I don't mean to butt in but... (and don't you hate that but?)
I don't necessarily disagree with her point of view. As a teacher, I know how difficult it is to get young boys to read. Of course, there are exceptions, but by and large? Little boys prefer to not read books. In fact, some days, it's like pulling teeth to get them to even pick up a book, let alone read it. I don't find the same reluctance in girls (and yes, there's a whole whack of pedagogical mumbo-jumbo behind this, which I could go into, but won't since this isn't like, a huge serious discussion).
So, what's the result? In my Gr. 1/2 classroom, girls read chapter books (and yes, there are princesses and horses and glitter; they're 6 years old! Let them have their glitter!) and boys read comic books, because it's the only thing I can get them to read (and comic books are better than no books at all). I don't have anything against comic books. I just wish there were more books that boys could and would read in kidlit. Part of this is culturally based, and as much as I hate propagating this, I am, at the same time, extremely reluctant to say to any boy "Yes. You should read this book x about a girl" because I know the type of backlash that boy is likely to get from his friend when I'm not there with my eagle-eyes. As much as I don't like the idea of gender indoctrination at this age, I'm also against singling out a child to be segregated by others in the class. And most kids are smart; they'd pay me lip service and go on ignoring me.
So, do we need more boys in kidlit? Yes. This does not negate the fact that we need more girls in kidlit minus the ponies and glitter and princesses, but we also need to see more boys in kidlit that kids (specifically boys) will actually read.
Also, who's to say that male-dominated kidlit necessarily has to have male-dominated plotlines? I'd love to see the boy's equivalent to Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret or something along those lines.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2009-07-21 03:51 pm (UTC)I don't necessarily disagree with her point of view. As a teacher, I know how difficult it is to get young boys to read. Of course, there are exceptions, but by and large? Little boys prefer to not read books. In fact, some days, it's like pulling teeth to get them to even pick up a book, let alone read it. I don't find the same reluctance in girls (and yes, there's a whole whack of pedagogical mumbo-jumbo behind this, which I could go into, but won't since this isn't like, a huge serious discussion).
So, what's the result? In my Gr. 1/2 classroom, girls read chapter books (and yes, there are princesses and horses and glitter; they're 6 years old! Let them have their glitter!) and boys read comic books, because it's the only thing I can get them to read (and comic books are better than no books at all). I don't have anything against comic books. I just wish there were more books that boys could and would read in kidlit. Part of this is culturally based, and as much as I hate propagating this, I am, at the same time, extremely reluctant to say to any boy "Yes. You should read this book x about a girl" because I know the type of backlash that boy is likely to get from his friend when I'm not there with my eagle-eyes. As much as I don't like the idea of gender indoctrination at this age, I'm also against singling out a child to be segregated by others in the class. And most kids are smart; they'd pay me lip service and go on ignoring me.
So, do we need more boys in kidlit? Yes. This does not negate the fact that we need more girls in kidlit minus the ponies and glitter and princesses, but we also need to see more boys in kidlit that kids (specifically boys) will actually read.
Also, who's to say that male-dominated kidlit necessarily has to have male-dominated plotlines? I'd love to see the boy's equivalent to Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret or something along those lines.
Anyhow, enough rambling.