The Male Young Adult Reader Elizabeth Hopkins & Alison Kulczak

Topics to Discuss Do boys read? Facts and Figures Defining the Gender Gap. What do boys like to read? The Librarian’s Role Followed by- Website Presentation- Resources for Librarians Book Talks

Are Boys Reading? Facts and Figures “The U.S. Department of Education reading tests for the last 30 years show boys scoring worse than girls in every age group, every year.” “Eighth grade boys are 50% more likely to be held back than girls.” Data retrieved from

National Center for Education Statistics “Female students scored 12 points higher on average than male students in 2009, not measurably different from the differences in 2005 or 1992.” Data retrieved from:

Maine Educational Assessments “The difference in the percent of boys and girls that meet or exceed the standards is largest in 8 th and 11 th grades where 13 to 17 percent more girls than boys met or exceeded the standards between 2000 and 2004” “The difference in NAEP Reading scores between girls and boys (5 points) was smallest in 4 th grade” “The difference in Reading performance between girls and boys was greatest at the 8 th grade level where, in 2003, 45% of girls but only 29% of boys demonstrated proficiency in Reading. At 8 th grade, Maine’s gender gap (14 points) in NAEP Reading is the same as in many other states” Data retrieved from maine.gov

What’s the problem?

Consider the Publishers Common misconception that girls are the only ones buying books ALA conference, Harper executive explains that ¾ of her target audience consists of girls Publishers market to a young female audience and release titles that are more appealing to girls As a result, there are not enough choices for male readers “…it’s about time publishers wake up and smell the boystench in the room” –Andrew Smith

The Authors According to Robert Lipsyte, authors are writing for this young female audience Consider the gender gap in the entire Young Adult literature process: Female author  Female editor  Female librarians  Female teachers

The Male Role Model There is a stereotype that reading is something “girls do” and not a masculine activity This message can be found in schools, libraries, and at home In an industry dominated by females, boys need to see more adult males demonstrating a love of reading

The Need for Choice According to Andrew Smith, boys demonstrate stronger reading performance if they are given choices when it comes to book selection “Problem Novel” trend in Young Adult Literature. Books about divorce, death, and disease became very popular and were overwhelmingly read by girls, not boys Some boys are uncomfortable with the emotional nature of fiction “Edgy books” that are appealing to boys are often banned or not taught in the classroom

What do boys like to read?

The Gross, the Gory, the Horrific, Toilet Humor, and Action-Packed Adventure (H. Cox) Books with leading male characters. Sad, but true, cliché: Girls will read books about boys. Boys will not read books with a predominately female cast (R. Lipsyte) Remember the emotional involvement with fiction titles. Consider nonfiction options like biographies of athletes, world records, or how-to books on drawing Fantasy, Science Fiction, Sports, Humor, Mystery, Boxers/Wrestlers/Ultimate Fighters, Historical Figures, Comics, Graphic Novels, Magazines (cars, wrestling, skateboarding), Books with at least one explosion…(guysread.com)

Our Favorite Genres for Boys Sports StoriesGraphic Novels Science FictionBooks in Verse FantasyNonfiction HumorSex, Drugs, and Rock n’ Roll Realistic FictionHorror/Adventure Looking for specific titles? Don’t fear! Book talking to follow!

What can librarians do?

Male Young Adult Readers in the Library Consider the physical space – Does your library have a designated teen and/or tween space? – Are there comfortable areas in the Young Adult section to sit and read? – Does your library have space for teens to study or hang out? – Do you provide enough hands-on materials for teens in your library? (chess sets, games, 3-D puzzles) “Are boys too rough to invest in quality pieces?”

Marketing Library Materials to Guys Book Displays – Help guys cut to the chase by creating a “Guys Read” section or display with titles that the male young adult reader would find interesting. – Create more specific themed displays. March Madness anyone? – Try to monitor the success of this practice. Librarians should be wary of making boys feel like they should pull titles that are only in the “guys” section and also of making girls feel uncomfortable selecting “guy” titles. Book Talking -Make it quick. Consider how teens traditionally get information…instantly. -Studies show that girls prefer first- person book talking -Excerpt style book talking has proven to be successful for young men and women

Library Activities for Guys Chess tournaments Reading competitions Open Mic Night Open Gaming Teen Improv Workshops Movie Marathons Disgusting Food Competitions

Attitude is Everything… Consider the following questions you should ask yourself as a librarian- Do you really want boys in your library? (The answer is yes! But be prepared for rambunctiousness) Do you use empathy and negotiation when needed? Do you make teens feel welcome when they enter the library? Do you remind yourself that it’s not about you? Are you being yourself? “Boys have a B.S. meter that is constantly humming. An overly enthusiastic librarian’s behavior may ring false” (E. Rockefeller). Questions courtesy of Helen Cox, from her article: Boy Story: Do you really want guys in your library?

Check out our website for more resources for librarians: www. sites.google.com/site/youngmalereader/ www. sites.google.com/site/youngmalereader/ But wait, there’s more!

Works Cited Clark, Ruth Cox. “Listening to Teens Talk Back.” Voice of Youth Advocates 31.6 (2009): Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text. Web. 8. Oct Cox, Helen. "Boy Story." School Library Journal 56.9 (2010): Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text. Web. 8 Oct “Gender Task Force.” Department of Education- State of Maine. Web. 8. Oct Lipsyte, Robert. “Boys and Reading: Is There Any Hope?” The New York Times. 19 August Web. 8. Oct “Reading Achievement Gaps.” National Center for Education Statistics. Web. 8. Oct Rockefeller, Elsworth, and Rollie Welch. “Bring Guys To The Library.” Voice of Youth Advocates (2010): Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text. Web. 8 Oct Scieszka, Jon. Guys Read. Web. 8. Oct Weaver, Matthew. “Wake Up And Smell The Boystench.” Voice of Youth Advocates (2011): Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text. Web. 8. Oct. 2012