Books For Boys

Books for boys can be hard to choose.meets a strange boy near a standing stone. Kai, who
Parents who want to encourage the reading habithas been transported through time from the Bronze
can sometimes feel that they are fighting a losingAge, also reflects the loneliness of modern life when
battle when their kids eschew books for all the otherhe becomes trapped in a century he cannot
distractions of the modern boy's existence.understand nor identify with.
Video games, play station, TV, computer games,In "The Guardian and the Goddess," my main
football, playing with friends, judo, swimming club,character is even more isolated. In "The Boy From
chatting on the mobile, surfing the net.... there are soThe Hills," Jamie and Kai become friends and learn
many more activities to occupy boys attentionfrom each other, easing the loneliness of both their
nowadays than in the heyday of Arthur Ransome.existences. However, Tom in "The Guardian the
Yet the more the modern child is bombarded byGoddess," has no friends. He is a bright kid from a
multi-media, the more children appear to be affectedpoor estate, his classmates from backgrounds very
by attention deficit disorders, finding it hard todifferent to his own. He gains his solace from his
concentrate on a paragraph, let alone a whole novel.relationship with the landscape and the spirits who
So what do parents need to look out for wheninhabit the parkland he loves.
choosing a book for boys.Books specifically for boys have always had an
1 Exciting stories.important place. In the early decades of the 20th
2 Well defined, colourful characters.century, Biggles, Jennings and William captured the
3 Writing style which is neither wordy norimagination of countless boys. Today a browse
inaccessible.through the bookstore will uncover up-to-date races
4 Writing style which does not talk down to kids.through time, space and life relevant to the modern
5 A male protagonist.child. Harry Potter's appeal lies in his normalness.
6 A setting which provides excitement.Hermione is a far clever magician than Harry but
7 Fast pace.Harry is the Hero; the boy who could so easily live
8 A central character with whom boys can identify.down your child's street, or be your child.
9 A story in which boys take central stage in theSo have a browse in the bookstore, or on the
action and are not controlled by adults.internet. Read the many excellent children's literature
10 Cliff hanger chapter endings.blogs. Take a look in the children's library at Books for
Today's children can often feel isolated by theKeeps and the Times Eductional Supplement which
seeming chaos of modern life. Children's books canreview the new releases. Take a look at the
help them realise they are not alone in this and in thewebsites of those of us who have books specifically
isolation of the character in the novel, they can seewritten with boys in mind, with boys at centre stage,
their own reflection.taking the lead in adventures.
When I started writing, I realised that several of myA gift of an excellent book will give a boy entry to
own main characters, particularly boys, were lockedother worlds, new friends, an escape from day to
into this isolation, a feeling of being different. In mylifeand a realisation that, however confusing and
first novel, "The Boy From The Hills," Jamie is a lonelyisolating the modern world may seem, with a good
boy who wanders the hills near his home when hebook in his hands, he is never, ever alone.