I asked you to observe the reading habits of the boy(s) in your life to see if, maybe, they read more than we think they do.  So, what did you observe?  Were you surprised to discover how much, how little or how “just right” your boy reads?

As I’ve said before, reading—especially reading for pleasure can be a tricky thing.  What one person finds engaging may not be interesting to the next person. The trick is to match the right book to the right reader.

Below are some examples of books that might have high interest to boys and reluctant readers. The Milwaukee Public Library also has a list of Books for Boys on our website where you will find a list of engaging books for boys ages 3 through teen. Check them out.  You won’t know which books will grab a child’s interest until you expose them to it and “sell” the book a bit.

I also recommend you check one of our links.  Boys Read’s mission is to transform boys into lifelong readers. This site does a great job of identifying the challenge of boys and reading and offers terrific reading suggestions.

And here are a few titles you might want to share:

Life-Size Zoo: Actual Size by Teruyuki Komiya 

This book is sitting on my desk right now and is just so cool!  It includes life-size photographs of various animals, with fold-out pages and charts of interesting facts. This book is perfect for both young readers and lower elementary readers as well.  There are plenty of “animal potty” facts that are sure to delight.

If you are a fan of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney, you’ll be pleased to know that the fourth book in the series, Dog Days, will be out on October 12.  If you haven’t checked out this series, I encourage you to do so.  Kinney “gets” boys and captures the middle-schooler’s voice to perfection.  Anyone who lives with a middle-schooler or recalls their own middle school years can relate.

Graphic novels are a great way to encourage reading—especially for boys. Children in grades 5-8 might enjoy Hyperactive, created and written by Scott Christian Sava with art by Joseph Bergin III.  Twelve-year-old Joey learns that he can move at super speed and uses his new super power for good—like doing chores lightening fast.  Then, a shady executive from a pharmaceutical company decides to try to use Joey’s DNA for not-so-good! 

Shorter days, cooler nights, a settling into school schedules—this is fall and I love it!  There are many activities around the metro area for families who are looking for ways to celebrate fall.

Milwaukee Public Library’s Harvest Fest  celebrations begin at the Central Library on Saturday, October 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Join us as we celebrate fall with music, crafts, and entertainment.  This popular annual event offers fun for the entire family!

Children are invited to decorate a pumpkin cookie, enjoy yummy apple cider, stop at the Havenswood National Forest learning station, and pick a pumpkin to decorate and take home.  Enjoy the music of Fox and Branch, get funky to the beat of Pint Sized Polkas, and take in Kidsplay’s The Bug Show.  The best part?  It’s all offered for FREE!

Harvest Fest Fun continues at these neighborhood libraries with activities for the whole family:
 

Atkinson - Wednesday, Oct. 14, 6-7 p.m. (Music with Ken Baron)
Capitol - Tuesday, Oct. 20, 6-7 p.m. (Music with Ken Baron)
Center Street - Saturday, Nov. 21, 2-3 p.m.
Mill Road - Saturday, Oct. 31, 2-4 p.m. (Music with Ken Baron)
Tippecanoe - Saturday, Oct. 24, 23 p.m. (Music with Fox and Branch)
Villard Avenue - Tuesday, Oct. 6, 5:30-7 p.m. (Music with Fox and Branch)
Washington Park - Tuesday, Nov. 24, 5-6 p.m. (Music with Ken Baron)