BuildingBoys Book Club

I am pleased to announce the official launch of the BuildingBoys Virtual Book Club!

We had a number of readers express interest, so let’s go going. Here are the details:

Our first book will be Raising Boys By Design: What the Bible and Brain Science Reveal About What Your Son Needs to Thrive, by Michael Gurian and Gregory L. Jantz. That’s right: it’s the book we recently gave away. I’m hoping our winners will join us and add our voices to the conversation. The book is also available at amazon.com, local libraries and independent bookstores.

I picked this book as our first one for a couple of reasons:

  1. It’s new. A lot of people will be talking about this book, and I want us to be part of the conversation.
  2. It applies to boys of all ages. Unlike some books, this book isn’t aimed at parents of teens or parents of toddlers. This book includes insights and ideas that will help anyone — parent, educator, community member — who works with boys of any age.
  3. It has insights from two worlds. In 16 years of parenting, I’ve learned that there are a lot of divisions within the parenting community. There are secular parents and super religious parents. There are co-sleepers and crib sleepers, cry-it-out advocates and attachment parents. But we all have one thing in common: we want the best for our kids. This book claims to blend Biblical principles with brain-based concepts. Personally, I don’t think there’s any one “right way” to raise or educate kids. I’m intrigued by the inclusiveness of this book, and look forward to discussing it with others of all different viewpoints.
  4. It includes opportunities for feedback and discussion. Each chapter ends with a “Next Steps” section and some prompts which will encourage you to reflect on the content you’ve just read. Page 16, for instance, asks you, “What biases am I seeing in my son’s school?” “Do I (or others) stereotype boys as disruptive, messy, inattentive?” “Do I (or others) stereotype certain boys as weak, too sensitive, too soft?”
  5. Dr. Jantz and/or Michael Gurian will be stopping by BuildingBoys for a Q & A. I’d love to pose your questions to the authors as well.

Everyone is welcome to join us — even your real-world friends who’ve never heard of BuildingBoys. The nitty-gritty details are as follows”

  1. Get the book.
  2. Start reading.
  3. Check in on Fridays. Fridays will be Book Club days here at BuildingBoys. Each Friday, I’ll write a post about the book, including my answers and thoughts to some of the “Next Steps” questions. Please add your thoughts, feedback and questions in the comments. (In the future, if there’s enough interest, we may add on a real-time Twitter chat.)

We’ll spend a month on each book. Raising Boys By Design has 12 chapters, so that works out to three chapters per week.The chapters are pretty short — Chapters 1-3 end at p. 54 — but don’t worry about keeping up. If you haven’t finished your chapters, join us on Friday anyway. The discussion is guaranteed to be interesting!

Ready? Get set! Read!

Any questions? Leave it in the comments below.

The Building Boys Bulletin

The Building Boys Bulletin Newsletter gives you the facts, encouragement, and inspiration you need to help boys thrive. Written by Jennifer L.W. Fink, mom of four sons and author of Building Boys: Raising Great Guys in a World That Misunderstands Males, Building Boys Bulletin includes:

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“I learned a lot about helping boys thrive over the past 20+ years — most of it the hard way! I’m eager to share what I’ve learned to make your path a little easier.”   – Jennifer

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5 Responses

  1. Just found your site an it looks like an interesting resource. I appreciate the idea of a book group, but since you are kicking it off with a Christian-centered book, it’d be helpful to know if that is the lenses with which you provide your perspective. I don’t see that on your about page and it’s not obvious from the few posts I’ve read. I think it’d be helpful to clarify. I know you said you are looking for diverse perspectives but I’m not sure a Christian book is a good way I elicit that.

    1. Thanks for your interest, Joy. This site does not espouse or endorse any particular religious view. I haven’t previously read the work of Dr. Jantz, but I’m very familiar with Michael Gurian’s work. Gurian has long been recognized as “boy guru” — if you research or read much about boys, you’re almost bound to come across his name, so given that this is his next boy-related book, I want to take a look and see what it has to see.

      I also find it useful to understand where people are coming from, why they believe what they believe, and to learn more about what beliefs underlie and infuse their actions. And whether one personally believes in Christian doctrine or not, I think it’s pretty clear that Christian ideas are influencing the public sphere.

      I will moderate and insist on respectful discussion here at BuildingBoys. No one will be allowed to harass another for their beliefs. I want people to freely exchange ideas and learn from another. It’s my goal to create a place where someone can say, “I believe” and someone else can say “I believe something else,” and both opinions are treated respectfully.

      If you’re not comfortable with this book, or would prefer not to read it, please continue to visit — and check back next month, when our Book Club pick will be a more secular title.

    1. Hi Natalie —

      Thanks for your interest! You can find the books at your local library or bookstore or online. Feel free to join us at any time. We look forward to hearing from you.

      Jennifer

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