Do you know a guy, young or old, who doesn’t like to read? Who wrinkles his nose when you suggest a book and then turns on the TV or the gaming system? Then you really need to direct that dude to the Guys Read website.
The mission of Guys Read is to help boys become self-motivated, life-long readers. The website provides reading suggestions for boys of any age, and the books are broken down into typical categories (thriller, adventure, comedy) as well as a few particularly “guy like” genres, including “Dragons,” “How to Build Stuff”, “People Being Transformed into Animals,” and my favorite, “Classics that Actually Hold Up.”
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| Future word nerds! |
Finding enticing reading material for boys is very important, as boys in the United States are lagging behind girls in reading. The Guys Read website cites a sobering statistic: over the past 30 years, every year boys have scored worse on reading tests than girls, in all age groups. If we want our sons, grandsons, nephews, and friends to pursue lifelong reading, we need to hook them early!
Why do boys shy away from reading? Guys Read offers several suggestions. Boys typically have an active, competitive learning style that isn’t supported by reading and writing. (My seven year old boy always complains that there is “too much writing” at school.) And, most guys think reading isn’t masculine and that book clubs are for girls, or their mothers.
So how can we encourage boys to pick up a book? Find something to grab their interest- sports, humor, building, and ACTION! Let boys know that magazines and graphic novels count as reading! There are so many options to choose from these days, and Guys Read helps you find them.
Guys Read also puts out collections of short stories that center on a particular genre. The first one, Guys Read: Funny Business, has original pieces from Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl), Kate DiCamillo (The Tale of Desperauex), and Mac Barnett (The Brixton Brothers series), among others. I read these stories out loud with my kids, and even though I didn’t like all of the humor (too much “physical comedy”), my boys did. Here are the first few lines from “Artemis Begins”, a piece in the collection written by Eoin Colfer: I have four brothers. That’s five boys altogether living in one small house, which is a recipe for major property damage at the very least.
The humor hooked me and my kids from the beginning, and Colfer’s story provides a comical, yet truthful, depiction of family life. My 11 year old went on to read any Eoin Colfer book he could get his hands on, and there are plenty.
In October 2011, a second collection came out, called Guys Read: Thriller. It features stories by Margaret Peterson Haddix (the Missing series), Anthony Horowitz (the Alex Rider series), and James Paterson (Witch and Wizard series).
My two older boys love to read, but my husband has typically preferred “screen” entertainment. Fortunately, since I bought him his Kindle, he now reads each night before he goes to sleep. He’s just finished Inheritance and is actively seeking another book. I smile with pride- this word nerd has done her job.
Help Guys Read! Please click on the comments below and add any other books or sources you think might support the cause, and share this post with anyone who knows a young guy who needs to read. Thank you!
Hi,
My son is only 3 1/2 and has developmental delays. It always bums me out that he isn’t more into stories. He likes looking at books but just at the pictures really and has no patience for me to actually read to him 🙁
I’ll have to check their website out though, maybe they have some good ideas. Thanks!
Visiting from TALU
This is great info Julia. I have an 8 year old who doesn’t enjoy reading. I thought it was interesting when I found out from his teacher that he likes writing fiction and reading non-fiction which is just the opposite for me. I would love for him to find some excitement in reading a fiction book on his own. We have quite for his preferred genre yet. Welcome to TALU, thanks for linking up.
I’m so glad you found it helpful! Thanks for stopping by! I wish you luck with your son, and I hope you can find books that get him fired up about reading!
My boys are 16 and 14. The younger one started reading Hunger Games in school now they’re both reading it. It’s the first book they’ve read in years. It’s really all about finding the right book.
Yes, and The Hunger Games is unusual in that although its protagonist is a girl, both boys and girls enjoy the story- probably because of the action.
Welcome Shelly! I love your clever profile pic! Thanks for adding a comment. Yes, series seem to have the right magic for a lot of boys. Besides Harry Potter, my oldest has enjoyed The Ranger’s Apprentice, Redwall, and The Alex Rider series.
Hi there, new follower here! Just wanted to stop by and say that I love the title of your blog. 🙂 But while we’re on the topic of guys reading, I’d love to see more boys/guys with their nose in a book. I think the first step is definitely introducing them to books that they would enjoy, so that way they get rid of whatever negative stereotype they have about reading. Series books might especially hook them.
Thanks ladies for adding more ideas!
I tutored some 5th grade boys who were very reluctant readers. I found they loved the “Choose your own adventure books”. I was glad to see they are still available though amazon and barnes&noble websites. My own kids who were good readers didn’t care for these but for the poor reader it gives them a sense of control over the story.
When Scott was younger, he loved the Nate The Great series and also Dave Pilkey’s Captain Underpants. Both were easy readers. Oh, another author he loved was Matt Christopher because his books were sports fiction.
My favorite books to read to my kids when they were little were Berenstain Bears books because the little bears were always in trouble. They still remember the books about The Gimme’s and when mama got mad!