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RE: ccbc-net digest: April 21, 2010
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From: David Harrison <davidlharrison1_at_att.net>
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 06:46:17 -0500
I'm a frequent visitor to schools and libraries so my perspective as an author might be somewhat different, but I've noticed that when I talk about various books of mine, I know in advance which ones will attract the interest of boys in the group. One is a cave book filled with stories about ice age animals that lived and died there -- including the short-faced bear. Another is a book of poems about bugs. My point is that book talks may be one way to generate enthusiasm among readers of both genders and create the excitement needed to entice readers to want to read a particular book.
Does anyone else find this approach to be effective? Maybe it's like getting free samples in a grocery store. The theory, at least, is that we'll want more of what we just sampled.
David Harrison http://davidlharrison.com
Message-----
From: CCBC Network digest
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 12:03 AM To: ccbc-net digest recipients Subject: ccbc-net digest: April 21, 2010
CCBC-NET Digest for Wednesday, April 21, 2010.
1. RE: Boys and Books 2. Fw: Re: Boys and Books 3. RE: Boys and Books 4. RE: Boys and Books 5. Re: Boys and Books 6. RE: Boys and Books 7. Boys and Genres and Covers 8. Re: Boys and Genres and Covers
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: RE: Boys and Books From: keitschr_at_hssd.k12.wi.us Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2010 07:55:44 -0500 X-Message-Number: 1
I have found that most historical fiction that is utilized in classrooms centers around a heroine - i.e. female. I have directed many staff to good historical fiction that has a hero so that boys can relate better to it. When they refer to a "girl" book I have found that it is categorized that way due to the main character being female. I think stressing a good balance of literature, not just genres, but also a balance of characters is a good practice and something I stress to my staff.
Keith
Keith Schroeder 920-662-7157
Message-----
From: James Elliott
Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2010 9:21 PM To: Megan Schliesman Cc: Subscribers of ccbc-net Subject: Re:
Boys and Books
I know that my son dreads the summer reading list. Not because he doesn't like to read (he does!) but because, as he puts it, they only pick girl's books!
I've been complaining about this to the school for years, and we have yet to find a list that has more than one or two books of interest for him out of the dozen on the lists. The one he picked two years ago was a book about dragons, so far so good, but the hero was a very smart girl, and her friend was a very dumb boy!
Jim Elliott Florida
----- Original Message -----
From: Megan Schliesman To: Subscribers of ccbc-net Sent: Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:03:55 -0400 (EDT) Subject:
Boys and Books
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/
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 06:46:17 -0500
I'm a frequent visitor to schools and libraries so my perspective as an author might be somewhat different, but I've noticed that when I talk about various books of mine, I know in advance which ones will attract the interest of boys in the group. One is a cave book filled with stories about ice age animals that lived and died there -- including the short-faced bear. Another is a book of poems about bugs. My point is that book talks may be one way to generate enthusiasm among readers of both genders and create the excitement needed to entice readers to want to read a particular book.
Does anyone else find this approach to be effective? Maybe it's like getting free samples in a grocery store. The theory, at least, is that we'll want more of what we just sampled.
David Harrison http://davidlharrison.com
Message-----
From: CCBC Network digest
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 12:03 AM To: ccbc-net digest recipients Subject: ccbc-net digest: April 21, 2010
CCBC-NET Digest for Wednesday, April 21, 2010.
1. RE: Boys and Books 2. Fw: Re: Boys and Books 3. RE: Boys and Books 4. RE: Boys and Books 5. Re: Boys and Books 6. RE: Boys and Books 7. Boys and Genres and Covers 8. Re: Boys and Genres and Covers
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: RE: Boys and Books From: keitschr_at_hssd.k12.wi.us Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2010 07:55:44 -0500 X-Message-Number: 1
I have found that most historical fiction that is utilized in classrooms centers around a heroine - i.e. female. I have directed many staff to good historical fiction that has a hero so that boys can relate better to it. When they refer to a "girl" book I have found that it is categorized that way due to the main character being female. I think stressing a good balance of literature, not just genres, but also a balance of characters is a good practice and something I stress to my staff.
Keith
Keith Schroeder 920-662-7157
Message-----
From: James Elliott
Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2010 9:21 PM To: Megan Schliesman Cc: Subscribers of ccbc-net Subject: Re:
Boys and Books
I know that my son dreads the summer reading list. Not because he doesn't like to read (he does!) but because, as he puts it, they only pick girl's books!
I've been complaining about this to the school for years, and we have yet to find a list that has more than one or two books of interest for him out of the dozen on the lists. The one he picked two years ago was a book about dragons, so far so good, but the hero was a very smart girl, and her friend was a very dumb boy!
Jim Elliott Florida
----- Original Message -----
From: Megan Schliesman To: Subscribers of ccbc-net Sent: Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:03:55 -0400 (EDT) Subject:
Boys and Books
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 Thu 22 Apr 2010 06:46:17 AM CDT
