What should I read, Mario?
Mario and the gang are kind of sacred in our house, and not just because my husband and I grew up playing Super Mario Brothers. I mean, that is part of it, but it’s also what my husband and son bonded over, solidifying their father/son relationship.And since that first Halloween, then they dressed up as Mario and Luigi before it was popular, with home curated costumes and being rock stars,Mario has been a constant part of our household. Weather it be Mario cart, Mario part, or one of the other many games, we tend to play a lot of Mario in this house. So, now with the second Mario move out, have to ask, Mario, what should I read?
Now, before we jump into the list,I want to say that there are a million Mario and gang books and if I allowed it, this entire list could be just actual Mario books. But I didn’t. So this is just some of the books that are suggested for Mushroom Kingdom citizens and visitors alike to read, complete with links in case you are ready to adopt a title right here and now, and trust me, it will be tempting at the very least. Lastly, in true transparency, some of these titles might be more of a general gamer vibe as opposed to specific Mario Brothers vibe.
Children’s Books:
Super Mario Little Golden Book is for ages 3 and up. It’s a great introduction for little ones, parents or grandparents or anyone in between. This little Golden Book is less store,more introduction to some of those you frequently see in the
Most frequently seen in the Mushroom Kingdom. It's fun, nostalgic and the art it awesome.
Mario’s Big Adventure for ages 5-7 is based on the new movie, featuring the beloved characters of Princess Peach, Mario, Luigi, Toad and more! It’s a great way to use media such as movies to encourage reading!
13 Story Tree House series by Andy Griffiths (recommended for 6-9 year olds) follows best friends Terry and Andy as they struggle to write their next book. What’s the problem, you ask? Well it’s not writers block. It’s that the two live in a tree house like no other! Their tree house as 13
Stories, a see through pool, a secret underground lab and even a marshmallow machine that follows you around and feeds you marshmallows when you’re hungry by shooting them into your mouth!Surrounded by so many cool things, it’s no wonder they can’t seem to write their book!
Middle School Books:
Game Over Mad Libs for ages 9 and over is perfect for kids like mine! My kids love mad libs. They have so much fun coming up with crazy, ridiculous and silly stories. I love that it helps reinforce and explore the parts of language and to listen to their giggles as they find the latest funniest thing.
Mad Libs is a great option for road trips, airplane flights,restaurants and so many other situations in which their expected to sit calmly and wait.
Game Over by M.C Ross follows Kara, a girl in a world in which the HIVE has everyone addicted…everyone but her. She just wants to find her missing mother. But things change, especially when updates are dropped into the HIVE, trapping everyone, even Kara.
Game Over, Pete Watson by Joe Schreiber follows Pete Watson, an avid video game player. He's $20 short of having enough to buy the new video game he has to have!We’ve all been there! So, like many of us would do, he starts looking for ways to make that last $20. But when he sells an old arcade g
of his father’s to an exterminator, he learns a few things like, 1.) Not everyone is who you think they are. You dad could turn out to be a spy and the exterminator could be a villain. 2. How to fight evil villains, giant bugs and other threats. 3. How to impress, (or not to impress) girls. Good luck, Pete Watson!
The Eye of Minds by james Dashner is the first in a series in which the VirtNet is everything, but it’s even more fun when you can hack it and play by your own rules. But some rules are not made to be broken and one hacker is learning just that, with murderous results. The government is watching
But hasn’t found much success in catching him. Knowing that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker, the government turns to Michael to explore where no human eyes have explored before and help them stop the deadly hacker the government is seeking.
Click here To Start by Denis Markall (10+) follows 12-year-old Ted, lover of video games. When his great-uncle dies and leaves his treasure to Ted, Ted finds himself making his way through his uncle’s over stuffed apartment full of junk. But when he realizes that his uncle set up his
Apartmen like an escape room, he starts to conquer his task like it’s a video game.
In the Trapped in a Video Game series by Dustin Brady, Jesse hates video games! Ok, so a video game character is trying to kill him, so I guess he’s got cause.
In the first installment of Trapped in a Video Game, Jesse and his friend find themselves
Trapped in a video game. But they soon realize that the giant man eating praying mantis and other monsters aren't their only threat. Someone, or something, is following them and if they don’t figure out exactly what is happening soon, they may be stuck in the video game forever!
YA Books:
I’m sure you’re not surprised to see Ready Player One by Ernest Cline on this list. In this first of the series, Wade Watts feels whole when he is jacked into OASIS. It’s far better then the harsh, ugly reality 2045 brought with it. So when the creator of OASIS dies with an unexpected
Conditions in his will, Wade is only one of many who decide to compete to be the first to solve the puzzles n survive through the the entire competition will receive the riches and control over OASIS. But, while Wade is smart, he quickly becomes the target of those who will do anything to win.
Adult Books:
Ok, so Super Mario brothers Encyclopedia isn’t just for the more mature readers. But,I thought it fit best with the adult books. This encyclopedia follows the first 30 years of Mario, from Super Mario Brothers through Mario 3D world. From the evolution of characters, the birth of favorite
Friends to reliving some of your favorite levels, or your least favorite. (We don’t judge.) This book is jammed packed with tidbits, nostalgia and the Mushroom Kingdom.
Again, I’m not sure that Rosilina’s Storybook is just for mature audiences, but this seemed to be the place it fit best so here we are.
This is the story of a little girl and her friend Luma as they
Meet, grow and solidify a bond like no other. It even includes some art and story from Super Mario Galaxy!
An Accident of Dragons by Cheri Radke is a cozy fantasy perfect for anyone feeling a little imposter syndrome (which I tend to feel a lot when I'm gaming).
This is the story of Teddy, the unexpected chosen one to bond with the dragoness of Summer.While he’s expected to be able to
to do so much, he struggles with what he can and hides what he can’t. So when his daughter is kidnapped and he finds himself on an adventure to save the princess of sorts, he doesn’t expect to find new friends and new understandings of himself.
The Unofficial Super Mario Cookbook may not be the kind of book you sit down and read, but it is a book to bond over. Mixing together delicious recipes, stunning images, fun designs and beloved characters, this book shares over 50 recipies
With a sprinkle of Mario Brothers trivia thrown in for good measure. While it’s not a novel, it is the perfect way to bring video games into the kitchen for Mario fans of all ages!
Speaking of trivia, Next Level Super Mario Trivia has got even the most super of super fans covered! Filled with real life stats, story lore, questions that will make you think and more!
How Nintendo Conquered America by Jeff Ryan explores the journey Nintendo made from on the verge of failure to pulling itself up with Donkey Kong to the hold that Nintendo currently has in America.
Super Mario Manga is a collection of stories surrounding Mario and friends across the worlds of Mario Brothers.
But those are just some of many titles! What title would your recommend to fans of Super Mario Brothers? Let us know in the comments.
