by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
This post is written by both Elizabeth the Mom and Elizabeth the Author. Although the subject of encouraging boys to read is one that’s been important to me for seventeen years, it recently came to the forefront of online debates with the publishing of a report by UK writer Jonathan Emmett. The report’s findings were covered by industry reporter Porter Anderson in his Publishing Perspectives story on April 22, “What if Boys Can’t Find the Right (Reading) Stuff?” The report focuses on the gender gap in both reading ability and interest in books, and looks for possible causes.
What I wanted to cover today was primarily ways that we can hook boys (early) on books and reading. Early action is best since it’s too hard to play catch-up after boys have had years of poor reading experiences…and have moved on to gaming, television, and other mediums that get it and target boys.
It’s important to preface this post with a note that not every boy is interested in boy-targeted books. And that some girls will be interested in boy-targeted content. And our end goal is just to have options to foster engaged readers. It’s called job security for writers.
As another note—ordinarily we think of our girls being shortchanged, as they have so often in the past. Here is an instance where our boys could be shortchanged…and in an area where we should try for some balance. As Emmett put it on Twitter: “…we need to offer a menu that caters to wider tastes.”
Potential Factors:
I think that the controversy stirred up by the report, Cool not Cute, was caused by news agencies in the UK focusing on the fact that Emmett mentions gender imbalance in publishing as one contributing factor of boys having difficulty finding engaging books. (Imbalance in publisher acquisitions, reviewing—Porter Anderson shares Emmett’s chart showing gender balance of UK children’s book reviewing, library acquisitions, classrooms, and the fact that most children’s books are purchased for kids by women.) This is, clearly, a loaded subject.
There may be another angle here—money. This ties in a bit with publishers choosing books that they feel may appeal to female buyers. Money is usually at the base of many decisions made by publishers…understandable, since publishing is a business (something that’s frequently forgotten). But I wonder if there might be something of a vicious cycle going on there—publishers/editors aren’t choosing content targeted at boys because they haven’t historically been strong sellers. But are they slow sellers because there’s not enough out there targeted to boys…and we’re losing them to other media?
But I’m less interested in the root cause of the problem and more interested in how to go about fixing it. And hooking both boys (who appear to be becoming disengaged) and girls on reading.
My background:
I’ve got a seventeen year old boy who has a preference for boy-targeted books (and also content that appeals to both genders—Hunger Games, Divergent). It has been tough finding him books and he’s an avid reader who can knock out a couple of books a week.
I’ve got a twelve-year old girl with a preference for girl-targeted books (and also content that appeal to both genders…see above). She’s an engaged reader—an avid one when she has latched onto a good series. Since she’s 4 ½ years younger than her brother, I had high hopes of just handing over his (extensive) library to her. No way. She has her own personal tastes and good for her. It has been much, much easier finding books that she enjoys.
My experience:
The hardest part of the process, I think, was picture books and early readers/first readers (books with a maximum of about 1500 words) for my son. We rarely got books for him in the new release section of the picture book area…we relied heavily on classics—Dr. Seuss, Curious George, Thomas the Tank. Because of the rate we were reading, we went through books quickly and read them over and over. I had a tough time finding him exciting early chapter books. I talked to librarians, I quizzed other parents, I pored over websites and book blogs.
When my son was in first grade, I started spending multiple hours a week researching books. My solution to the problem was to quickly advance his reading level (spending many more hours with him—reading to him and listening to him read) so he could have more choices. I could afford to make the time and had the passion for encouraging reading for both my children—but what happens to children when parents can’t make the time?
What we can do:
What the industry can do: I think the best thing the industry can do is to be aware of the problem. As gatekeepers, open up the playing field to content that target both genders and provide a wider variety of books to appeal (early) to children with many different interests.
What writers can do: Although the market for books for the very young and young reader (picture books, some early readers/early chapter books) are still very tied to traditional publishing…self-publishing has really widened the field in terms of selection for middle grade and teenage boys. Perhaps it can do the same with early reading. There are no gatekeepers there but readers. Writers who are looking for a niche that hopefully has the potential for tremendous growth (assuming we can hook boys on books)—and a field that’s wide open compared to other, more competitive markets—should consider boy-targeted material. Visibility equals success in this business, and this would be a way to stand apart from the pack.
There are interesting ideas for writers in this study , which provides a bit of market research for anyone interested in writing boy-targeted picture books…or picture books for girls who also enjoy these elements. There will most definitely be boys who are not interested in the elements listed below. But those readers can find ample material on the shelves that exclude it. The point here is that these are components that are found in other media that have the ability to hook boys…and are scarce in many picture books:
Combat and violence (clearly, this would need to be age appropriate…and may even include cartoon violence that so many of us related to in other media… Bugs Bunny, for instance).
Technology
Peril and threat
Irredeemable villainy
Male protagonist
Rude humor
Cut out the Cute
For further explanation of these elements (and for space considerations for this post), check out Cool Not Cute.
What parents can do:
Find periodicals in a variety of different subjects: We started with “Ranger Rick.” Then we checked out other periodicals from the library to see what he liked—even magazines like “Popular Science” and “Popular Mechanics.” I also had the newspaper open on the breakfast table…there would always be at least one story in the paper that would be interesting to a kid, even if it was in the sports section. And the funnies have always been popular.
Make light reading available. Garfield, Peanuts and other comic books on the table at breakfast and afterschool snack time. Graphic novels of classics were good intros to the classics: Moby Dick, Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Beowulf.
Avoid being critical of reading choices our child makes at the school library.
Find elementary reading material with a lot of books in the series—like Magic Treehouse, which appeals to both girl and boy readers.
Experimenting with genres on sites like Amazon or at the library. Experimenting with both digital and print, classics and contemporary, literary and graphic novels. I looked at it as throwing spaghetti at a wall…I wanted to see what stuck.
Choose audiobooks to accompany a hard copy of the book …an exciting title and a grade level ahead.
Consider ebooks if some covers are marketed to girl readers…if boys don’t see the cover marketing, they frequently do still enjoy the book. Which goes to show again how important cover art can be in terms of promo.
Work with children to improve reading skills. There are more options for boys as they get older. My son and I read together and separately. He used audiobooks and followed along during long car rides and commutes to increase proficiency. Then, finally, we had the good stuff that he longed to read: Tolkien, Lewis. I threw some Treasure Island and Black Stallion at him. He also read The Secret Garden—a “quiet” book, but which a strong and charismatic supporting boy character. And I put contemporary writers like Brian Jacques in front of him: his Redwall series resonated with him in elementary school. And Rick Riordan. Harry Potter was a Godsend.
Our library had a great blog (still does) for boy readers: Boys Rule! Boys Read! There are many blogs out there. Here are some: The Book Zone (For Boys), Boys Read, Guys Read , and Guys Lit Wire.
If you find a book or series that appeals to your child, plug it into Amazon, even if you get it at the library. Then you use their algorithm to find similar books. You can also search Goodreads’ lists (Goodreads is a bit scary if you’re a writer, better if you’re going in as a reader/parent of a reader), and sites like What Should I Read Next.
Accommodate reading. Help your child set aside time for reading. Make it a priority.
Understand that tastes change. One year talking animals might work well, another year it might be zombies. Make different material available and take notice if reading starts slacking off.
Understand that younger kids need our help to access good books. Maybe older ones, too. A targeted search in the genre that most interests your child and choosing a book that’s well reviewed by young people increases your chances that it will be a good match.
Read in front of your children. By modeling reading for our kids (especially dads for boys), our children can see the enjoyment and value we place on reading.
My hope is that this post will help some parents find ways to introduce and hook their boys (girls too) on books or help them think of their own ways to do so. I’m also hoping to draw attention to the importance of a variety of content for both girls and boys and ensure books (or some embodiment of them in one format or another) stay relevant to the next generation.
So…lots of material and information here. What’s your own experience as a parent, of either gender? What are your thoughts on the material available for today’s boys? Tips for hooking young readers early? Read Porter Anderson’s article or Jonathan Emmett’s report? Thoughts on them?
Image: MorgueFile: mzacha
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