Sunday, August 31, 2008
Boys Read Boy's Books - Scouting Magazine
A good article in the September issue of Scouting Magazine on getting boys to read by giving them books they will enjoy.
Jon Scieszka, author of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, can picture his reading audience quite precisely.An easy read, the article is short and informative with a short list of recommended books for boys of different ages.
“It’s those knuckleheaded boys who are sitting in the back of the classroom,” he says with a laugh. “I want to engage them and make them sit up.”
Scieszka, recently appointed the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the Library of Congress, isn’t the only one thinking about boy readers. Studies show boys aren’t reading as much as girls, and it’s affecting their success in school.
Why?
The short answer, says Scieszka: “Boys often have to read books they don’t really like. They don’t get to choose what they want to read.”
The bottom line: Boys need more exposure to the kinds of books that excite them. “We know a great deal about the reading interests of teen and preteen boys,” says Brozo.
Surveys and studies show that boys prefer topics and genres such as humor, horror, adventure, informational books, science fiction, crime and detective, ghost stories, sports, war, biography, historical novels, and graphic novels.
These kinds of books “appeal to boys because the fun overtakes the challenge of reading,” says Brozo. “Boys can overcome the challenges of what might otherwise be a difficult read, if the material appeals to them.”
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It's too bad articles like this even have to be written, you know? I don't think it's that hard to figure out. If there is a book I want my kids to know, but that they are not likely to read on their own, I read it to them. For some reason even a "girl book" is enjoyable to my boy that way. (Likewise, "boy books" and my girl.) But they both read a lot on their own.
My dread is that my boy will decide to major in English and have to read "The Awakening." Gah.
My dread is that my boy will decide to major in English and have to read "The Awakening." Gah.
read "The Awakening" - LOL
You would think that literature instructors would be more aware of the need for boys books but often that isn't the case.
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You would think that literature instructors would be more aware of the need for boys books but often that isn't the case.
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