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Souljacker's avatar

What essential books should every teenage boy own?

Asked by Souljacker (57 points ) March 23rd, 2014

So I am researching on books that every teenage boy should own. I mean a survival guide of sorts, something that covers girls, hygiene and friends. Everything one needs to know, basically.

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19 Answers

Response moderated (Unhelpful)
Seek's avatar

This one is interesting.

If you had asked for teens in general, I’d suggest Etiquette Grrls’ Things You Need To Be Told and More Things You Need To Be Told, both of which have nice sections specifically directed to boys, and their advice on cellular phone use is priceless, even though the books are somewhat dated at this point (the first references use of pagers, specifically that one shouldn’t carry them unless they are a Doctor On Call or on a Transplant List)

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GloPro's avatar

Thug Kitchen Cookbook Every guy should have a few recipes up his sleeve, an this book in particular is going to appeal to younger men.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad I really wish my parents had given me more advice on money management.

Jonesn4burgers's avatar

I would agree with @GloPro on both choices. Also;
It’s Kind Of A Funny Story. (I don’t know who the author is. My daughter brought it home from the school library, and I read part of it.)

Hatchet
The River both by Gary Paulson

The Bar CodeTattoo by Suzanne Weyn.

While I listed some fiction here, I think that they still speak well to survival, tha struggles and mindset and how to overcome harsh circumstances. They also are an interesting read. One can’t learn much from a story which doesn’t hold them.

Response moderated (Off-Topic)
bolwerk's avatar

“There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.” source

Don’t let stupid shit go to your head and you can read anything you want.

ARE_you_kidding_me's avatar

The idiots guide to dating

the boy scout handbook

1984

28 days to the work you love

how to win friends and influence people

GloPro's avatar

@bolwerk I loved Lord of the Rings, great choice.
@Jonesn4burgers Hatchet was the book that got me so excited about survival skills. I’ve never forgotten it!

Darth_Algar's avatar

The Lord of the Rings certainly taught me everything I needed to know about girls and hygiene.

GloPro's avatar

Oh, wait. I meant Lord of the FLIES. I could never keep up with all of the names in Lord of the Ring.

kimchi's avatar

The Fault in Our Stars!
trust me, every teen has this book.

Kardamom's avatar

I totally forgot Great Expectations and David Copperfield by Charles Dickens.

bolwerk's avatar

Kind of surprised no one mentioned Catcher In The Rye, the paragon of needy teenage angst literature.

Darth_Algar's avatar

^^^^
The further I got into that book the more I wanted to punch Holden Caulfield, but then that probably would have just sent him into another angsty teenaged rant about “goddamn phonies”.

Dan_Lyons's avatar

I never did finish “Catcher in the Rye.” I would also suggest “Slaughterhouse Five” and then everything by Vonnegut.
Also I would not graduate from my teen years without having read Heinlein’s “Stranger in a Strange Land.”
And of course this 45 minute read, “Jonathon Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach.
And both “Atlas Shrugged” and Ayn Rand’s “The Fountainhead.”

Jonesn4burgers's avatar

Code Orange – by Caroline B. Cooney
My 12 year old daughter suggests this one. She reads years above her age level, and said it is a great read for teen boys.
Definately Jonathon Livingston Seagull! Like @Dan_Lyons said it’s a quick read, but very good for a teen to enjoy. I have suggested to my daughter to read it, but she keeps forgetting to look for it.

Dan_Lyons's avatar

Don’t forget the “Tomorrow File” by Lawrence Sanders, where money is now known as love.

Written in 1973 it somehow got overlooked amidst an abundance of other superlative works.
For any jellies who missed this one I suggest you give it a read,. It may be far more relevant now than it was then.

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