According to a new study from the Center on Educational Policy that analyzed state test scores in reading and math, “the lagging performance by boys in reading is the most pressing gender-gap issue facing our schools.” In some states, boys are scoring a full 10 percentage points below girls on standardized reading tests.
These statistics reaffirm what noted expert William Brozo has been telling us for years. In his second edition of To Be a Boy, To Be a Reader: Engaging Teen and Preteen Boys in Active Literacy, Brozo sheds light on “the boy crisis” and offers solutions. Brozo emphasizes that “engaged readers have a much greater chance of staying in school, expanding career and life options, and maturing into self-actualized adults.” The premise is simple—meet boys where they are, then help them get to where they need to be. But the ideas offered in Brozo’s book are crucial, providing exactly the framework needed to motivate, inspire, and truly reach boys before it’s too late.
To Be a Boy, To Be a Reader centers on engaging boys with books that contain positive male archetypes. Readers will get full descriptions—with literature examples—of all 10 archetypes, as well as a new chapter that focuses on using alternative texts such as graphic novels and comic books. In addition, the book offers fresh ideas for involving parents and community leaders in boys’ literacy growth and an expansive, fully updated young adult literature list, organized by the 10 archetypes.
To Be a Boy, To Be a Reader will be available from IRA in late April at a cost of $22.95 for IRA members and $28.95 for others. To find out more or to pre-order, visit the book's page on the IRA website.