Instructify

Getting kids to read is often a matter of them finding the right books. That’s what the U.S. Children’s Laureate Jon Scieszka thinks, anyway. Hence Guys Read, a site devoted to fostering literacy among boys.

According to Scieszka, boys in particular need a little guidance. “Boys often have to read books they don’t really like,” Scieszka says on the Guys Read site. “They don’t get to choose what they want to read. And what they do like to read, people sometimes tell them is not really reading.” As such, you’ll find books loaded with boy-friendly action, adventure or humor, like Harry Potter, The Smugglers or (I am not making this up) The Day My Butt Went Psycho.

You can use Guys Read to help young readers get recommendations by author, subject, or they can enter their favorite book and find something like it. Recommendations are grouped for young, middle and older readers, so your 12-year-old student won’t get stuck with books from the 1st grade shelf, and vice versa. If you want to make a difference in male literacy in your own school, you can download posters, bookmarks and stickers for recommended books. With any luck, Guys Read will help your students find the books that turn them into lifelong readers. -BILL FERRIS

Guys Read

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