Why Don't Boys Read More?

Tweet I have wondered with my own boys why they don't read more. My seventeen year-old son loves to read, but I struggle with my twelve year-old. My daughter read all of the time. I didn't have to bribe her, but I do have to bribe my twelve year-old.

I just returned from a family vacation. My seventeen year-old brought a friend. His friend told me he had only read four books for fun in his whole life. I was shocked and saddened. I expect my boys to read that many over the summer. I asked my son's friend and my twelve year-old why they don't like to read and got some of these responses.

1. It's boring.
2. We don't have books at my house (From the friend, NOT my son. We have a ton.)
3. I'm too lazy to go the library.
4. I can't find my library card (lame excuse in my opinion)
5. I'm too busy. (Don't get me started on over scheduling children)
6. I would rather hang out with friends.
7. It's not cool.
8. I would rather play outside.
9. There aren't any good books. (Also from the friend. We find good books at our house.)
10. I can't sit still long enough. (That is why I only ask one chapter a day from my 12 year-old)

There are a lot of excuses why some boys don't read. I don't accept  lame excuses at home. I also don't expect too much that I make reading miserable. I want my boys to read because they love it and if they don't love it, I want them to keep reading books until they find one they love. I don't believe reading and writing are only for girls. Both my husband and I have made it clear that reading and writing is for boys and girls and have led by example.

Add a comment on some of the lame excuses you have heard your sons or male students have for not reading. I would love to post some suggestions on how to counteract those excuses in another post.

And The Winner Is.....

Tweet The winner of the signed hardback copy of Gabriel's Journey goes to Cam H. The winner is picked by www.random.org. Thank you all for entering and check back in 10 days for my next blog giveaway.

 

Author Interview: Alison Hart of the Racing to Freedom Trilogy

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                           Interview with Author Alison Hart

You wrote your first book at the age of seven. How long was it (or at what age) before you got your first book published?

I published my first book in 1988. I can’t tell you how long it was since writing The Wild Dog (when I was seven) because my age has become a delicate subject.

Out of all the books you have written, which is your favorite?

 Each one is my favorite while I write it—it has to be in order for me to be passionate about the setting, characters and journey the character makes. For example, when I wrote Emma’s River, about a girl and her pony on a steamboat adventure, I had to really visualize myself on the river and in a terrible accident. Interesting!

What type of research do you do for your historical fiction books like Gabriel's Journey? Do you ever visit the historical places in your books to help with your writing?

 Research is all-consuming for me. For the trilogy, which is set during the Civil War, I read at least 200 books, spent much time online and visited Kentucky. I drove down Lexington Pike and went to Camp Nelson, several museums, Churchill Downs race track, and a plantation. I also took a course on the Civil War. For books set in modern time, such as Shadow Horse and its sequel Whirlwind, I visited rescue farms and researched insurance scams to make my setting and mystery compelling.

 So many of your books are about horses. Do you own horses? If so, what do you love about them?

 I have two horses, Relish and Belle. I have been obsessed with horses since I could talk and have owned horses (a fat pony was my first) since I was five-years-old. They have been a huge part of my life, but honestly, I can not say what it is that draws me to them. I also have two cats and three dogs, so I think I am just an animal person.

If you could go back in some of the time periods you write about, which would it be and why?

None. I am very aware of the difficulty women had before emancipation.

How many hours a week do you dedicate to writing?

If I have a deadline, I may write five to six hours a day. If I don’t have a deadline, I tend to slack off. I am also an adjunct at a community college, so teaching writing and reading essays is a big part of my week.

What is your favorite part about writing?

I love research! Every book I write has details and action that can only be written because of my research. For example, the guerrillas that gave Gabriel many tense moments in Gabriel’s Horses, and the horrendous Battle of Saltville where many African American soldiers were gunned down in Gabriel’s Journey are all a part of history.

If you could give one piece of advice to a child who wants to grow up to be a writer, what would it be?

Write! Read! Write some more! And have fun being creative.

I want to express my thanks to Alison for a great interview. I love her humor which comes out in question one. I am impressed with the work and research she puts into writing her books.

Click here to go to Alison Hart's website to find more of her great works.

The Racing to Freedom Trilogy      

The Historical Fiction Novel

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As a young child I had a book called Runaway Slave, story of Harriet Tubman. It was one of the few books I owned and I read it over and over. It touched me in a profound way. I am not sure how much the book was real and how much was fiction but it was definitely my introduction to the book genre of historical fiction.

Historical fiction is a made up story based on real historical events. The book may take place in an actual historical setting or be based loosely on real people and/or real events. The book's main character is usually a fictional person living in the historical time period or event of the book. The point of view of the main character may even involve experiences with real historical people in fictional situations not recorded in history.

What I like about historical fiction is the story can make a dull even more interesting by bringing human thoughts and actions by way of story line. It is a great way to introduce children to important events. As a child, a great historical fiction book made me want to do further research on the event the book talked about.

When my teenage son was required to read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, he became interested in what happened during the holocaust and did a bit of research about it on the internet.