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Boys and Books
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From: Megan Schliesman <schliesman_at_education.wisc.edu>
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2010 10:03:55 -0500
It's time to begin our discussion for the second part of April: Boys and Books.
* *Is it fair to generalize boys as reluctant readers? Will they really not read books featuring female protagonists? Are stories with action the only hook that grabs them?
How does what you observe in your work with children and teens support or refute these and other commonly held assumptions?
And are we, as librarians and teachers, in danger of creating a self-fulfilling prophecy by not offering boys materials in which we assume they will have no interest?
Those are the questions we hope to explore in the next 10 days or so. But perhaps you have others to add into the mix.
I'll begin the discussion by confessing that I am reluctant to "genderize" either books or readers. I know girls who are reluctant readers, and boys who love to read. I want to see great books in the hands of every child. So to me it's essential to look for ways to meet the needs of reluctant readers regardless of gender But over and over again at the CCBC we've had requests for lists or programs or book suggestions to meet the reading needs--or encourage reading--among boys. Not a specific boy, but boys in general. We can't ignore the reality--but what IS the reality . . . really?
Megan
-- Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison 600 N. Park Street, Room 4290 Madison, WI 53706
608/262-9503 schliesman_at_education.wisc.edu
www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
Received on Tue 20 Apr 2010 10:03:55 AM CDT
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2010 10:03:55 -0500
It's time to begin our discussion for the second part of April: Boys and Books.
* *Is it fair to generalize boys as reluctant readers? Will they really not read books featuring female protagonists? Are stories with action the only hook that grabs them?
How does what you observe in your work with children and teens support or refute these and other commonly held assumptions?
And are we, as librarians and teachers, in danger of creating a self-fulfilling prophecy by not offering boys materials in which we assume they will have no interest?
Those are the questions we hope to explore in the next 10 days or so. But perhaps you have others to add into the mix.
I'll begin the discussion by confessing that I am reluctant to "genderize" either books or readers. I know girls who are reluctant readers, and boys who love to read. I want to see great books in the hands of every child. So to me it's essential to look for ways to meet the needs of reluctant readers regardless of gender But over and over again at the CCBC we've had requests for lists or programs or book suggestions to meet the reading needs--or encourage reading--among boys. Not a specific boy, but boys in general. We can't ignore the reality--but what IS the reality . . . really?
Megan
-- Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison 600 N. Park Street, Room 4290 Madison, WI 53706
608/262-9503 schliesman_at_education.wisc.edu
www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
Received on Tue 20 Apr 2010 10:03:55 AM CDT
