This page is an extension of our popular page called “Clean YA books for teens, tweens, or anyone.” One of the common requests we receive from that page is clean book recommendations for teen boys, so we’ve compiled a list of clean YA reads that are teen boy-approved.
There are two sections to this page:
- The first is our editor-recommended books.
- The second is our reader-recommended books.
For the reader-recommended section, we haven’t read each of the titles listed, but rather, some were suggestions from trusted websites as well as from our awesome readers.
Please share your recommendations below in the comments! We’d love for this list to grow quickly since our readers ask us for it often. We are particularly looking for non-fantasy titles.
Also, see our editor-recommended Clean YA books for teens, tweens, or anyone for more ideas.
Please join our mailing list for readers who are looking for clean teen books:
Editor-Recommended Clean Books for Teen Boys:
The Inheritance Cycle series by Christopher Paolini 
Editor-Recommended books with elevated violence only
Wolf Soldier (*violence warning*)
Ender’s Game (*violence warning*)
The Hunger Games (*violence warning*)
Maze Runner (*violence warning*)
Mortal Engines (*violence warning*)
Devastation Class (*some violence*)
Reader-Recommended Clean Books for Boys:
The Martian (Classroom Edition)
Peter Nimble duology by Jonathan Auxier
Thief of Always by Clive Barker
The Witch’s Boy by Kelly Barnhill
The Door Within trilogy by Wayne Thomas Batson
Isle of Swords series by Wayne Thomas Batson
Peter and the Starcatchers series by Dave Berry
Hostage: Bodyguard series by Chris Bradford
The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubraker Bradley
The Heritage of Shannara by Terry Brooks
Mickey Bolitar series by Harlan Coben
Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer
Dragons in Our Midst series by Bryan Davis
Echoes from the Edge trilogy by Bryan Davis
The Young Refugees series by Ed Dunlop
Michael Vey series by Richard Paul Evans
The Brotherband Chronicles by John Flanagan
The Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan
The Blackhope Enigma trilogy by Teresa Flavin
The Heir of Ariad by Niki Florica
Spy School series by Stuart Gibbs
The Half Bad trilogy by Sally Green
Theodore Boone series by John Grisham
The Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz
The Seer: The Kalila Chronicles by Erin R. Howard
Red Rock Mysteries by Jerry B. Jenkins (probably not for older teens)
Children of the Lamp series by P. B. Kerr (probably not for older teens)
Young Sherlock Holmes series by Andy Lane
The King Raven Trilogy by Stephen Lawhead
Dreamhouse Kings series by Robert Lipanulo
The Giver series by Lois Lowry
The Unwanteds series by Lisa McMann
Greenglass House series by Kate Milford
The Beyonders Trilogy by Brandon Mull (some violence)
Dragonwatch series by Brandon Mull
The Five Kingdoms Quintet by Brandon Mull (some violence but not as much as Beyonders)
Forbidden Doors series by Bill Myers
Galendor trilogy by W. Eric Myers
Children of the Red King series by Jenny Nimmo
Dragon Keepers series by Donita K. Paul
The Cooper Kids Adventure series by Frank E. Peretti (for younger readers)
Children of the Stars by Freddie Perez
The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson
Track series by Jason Reynolds
Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series by Ransom Riggs (creepy)
Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians series by Brandon Sanderson
Arc of a Scythe series by Neal Shusterman (violence)
The Dark Side of Nowhere by Neal Shusterman
Unwind Dystology series by Neal Shusterman
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart
The Legends of the First Empire series by Michael J. Sullivan
Wings of Fire series by Tui Sutherland
The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner (for younger readers)
The Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells
The Leviathan trilogy by Scott Westerfeld
Classic Novels
The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas
The Three Musketeers by Alexndre Dumas
Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Gregor the Overlander 5 book series
Thanks, Jill!
I loved “The Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells” however there is a lot of swearing. The sci-fi aspect is great, as is the character of Murderbot. But I wouldn’t recommend to younger than 16+ (depending on your household rules around swearing, of course).
Has anyone read The Alchemist? I am considering it for my (just) 13 yo son. I am afraid to purchase books without doing major research at this point. I won’t have time to read it before he does for his bookreport.
He enjoyed the first two CS Lewis books and has read (in school) a couple Percy Jackson books if that helps.
I wish I could help you, but I haven’t read that one. Hopefully, another reader will respond. Good luck!
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho should be fine (depending on the translator, though). There is a little romance, but nothing inappropriate.
-The Kingdom Series and Knights of Arrethteae Series by Chuck Black
-Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson
Correction: Arrethtrae
Thanks for your suggestions!
Scythe isn’t appropriate. It has romance.
Careful with the Wings of Fire series. By book6, they have introduced same sex relationships between dragons and there is a transgender dragon as well in either book 6 or 7.
Thank you , thank you, thank you for this warning!!! I hope it keeps many people from introducing this garbage to their impressionable children.
Brandon Sanderson books have language.
Thank you for this list!!!
You’re welcome! Hope it helps! Let us know if you have books to add!