What Do Guys Read?

If you look at the fiction for boys and young men, there isn’t a lot to choose from. I noticed this years ago as my nephew (Zack) was growing up. Now Zack is almost 16. He reads books from the regular fiction. But, once in awhile he backtracks to something he read as a boy. He has a loyalty to the books he liked, he will read them again and again. So why are there so many more books for girls than boys?

I found a link to Guys Read in an older copy of Reader’s Digest.

Our mission is to motivate boys to read by connecting them with materials they will want to read, in ways they like to read.
1. Make some noise for boys.
We have literacy programs for adults and families. GUYS READ is our chance to call attention to boys’ literacy.

2. Expand our definition of reading.
Include boy-friendly nonfiction, humor, comics, graphic novels, action-adventure, magazines, websites, audiobooks, and newspapers in school reading. Let boys know that all these materials count as reading.

3. Give boys choice.
Motivate guys to want to read by letting them choose texts they will enjoy. Find out what they want. Let them choose from a new, wider range of reading.

4. Encourage male role models.
Men have to step up as role models of literacy. What we do is more important than all we might say.

5. Be realistic. Start small.
Boys aren’t believing that “Reading is wonderful.” Reading is often difficult and boring for them. Let’s start with “Here is one book/magazine/text you might like.”

6. Spread the GUYS READ word.
Encourage people to use the information and downloads on this site to set up their own chapters of GUYS READ, and get people thinking about boys and reading.

On the site they have a list of genres and types of books guys might read: Scary, War, How to build stuff, At least one explosion, Action/ adventure, outer space, but with aliens, Cars, trucks, etc., Mysterious occurrences, Ghosts, Monkeys and/or apes, People being transformed into animals, Outer space but without aliens, and Books for little guys which is probably the same list just a different shape of book.

What would you write for boys or young men? Think of a plot and characters that would appeal to them.