Sadly, middle school boys tend to be the first to develop a distaste for reading. Boys particularly get turned off from fiction at a younger than their female counterparts. I believe part of the blame is because they aren't given choice in school, and oftentimes, they aren't getting exposed to fiction that interests them - not to mention the fact that we have to compete with the likes of Fortnite and Assassin's Creed. Boo! Statistics show that introducing high interest non-fiction and graphic novels will help promote literacy for this age category (which is great) . However, I have found that if you give your little dudes access to the right kinds of books, and introduce them in a way that is enthusiastic and "cool", they will give them a try! Here are the most popular "boy books" in our library: Slacker by Gordon KormanIf you are the parent of a middle school boy, meet Gordon Korman. His books, ranging from mystery to historical to laugh-out-loud humor, are widely popular, particularly among those that posses a Y chromosome. Slacker is no exception. 8th grade Cameron Boxer is a self-proclaimed "ultimate gamer". He spends the bulk of his existence on the basement couch, perfectly molded to the contours of his butt from all the thousands of hours he'd spent on it. He takes his job of saving Earth from a fleet of aliens very seriously, and gets particularly annoyed when his parents interrupt his life or death missions. As a result of his blatant ignorance of the world around him, Cameron is responsible for burning down the kitchen, causing his parents to ban Cameron from video games and force him to join a school extracurricular. This book is hysterically written from the perspective of 13-year-old Cameron. Korman uses wit, sarcasm, and "gamer lingo" to pull in a reluctant reader from the first page. 710 Lexile. Recommended for grades 4-7 by School Library Journal. Any "You Choose" book!Yes, the beloved concept of the 80's "Choose your own adventure" has made a comeback! In case you are unfamiliar, these books are written in the form of a 2nd person narrative in which YOU are the main character. You have been placed in a dire, life or death scenario (such as lost in the jungle, aboard the Titanic, or amidst a zombie apocalypse to name a few), and you must make key decisions regarding your survival. Each time you are faced with a decision, you must turn to the instructed page. In some cases, you live to see another day, and in other cases, you die and must re-evaluate your decisions! Talk about tricking a kid into reading! These are like the O.G. video games. I particularly like the Interactive History Adventures because they include factual details that are pertinent for your survival. I also like the Lost series because preceding each decision, there is a short factual paragraph about your current threat, whether it be a wild ostrich or stagnant water, so that the kiddos are making "informed" decisions. These are so much fun to read together with a parent or in class. We read them aloud and vote on the next decision. Kids have animated debates, using critical thinking and factual evidence to support why they shouldn't eat the strange looking berries. I highly recommend these. They are very modestly priced on Amazon. If you would like other similar series recommendations, do not hesitate to ask me. The Crossover Series by Kwame Alexander- "I rise like a Learjet-, seventh-graders aren't supposed to dunk. But guess what? I snatch the ball out of the air and SLAM! YAM! IN YOUR MUG!" If stamina is an issue, Kwame Alexnder writes high interest fiction in the form of poetry. Now, fair warning, don't use the word, "poetry" when selling these books to your son. Perhaps call it, fiction in the form of hip hop - it has a musical quality and at times, it rhymes. Booklist describes Alexander's writing well when they call it, "poetry in motion". The series deals with realistic issues related to family and sports, but does it in a way that is fast paced and far from intimidating. Josh and Jordan are identical basketball-playing brothers and sons to former basketball legend, Chuck "Da Man" Bell. The twins are inseparable on and off the court until family and social issues impact their game and their relationship. Alexander also wrote Booked, which is written in verse and deals with similar issues relating to soccer! Miles Morales: Spider-Man (and any other YA Marvel book)Both Marvel and DC have partnered with publishing companies and various current YA authors to create some outstanding, high interest fiction! Among them, Miles Morales is our most popular! Each book touches on a different super hero's teenage years. While the likes of Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince did not yet realize their super hero status (Batman: Nightwalker and Wonder Woman: Warbringer), Miles assumes the alternative identity of Spider-Man while juggling school and family. The book begins with Miles getting detention for walking out of class to go to the bathroom without the teacher's permission. The first chapter ends by explaining, "But here's the thing - Miles didn't really have to pee. And no, he didn't have to do that either. Miles had to rescue someone. At least he thought he did. The truth was, his spider-sense had been on the fritz lately. But Miles could't risk it - couldn't ignore what he considered his responsibility." While superheroes are once again at the height of popularity, Miles is also refreshingly a minority, something that we rarely see in the Marvel or DC universe. I can't keep this one on the shelves! Lexile: 710 Interest Level: Grades 6-9 (Look up DC Icons Series and Marvel YA novels for the titles featured in each series)
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AuthorKaitlyn Benavides, M.Ed, Ed.S Archives
April 2019
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