Parenting books on how to raise and teach children are a dime a dozen—and it can be difficult to determine which are truly the most helpful and relevant. With so many different, complicated aspects of a young boy’s life, parents often find they need additional resources to help them along.
The 16 books we’ve chosen below explore more than just teaching techniques. With a focus on boys, these reads explain why boys behave the way they do—and how parents can understand them better, and, by extension, raise them better, promoting healthy development in their youth and beyond, whether they attend public school or an all-boys private school like Fessenden.
1. Just Let the Kids Play: How to Stop Other Adults From Ruining Your Child’s Fun and Success in Youth Sports by Bob Bigelow, Tom Moroney, and Linda Hall
As the title suggests, Just Let the Kids Play is a boys parenting book that addresses the pressure adults place on young athletes. It is the first book of its kind to identify the broken youth sports system and what needs to be fixed in order to improve sportsmanship and decrease violence. Bob Bigelow, Tom Moroney, and Linda Hall challenge common views with harsh criticism, and, in turn, offer practical ways to rebuild youth sports so they better serve the physical and emotional needs of children.
2. Season of Life: a Football Star, a Boy, a Journey to Manhood
By Jeffrey Marx
This best-selling inspirational book tells the story of the author’s reunion with a childhood football hero, who is now a minister and coach. The author witnesses a passionate demonstration of the true meaning of manhood. Season of Life illustrates what it means to be a man of substance and impact. This moving story will resonate with athletes, coaches, parents, and just about anyone else struggling to make the right choices in life.
3. The Way of Boys by Dr. Anthony Rao
Boys will be boys, so it’s time we stopped trying to “fix” them. In this day and age, boys are commonly being subjected to medical and emotional diagnoses at much younger ages than ever before. The Way of Boys urges parents, professionals, and other developmental experts to reconsider and drastically change how we deal with the behavior of our youngest boys. This book not only celebrates the development of boyhood, but is also an expert guide on what to look for and expect in the normal growth of your son.
4. Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys by Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson
There is a nation of boys who are hurting—sad, afraid, angry, and silent. Kindlon and Thompson set out to answer this basic, crucial question: what do boys need that they’re not getting? By disproving myths and old ideals, the authors shed light on the emotionally damaging training our boys receive. They show how parents can help boys engage in emotional awareness, which can give them the vital connections and support they need to grow up in the pressures of the modern world.
5. Boys Should Be Boys: 7 Secrets to Raising Healthy Sons by Meg Meeker
Boys will always be rambunctious, adventurous, and curious. They will push their growing bodies to the limit as part of the rite of passage into manhood. In this parenting book, Dr. Meg Meeker explores the secrets surrounding rules, adventure, innocence, emotions, and big life questions. Raising sons is a daunting responsibility; the world often doesn’t appreciate the value of the high-spirited, magical nature of boys. This uplifting guide aims to help make the parenting job a little easier.
6. The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
In this parenting book, author Siegel and parenting expert Bryson offer a revolutionary approach to child-rearing with 12 key strategies that foster healthy brain development. The science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures is explained, and the book illustrates how the “upstairs brain” is under construction until a boy’s mid-20s. No wonder kids throw tantrums, fight, or sulk in silence. The Whole-Brain Child shows you how to encourage healthy emotional and intellectual development.
7. Raising Boys: Why Boys Are Different—and How to Help Them Become Happy and Well-Balanced Men by Steve Biddulph
Raising Boys is an international best-seller that has been published in 14 countries. This complete guide for parents, educators, and relatives includes chapters on testosterone, sports, and the differences between boys’ and girls’ brains. With gentle humor and proven wisdom, Raising Boys focuses on boys’ unique developmental needs to help them be happy and healthy at every stage of life.
8. Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood by William Pollack
Based on William Pollack’s groundbreaking research of over two decades at Harvard Medical School, Real Boys explores why many boys are sad, lonely, and confused, even though they may appear tough, cheerful, and confident. Only when we understand what boys are really like can we help them develop the self-confidence and emotional savvy they need to deal with real-life issues like depression, love, sexuality, drugs and alcohol, divorce, and violence.
9. The Wonder of Boys by Michael Gurian
This book describes what boys need to become strong, responsible, and sensitive men. Gurian shows how boys can get involved with the wrong crowds and how this rebellion becomes a necessary outlet when positive role models and adult support are not available. He offers advice on how to channel aggression and rebellion instead of stifling them. Most important, he explains what a boy really needs and how we can provide this support for the boys we love.
10. The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Sons from Falling Behind in School and Life by Michael Gurian and Kathy Stevens
Also written by Gurian, The Minds of Boys is the go-to resource for parents and educators on how to raise boys. It has sold more than 400,000 copies, been translated into 17 languages, and sells over 25,000 copies every year. Gurian and Stevens teach parents and educators how to help boys overcome their current classroom obstacles; how to work, nurture, and expand their potential; and how to enable them to succeed in life.
11. Decoding Boys: New Science Behind the Subtle Art of Raising Sons by Cara Natterson, M.D.
Have you ever found yourself wishing that your teenage son came with instructions? Cara Natterson’s book “Decoding Boys” may be as close as it gets to a manual for navigating your son’s adolescent years with grace and compassion. In it, she explains the biology behind puberty and the psychology that accompanies this critical period of development. Natterson offers practical advice for parents and teens on topics like social pressure, staying safe and being smart online, and understanding the wide spectrum of “normal” in adolescence. Kirkus Reviews called Decoding Boys, “Comforting … a common-sensical and gently humorous exploration of male puberty’s many trials."
12. Boy Mom: What Your Son Needs Most from You by Monica Swanson
Monica Swanson is a mother who has waded through the beautiful, and sometimes muddy, trenches of parenting boys. It’s a badge she wears with honor in Boy Mom as she explores the responsibility of parenting boys in today’s world. While her advice is influenced by her faith, her stories and experiences are universal to all parents and guardians. She shares personal stories, guidance, and inspiration along with the tools she has used to raise a boy with strength of body, mind, heart, and character.
13. Code 7: Cracking the Code for an Epic Life by Bryan R. Johnson
The best way to understand what it’s like to be a boy right now might be to step into his shoes. “Code 7” is a chapter book you can enjoy with your young reader (ages six to 10). Each chapter presents a story about one of seven main characters who are students at Flint Elementary School, and focuses on their positive character traits. According to the School Library Journal, “Readers will enjoy these stories involving a diverse group of likable children who find themselves in funny (and most likely, familiar) situations. Educators and parents will appreciate the life lessons of caring, having a strong work ethic, and embracing teamwork that are so important during a child’s formative years.”
14. Things My Son Needs to Know About the World by Fredrik Backman
Fredrik Backman’s collection of essays for his son reflect on fatherhood with humor and insight. Through all the fumbles and wins of parenting, Backman comes back to the heart of what it means to be a father. Each chapter imparts a lesson—from “What you need to know about being a man” to “What you need to know about what happened to the plastic singing giraffe”—each lesson is as valuable to dad as it is to mom and any caregiver in your son’s life. Publisher’s Weekly says, “All of the essays are connected by Backman’s belief that children should grow up ‘to be better than us … kinder, smarter, more humble, more generous, and more selfless than we are.”
15. Raising Boys Who Respect Girls: Upending Locker Room Mentality, Blind Spots, and Unintended Sexism by Dave Willis
Dave Willis is a father to four boys, and, in addition to being an author, he is a relationship coach. In “Raising Boys Who Respect Girls”, Willis tackles the increasingly challenging question of what it means to respect women in today’s society. He empowers parents and guardians with the tools and information they need to instill healthy values in boys. Publisher Thomas Nelson says, “Willis helps readers inventory the blind spots that lead to accidental forms of disrespect, showing how to root out issues in our own hearts before we inadvertently pass along these same issues to our boys.”
16. The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives by William Stixrud, Ph.D., and Ned Johnson
Is it possible to prevent stress and anxiety in high-performing students? Authors William Stixrud, Ph.D, and Ned Johnson explore this topic from a science-based perspective using real life case studies and the latest in neuroscience and behavioral therapy. They translate their findings into parenting practices you can use to empower your son and help him avoid the pitfalls of anxiety. Some of their advice includes nurturing healthy habits, providing a safe space at home to express themselves, using positive language rather than anxiety-provoking language, and offering them challenges that lead to growth and confidence.
