David Booth currently teaches at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, but he is better-known as a popular speaker and a prolific writer on issues related to the teaching and learning of reading and writing. In this latest offering Booth provides teachers, librarians and parents with a comprehensive collection of ideas about how boys can be encouraged to read and to write. He also urges teachers and parents to recognize that there are many boys who are already avid readers – but they may not be seen as such because they are not avid readers of the novels that may have been selected for them to read. Booth speaks both as an experienced educator and as a parent in this book and the audience is intended to include anyone who may influence the reading life of even a single boy. Booth explains in the Introduction that he wants to "examine the issues pertaining to the literacy lives of boys, how they perceive themselves as readers, and how parents, teachers and peers influence their literacy development" (p. 8). This goal is more than achieved in the text, as readers will find here not just an enjoyable narrative exploration of boys and literacy, but also multiple easily-implemented classroom practices and much helpful advice on how to encourage reading and writing by the boys in our classrooms, homes or libraries.
The format of this text encourages browsing – and even the most linear reader will find it hard to ignore the italicized sidebars where the voices of authors, teachers, researchers, and named and anonymous male readers of all ages are given space for a story from their reading life. Sometimes, in fact, these sidebars expand to consume whole pages, but the voices are worth the disruption to Booth's narrative because they have been carefully selected to illustrate how powerful and how personal reading experiences can be – whether they be positive or disappointing experiences. Another reason that these 'sidebar voices' are so tempting to read is that Booth has included in this space sections from a reading journal that he kept as his son Jay was growing up. These pieces, written by a father whose passion is the study of literacy development, are beautiful excerpts from a personal narrative and as such they shed much light on the topics covered by Booth's more analytical voice in the main text. Text boxes, short mini-chapters within major chapters, photographs of boys reading and a recurring section of brief research reports and teaching ideas called "Bringing Boys into Literacy" combine with the sidebars to make this a book built for browsers. Five chapters structure the book, with a total of 19 sections that have been styled after comments we have all heard from our students – such as "reading is what girls do, "this book is too hard" and "does spelling count". These headings draw the reader in to see what technique Booth has come up with to turn these familiar grumbles into positive reading and learning experiences.
Even Hockey Players Read is based on research but it is written for practitioners and not as a research report. Booth's list of interview questions is included at the back of the book and could be used by teachers or researchers to uncover details about the reading interests and the literacy lives of any students. This extensive back-of-the-book section also includes "Recommended Books for Boys" – helpfully broken down into 12 sections that include read-aloud resources, picture books, easy-read series, series for young boys, series for older boys, novels for young boys, novels for older boys and several more categories. These booklists will be invaluable for anyone who is called upon to recommend books to boys. The book ends with four pages of suggested professional reading and an author/title/subject index. This is a book that is based on the author's years of experience teaching children and teachers and it is brimming with his passion for books and for reading. If you have professional or personal connections with boys and reading and you enjoy an anecdotal approach to learning you will want to read Booth's excellent compilation of recent research and his inventive ideas for encouraging reading in boys.
Pages: 135
Price: $19.00
ISBN: 1-55138-147-8
Reviewed by: Brenda Reed, Queen's University, Canada
