific genre you'd think your son would be interested in, and I'll try to think of more (although I was much more into fantasy when I was younger). Your son is so lucky to have a parent who encourages his reading!!
  
  P.S. I LOVED The Phantom Tollbooth when I was younger :D