It's Monday! What Are You Reading?
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.
Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.
What I Read Last Week:
We're busy with Battle of the Book reads this week. It's so wonderful to be exposed to books we wouldn't normally pick up - and find them delightful!
Reading with my stepson, and watching his reading level advance in leaps and bounds, raises a question. I thought I'd ask it here, because I know many of you are librarians and educators, and think about middle grade and YA fiction on a deeper level than I do. Are there YA books out there geared for boys? It may sound like a funny question, but I read widely in the YA genre, and most of what I read would appeal more to girls. I hate to stereotype, of course! Everyone should rightfully read everything. But I can think of many middle grade books, even series, that seem written with a male tween audience in mind. What is the YA equivalent?
Anyway, my favorite reads this week included A Boy Called Bat, All the Bad Apples, and The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street. I'm so excited that some of these have sequels!
Currently Reading:
Up Next:
Goodreads Challenge 2019: 347/400
YARC 2019: 16/50
Popsugar Challenge: 46/50
What are you reading?
There are two other BAT books that are just as delightful as A Boy Called Bat. I hope you continue with the series. My weekly update
ReplyDeleteWe definitely are, we loved this one so much! Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteYou pose an interesting question about YA. I know I've read some that I think would be loved by young men, but I've not really catalogued them in my mind as such because, as you've pointed out, I try to not assume what different sexes will prefer. But I would guess stories with lead male characters would be more appealing. Nevertheless, one of my students from second grade contacted me several years ago when he was in high school and he told me that I HAD to read The Hunger Games because he loved it so much as a teenager. I know he adored that whole series. Sue from Book By Book is part of our #imwayr community and she had two boys who have continued to be avid readers into their young adult years, so she often includes what one or both are reading each week in her posts. So I would definitely send a comment her way for recommendations from her guys. Her son, Jamie, reads primarily books that are well over 1,000 pages -- swallows them whole. In recent years I remember her mentioning him loving The Wheel of Time series, the Common Among Gods series, and I seem to hear a lot about Brandon Sanderson (I have been wanting to read some of Sanderson's work for a long, long time). And my younger brother still loves the Alex Rider series. The first books are classified as middle grade, but many older young men read them (even my dad loved them). Hope you find some great books and series for consideration!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Shaye! We'll definitely have to check out the Alex Rider series, I know so many people love them! And I'll start following Book By Book as well. Thanks for all the recommendations.
DeleteThe boys I knew weren't hung up on male leads, so they loved stuff by Tamora Pierce, Marie Lu, etc. But there are also a ton of sports books if you want to embrace a stereotype! As well as a lot of spy/adventure books, fantasy books, etc. Looking at the Cybils lists, I see a mix of boy and girl protagonists, so even if you think boys only read about boys (which has never been my experience) there's a lot there. (My two boys are in college now, but I still keep in touch.).
ReplyDeleteBeth, thank you. Right now, my stepson only picks books with boy protagonists, but he isn't opposed when I hand him a book I like featuring a girl protagonist. I'm hoping he'll start reading more widely on his own in time. I'll have to check out the Cybills lists.
DeleteHi, Wendi!
ReplyDeleteShaye alerted me to your question about books for boys. As she noted, I have two sons myself, now in their early 20's, and one of them is an avid reader! The other, not so much, though he read when he was younger, and we read aloud to them until they were in their teens and also listened to audios on trips. So, yes, there are LOTS of YA novels that will appeal to male readers. The question is...What kinds of books does your son generally enjoy? My oldest reads almost exclusively fantasy, and there are loads of great YA fantasy books that appeal to boys. We read lots of other genres, too, and I still read plenty of YA, so let me know what he likes, and I would be glad to make some suggestions! What MG books & series has he most enjoyed?
Sue
Book By Book