Gothic Horror in Today’s Popular Children’s Books
Gothic horror is one of the most popular genres of literature for children and adults. While the title may seem intimidating, you would be surprised to learn that some of the most cherished books you read as a child were gothic horror stories!. What is Gothic Horror? Gothic horror stories follow the formula of traditional […]
Must-Read Books About Boys
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. In other words: I may receive a small commission if you purchase any of these books through a link on this page. If you’re parenting or teaching boys, you need every advantage you can get. The more you know about the way boys think, develop and […]
What Boys (& Parents) Need to Know About Sex & Consent
It’s not easy to talk about sex, consent & rape. It’s not easy to read, write or think about those topics either. And that’s the real reason why this post is coming a full 2 1/2 weeks after I announced Blurred Lines: Rethinking Sex, Power, & Consent On Campus as BuildingBoys’ most recent book club […]
Why You Need to Read “Moral Combat”
The answer, in 4 words: Because you have boys. The answer, in 14 words: Because you have boys, and video games are a big part of boy culture. The slightly longer, more philosophical answer: Because many of the things you think and know about video games just aren’t so. The popular narrative around video games, […]
9 Tips to Boost Boys’ (& Girls’) Literacy Skills
Schools need to focus on acknowledging the academic, psychological and physical needs of boys. For my doctoral dissertation, I examined the gender achievement gap in reading and writing of fourth and fifth grade boys versus girls and offered practical solutions. Here are nine tested boy-friendly literacy strategies: • Create a noticeable basket of boy-appealing books in your […]
Helping Our Boys Thrive Amidst Skewed Images of Gender and Sexuality
You know that scene in the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy spies the man behind the curtain? That’s kind of how I feel after reading The Achilles Effect. After reading the book, it’s impossible to miss the gender-oriented messages that are everywhere. Case in point: I had a few minutes to waste before interviewing Achilles […]
Virtual Book Club: Thoughts on The Achilles Effect
First, mea culpa! I promised to announce the winner of a free copy the The Achilles Effect: What Pop Culture is Teaching Young Boys About Masculinity last Friday, and I didn’t. I was so excited to share my Best of the Blogs list that I completely forgot to check my blog calendar, which would have, […]
Parents Need to Eat Too
My boys, as I’ve mentioned before, are not adventurous eaters. And you know what? Neither am I. I’ve gotten better as I’ve gotten older: In the old days, I considered yogurt a scary food and refused to eat Chinese or Mexican food because I couldn’t identify every single ingredient. Now, I eat yogurt (mostly vanilla, […]
Contest Announcement: Book Giveaway!
In case you missed it yesterday, I’m giving away one autographed copy of Laura Lee Grove’s new book, I’m Outnumbered: One Mom’s Lessons in the Lively Art of Raising Boys. To enter: •Leave a comment, either telling me one thing you’ve learned about raising boys or asking a question about boys. I’ll answer all questions […]
Books for Boys: Authors
Ever notice how some authors are more boy-friendly than others? My boys, for instance, loved the offbeat humor in The True Story of the Three Little Pigsand The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, both by Jon Scieszka, a former boy and current author who’s trying to liven up the literary offerings for […]