Books for boys unleashed: Some tailored recommendations
I regularly get asked for book recommendations and one of the most requested are those for boys. There are things I take into consideration when creating such book lists, and I'd like to share a few reminders and suggestions.
Image credit: Photo by Tracey Greenwood.
A good book list
Finding a good, robust book recommendation list can be a tricky endeavour for many reasons. If you've ever tried typing ‘best book lists’ into a search engine, you will be swamped with a tidal wave of other people’s biases and preferences.
Of course, to escape this fate, one solution is to create your own!
You will have to take a few things into consideration as you embark on the serious business of book recommendations. It’s not enough to just throw in the ‘good old classics’ anymore. There are things we must contemplate first.
Who is your audience?
There are many things to think about, but the most important must be ‘Who am I trying to reach?’
Focus on things such as:
being mindful and bias-free
literacy level
motivation (are they reading for pleasure or purpose)
what you know (or don't know) about their tastes/preferences.
Diversity is also something we must be aware of. Are we providing the space and opportunity for a diverse range of texts to be experienced? Everything from race, culture, life experiences and more must all be on our radar.
We must advocate for books that reflect and pay tribute to the experiences of all.
Where to go
A major part of any book list should be that it encourages people to explore and expand on what they already know or enjoy.
So how do you identify which books to add? And if they've enjoyed it, which book next?
Experts
School library staff and public librarians know their stuff. They keep on top of reading and publishing trends.
Build relationships with these experts and make sure to ask them for recommendations. They will often have displays or newsletters that you can check out as well.
Peer recommendations
Peer reviews can be vital as many young people will follow their friends and pick up on what they are reading. Lively discussions around books and reading for pleasure can help connect boys with books that may appeal to them.
Providing opportunities for peer recommendations and discussions gives them the courage and interest to extend their reading beyond preferred genres.
Discussions about books also raise the social capital of reading and enhance the appeal of reading as a leisure pursuit.
Tie-ins
Use books that tie in with things such as pop culture, TV, movies, social media and gaming. This is a way to connect their interests to reading habits. For example, there are plenty of great Marvel, DC, Minecraft, zombies, My Life as a Youtuber and book-to-screen drama adaptations.
Online support
It's also well worth checking out some reading recommendation websites such as:
Books and Reads tool — National Library's tool with a curation of websites that list children’s and young adult (YA) titles, book reviews and reading communities.
It's impossible to have all the answers, so make sure to use all weapons at your disposal!
Walk your talk
Incorporating practices such as reading aloud and book talking plays an important role in shaping young people’s attitudes towards books and reading. They are fun ways to engage interest in texts students may otherwise have ignored.
It is important that they see you as a reading role model, so your collection knowledge also needs to be on point. You should be ready with the next book to come after they have discovered a book or series on your list that speaks to them. Your collection, and your knowledge of it, must be wide and ready to fan the flames you have ignited.
So, I shall ‘walk my talk’
What follows is an example of a book list I created for a group of resistant boys. These boys had either not been bitten by the reading bug, or the effects of said bug had worn off! Keep in mind, I knew the boys and the content which made ‘selling them’ easier.
For context, I used a menu format to align with a 'Feed your reading appetite' theme.
I challenge you to be creative in how you create your own lists in your library or classroom.
Reading menu for boys
Starters
I recommend these as the first steps on the ladder. They may be short, silly, fun and/or vibrant. They are usually illustration-heavy.
Dogman series by Dav Pilkey.
Hot Dog series by Anh Do, illustrated by Dan McGuiness.
Oi Frog!, Oi Dog!, Oi Duck-Billed Platypus by Kes Gray, illustrated by Jim Field. (Oi Dog! also written by Claire Gray.)
Treehouse series by Andy Griffiths, illustrated by Terry Denton.
Entrees
I recommend these as they are more text-heavy and have fun themes.
The Flea Thing and The Real Thing by Brian Falkner.
2MUCH4U and SOMUCH2DO by Vince Ford.
Middle School series by James Patterson and others.
The Day My Butt Went Psycho series by Andy Griffiths.
Smile, Drama, Guts, Ghosts and others by Raina Telgemeier.
Mains
I recommend these as they have more challenging content, language and themes.
Gone series by Michael Grant.
Refugee, Allies and others by Alan Gratz.
Agent 21 series by Chris Ryan.
Cherub series by Robert Muchamore.
Two Wolves and others by Tristan Bancks.
Track series by Jason Reynolds.
Dessert/snacks
I recommend these as they are quicker reads but still contain complex language.
One Piece by Eiichiro Oda.
Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto.
Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa.
Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi.
I Survived series adapted by Georgia Ball.
Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz.
Asterix series by René Goscinny, illustrated by Albert Uderzo.
Adventures of Tintin series by Hergé.
Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman.
Don't be fooled by all the pictures and think that graphic novels lack literacy benefits. I have found that they can have more challenging vocabulary per 100 words than a lot of novels!
More book lists
Remember that the above list was one I created for a specific set of boys I was working with at the time.
Thinking about who you are creating the list for, where you can go for ideas and then ‘walking the talk’ will help you create your own successful lists.
I look forward to producing more lists for the blog that show examples of what can be fit for purpose. We are unlimited in how we design, and target, these book lists.
Have fun, stretch your knowledge, but most importantly, tailor it to the needs of your readers.