From: druthgo_at_sonic.net <druthgo>
Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2005 15:31:41 -0500 (EST)

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 FYI--Big Grandma
 
 Getting Boys Into Books
 
    "Why Johnny Won't Read" [op?, Jan. 25] maintains that boys are not offered books that interest them because political correctness has driven publishers to avoid
"masculine perspectives." This assertion is both bizarre and unfounded.
 
 An extraordinary range of books is being published for children and young adults, including tales of adventure, mystery, military exploits and sports. What's missing are enough teachers and librarians to help youngsters find just the right books, funding to stock school and public libraries and keep their doors open so kids can use them after school and on weekends, sufficient resources to enable classroom teachers to keep up with new children's literature and reacquaint themselves with classics, and enough people willing to stand up and fight organized censorship campaigns aimed at removing from classrooms and libraries books such as the "Harry Potter" and "Captain Underpants" collections that young boys love and want to read. Maybe the proposed "special study of gender differences in reading" will provide answers somewhere down the road. In the meantime, if we want to encourage more boys to read, finding adequate funding for school and public libraries seems a good place to start.
 
  PATRICIA S. SCHROEDER
 
 President and CEO
 
  Association of American Publishers
 
 Washington
 
 ?
 
 There are hundreds of books for boys who are interested in "adventure tales, war, sports and historical nonfiction." The addition of multicultural stories has invigorated books for boys, enriching the lives of all children. But many teachers do not know young people's literature.
 
 Only three out of 50 states require a course in children's literature for elementary certification. The likely person to fill that information gap is the school librarian, but the Education Department reports a ratio of one certified school librarian for every 591 students. In our neediest communities that ratio worsens.
 
 School libraries are in dire condition. And, with decreased funding for public libraries, kids' access to their neighborhood library is increasingly limited.
 
 Kids do what we do, not what we tell them to do. Boys need books with lead characters who are "strong and active male role models" but more than that they need strong and active male role models who read books.
 
 KATHERINE PATERSON
  
 Barre, Vt.
  
 STEVEN KELLOGG
  
 Essex, N.Y.
 
 The writers are vice presidents of the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance.
 
   

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Received on Fri 04 Feb 2005 02:31:41 PM CST