m i c h a e l S u l l i va n
• Tips for how to booktalk one-on-one as well as in large groups
•M
ethods of performing indirect readers’ advisory with parents
or teachers
• S uggested read-alikes as well as titles to offer a boy in place of a
book he did not like or would not read
Complete with hundreds of suggested titles, authors, booktalks, and
genre lists to help turn boys into rabid readers!
You may also be interested in
Sullivan
www.alastore.ala.org
Serving boys through Readers’ Advisory
B
ased on more than twenty years’ experience working to get
boys interested in reading, Michael Sullivan now offers his first
readers’ advisory volume. With an emphasis on nonfiction and
the boy-friendly categories of genre fiction, the work offers a wealth
of material including
ISBN 978-0-8389-1022-1
ALA
9 780838 910221
Serving
b oys t h ro u g h
r e a d e r s ’ a dv i s o ry
Michael Sullivan is the author of Connecting Boys with Books (American
Library Association, 2003), Fundamentals of Children’s Services (American
Library Association, 2005), Connecting Boys with Books 2: Closing the Reading Gap (American Library Association, 2009), the Escapade Johnson series
of children’s books, and the juvenile fantasy The Sapphire Knight (PublishingWorks, 2009). He has spoken widely on the topics of boys and reading, library administration, and the future of public libraries. He is currently an adjunct faculty member at Simmons College Graduate School of
Library and Information Science in Boston, Massachusetts. He has won a
U.S. Conference of Mayors City Livability Award and the Mom’s Choice
Award for juvenile fiction, and he was the 1998 New Hampshire Librarian
of the Year. Sullivan earned his master’s degree in library and information
science from Simmons College.
While extensive effort has gone into ensuring the reliability of information appearing in this
book, the publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, on the accuracy or reliability of
the information, and does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for
any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in this publication.
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National
Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials,
ANSI Z39.48-1992.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sullivan, Michael, 1967 Aug. 30–
Serving boys through readers’ advisory / Michael Sullivan.
p. cm. — (ALA readers’ advisory series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8389-1022-1 (alk. paper)
1. Boys—Books and reading—United States. 2. Teenage boys—Books and reading—
United States. 3. Reading—Sex differences—United States. 4. Readers’ advisory
services—United States. I. Title.
Z1039.B67S86 2010
028.5'5—dc22
2009026841
Copyright © 2010 by the American Library Association. All rights reserved except those
which may be granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8389-1022-1
Printed in the United States of America
14 13 12 11 10 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Introduction vii
1 Why Boys Are Different 1
2 What Is Boys' Lit? 5
3 The Readers' Advisory Interview 13
4 Special Circumstances 23
5 Booktalking for Boys 32
6 Booktalks for Elementary School Boys 38
7 Booktalks for Middle School Boys 45
8 Booktalks for High School Boys 58
9 Indirect Readers' Advisory 72
10 Book Lists for Boys: Nonfiction 79
11 Book Lists for Boys: Humor 83
12 Book Lists for Boys: Fantasy 87
13 Book Lists for Boys: Science Fiction 97
14 Book Lists for Boys: Gothic Horror 99
15Book Lists for Boys: Action, Adventure,
and Mystery 103
16 Book Lists for Boys: Sports 107
v
vi
CONTENTS
17 Book Lists for Boys: Visual Storytelling 110
18 Book Lists for Boys: Historical Fiction 116
19 Book Lists for Boys: Realistic Fiction 117
20 Classic Retellings 119
21 Great Authors for Boys 122
22Read-Alikes 126
23 If Your First Thought Is . . . 129
Conclusion 133
Bibliography 135
Index 137
Chapter 1
Why boys are different
I
t may seem strange to have a book specifically directed at readers’ advisory for boys. After all, how different can it be from readers’ advisory
for girls? Sure, the books that you offer them may be quite a bit different,
and their attitudes toward reading are likely to be skewed, and their relationship to you as the readers’ advisor will involve issues most unlike
your relationship to girls . . . All right, so it is not strange at all that we have
a book specifically directed at readers’ advisory for boys. The same can be
said of why readers’ advisory for children differs from readers’ advisory
for adults or why readers’ advisory for teens would differ from readers’
advisory for children. In all cases, there are basic differences not just in
what the populations read but in how they read, in why they read, in how
they relate to reading and those who help them read, and in how we must
promote reading to them if we hope to be effective.
The most basic difference between boys and girls as readers is that the
average boy does not read as much or as well as the average girl. The gap
is a year and a half, on average, in reading level throughout the school
years.1 That gap starts small in the early school years but continues to
grow until students reach the eleventh grade, and there is a three-year gap
between the proficiency of the average boy and the average girl.2 Sadly,
research shows that the gender gap in reading is increasing.3
Boys’ lack of success in reading is intimately tied to their lack of practice. Studies in both England and the United States confirm that the average fifteen-year-old boy reads about 2.3 hours per week, and when asked
how much they read, half of American high school boys, and a third of the
young men who enter the University of California at Los Angeles, identify
themselves as nonreaders.4 The first difference between readers’ advisory
for girls and for boys is that boys, on average, just need it more.
1
2
Why boys are different
Flexibility
Boys will need more flexibility in readers’ advisory, both in the reading
level of the books you promote and in the types of books. The reading gap
is largely caused by a delay in brain development; girls’ brains start their
rapid growth earlier than boys’ brains do, and boys are behind in brain
development through much of their teenage years.5 Although boys’ brains
will eventually catch up, the brain lag is a reality we must remember when
working with school-age kids. Reading standards, such as grade-level
reading and Lexile levels, do not take the brain lag into account; they work
on the assumption that a fifth-grader is a fifth-grader, and an eleven-yearold is an eleven-year-old. This simply is not true. There are a thousand
reasons why one child is on a different developmental level than another
child, and gender is one of the most powerful. So, boys will often be given
books significantly too hard for them based on their age alone. Although
at times we must help boys find books at a required level (see chapter 4,
“Special Circumstances”), at other times we need to be helping boys find
books that are at or even below their natural reading levels to make reading a more enjoyable experience.
You will have to promote a broader range of books to appeal to boys
as well. The types of reading most often identified as the best reading,
and thus most often promoted by educators, tend to appeal more to girls
than to boys. This is not surprising, because the majority of teachers and
librarians are female. Although no generalization will describe all kids,
it is clear that very many boys, and especially the boys who are resistant
or reluctant readers, will prefer nonfiction to fiction, and genres such as
gothic horror, humor, and fantasy to the standard juvenile novel. (See
chapter 2, “What Is Boys’ Lit?”)
Physicality
Boys tend to be more physical in nature than girls. A difference in brain
structure makes them more likely to require stimuli, both from external
sources and from their own kinetic energy, to spark brain function at its
highest levels.6 This is going to affect what boys read, as they may seek
out books about the physical activities that mean so much to them. It will
also affect how boys read, as they will be less likely to sit still for long
periods of extended reading. Many boys will then respond better to
shorter works or to works that are well divided for shorter periods of
reading. This should also affect how we promote reading to boys, making us use our tools of reading promotion to differentiate reading from the
solitary, sedentary activity that most boys see as reading. If we promote
Why boys are different
3
books about active subjects that focus on plot elements over characterization, if we promote books that are shorter and full of action, and if we promote reading through stimuli-rich activities that involve and engage boys,
then we will have acknowledged the physical nature of boys.
Different Worldviews
Girls tend to be internal thinkers, looking within themselves for a reflection of the world around them. They feel connected to the larger world,
and they will feel that connections are the way to get things done. They
will tend to believe that the world operates on interpersonal cooperation
and communication, and they will read to understand these connections
and how to use them.
Boys will tend to be external thinkers, looking outside themselves to
see a world that must be explored and experienced.7 They do not tend
to feel connected to the world, and although they may crave connection,
their view of the world will tend to be more impersonal. They will see the
world operating on dispassionate rules. They will believe that they must
understand the world and how to manipulate it if they wish to succeed.
They will therefore read to understand, to categorize, and to explore.
Role Modeling
Boys see the world of reading as foreign, because nearly all of the people
who teach them about reading, and most of the people they see reading,
are female. Everybody wants to see and follow someone who looks like
them. We take strong social clues from the people around us, and how
much more when our worldview highlights exploration and observation?
Men need to know that their presence in the reading life of boys is vital,
and women need to recognize that they have this extra hurdle to clear
when they try to reach boys. How to circumvent this challenge? By consciously presenting reading in ways that appeal to boys and by speaking
directly to their needs.
Conclusion
When you look at all the differences between so many boys and so many
girls, it is not surprising at all that we as educators need to address reading
differently when it comes to the genders. Not all boys act in the way we
4
Why boys are different
would typically—some would argue stereotypically—see as “boy behavior,” but enough will to make it worthwhile to keep gender in mind when
performing readers’ advisory. The differences we must keep in mind range
from literary tastes to psychological outlook to physical distinctions. It is
the whole boy that we must address, because all of him is involved in his
reading. Do not pass on any opportunity to turn a boy into a reader.
Notes
1. Donna Lester Taylor, “‘Not Just Boring Stories’: Reconsidering the Gender Gap for
Boys,” Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy (December/January, 2005): 292.
2. Lanning Taliaferro, “Education Gender Gap Leaving Boys Behind,” The Journal News
(June 17, 2001): 17.
3. Lucille Renwick, “What’s the Buzz?” Instructor (August 2001): 8.
4. Adi Bloom, “Girls Go for Little Women but Boys Prefer Lara,” Times Educational
Supplement (March 15, 2002): 18; Steven J. Ingles, et al., A Profile of the American
Sophomore in 2002: Initial Results from the Base Year of the Education Longitudinal Study of
2002 (Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, 2005), 75; Patrick Jones
and Dawn Cartwright Fiorelli, “Overcoming the Obstacle Course: Teenage Boys and
Reading,” Teacher Librarian (February 2003): 9; and Christina Hoff Sommers, The War
against Boys (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000), 164.
5. Amanda Ripley, “Who Says a Woman Can’t Be Einstein?” Time (March 7, 2005): 55.
6. Carla Hannaford, Smart Moves: Why Learning Is Not All in Your Head (Arlington, VA:
Great Ocean Publishers, 1995), 80.
7. Eva M. Pomerantz, Ellen Rydell Altermatt, and Jill L. Saxon, “Making the Grade
but Feeling Distressed: Gender Differences in Academic Performance and Internal
Distress,” Journal of Educational Psychology (June 2002): 396.
Chapter 7
Booktalks for
Middle School Boys
Avi. Crispin: Cross of Lead. Hyperion, 2002.
Can you imagine having no family, no home, not even a name? What do
you have left? Well, for this orphan boy in medieval England, all he has is a
simple cross about his neck and a terrible secret that he doesn’t even know
that makes him a hunted animal. This is a story of going out on the road,
finding strange friends, and trying to find yourself in a harsh world.
Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. Peter and the Starcatchers.
Disney, 2004.
Bloodthirsty pirates, hidden treasures, lost civilizations, and giant flying
alligators . . . What’s not to love?
Andrew Clements. A Week in the Woods. Simon and Schuster, 2002.
One of these guys is the gung-ho cheerleader type, you know, rah rah
rah, let’s show some spirit and all that. One is sullen and moody and way
too bored with school. One of these guys is a go-get-’em science teacher.
The other is a slacker student with a bad attitude. One is an outdoorsy
environmentalist type. The other is more comfortable in a New York penthouse than he is in a tent in New Hampshire. One lives on a schoolteacher’s salary. The other gets driven to school in a limousine. Oh yeah, these
two are going to get along great when they spend a week in the woods.
Christopher Paul Curtis. The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963.
Delacorte, 1995.
Take to the open road with the Weird Watsons in an old Plymouth called the
Brown Bomber, complete with an onboard record player blaring “Yakety
Yak” all the way. You’ll go from the neighborhood antics of downtown
45
46
bOOKTALKS FOR mIDDLE sCHOOL BOYS
Flint, Michigan, to the explosive center of the Deep South in the midst of
the civil rights movement. Travel with Daniel, Wilona, Kenny, Joey, and
Daddy Cool through the everyday adventures of growing up—and the
once-in-a-lifetime experience of being smack-dab in the middle of history.
From Christopher Paul Curtis, it’s The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963.
Ann Downer. Hatching Magic. Aladdin, 2003.
Gideon the magician has lost his dragon. Actually, the dragon lost herself,
off to go have her baby in peace. Gideon must figure out where, and when,
to look for her before his rival gets his hands on her and turns her against
him. The where turns out to be Cambridge, Massachusetts. The when happens to be present day. The rival happens to be right on Gideon’s heels.
Can two magicians (and one cranky demon in high-heeled shoes) from
thirteenth-century England find a dragon in twenty-first-century America? Find out in Hatching Magic, by Ann Downer.
Emily Drake. The Magickers. The Magickers series. DAW, 2001.
Camp Ravenwyng is just like any other summer camp. It has cabins, counselors, a lake, arts and crafts, and campfires. Of course, one of the cabins
is haunted . . . one of the counselors hovers a foot above the ground . . .
the lake has a sea monster . . . arts and crafts includes learning how to use
magic crystals . . . and the campfires are held under the gathering clouds
of a magical storm that could signal the end of the world as we know it.
Jeanne DuPrau. The City of Ember. Books of Ember series.
Random House, 2003.
Your city is dying. Food is short, new clothes nonexistent. Even lightbulbs, your one weapon against the constant darkness, are hard to come by.
Would you plunge into the unknown for the slimmest chance to escape?
Even if you can escape, could you leave behind everyone and everything
you have ever known? Would you go into the darkness just to find the light?
Nancy Farmer. Sea of Trolls. Atheneum, 2004.
These guys are nuts. In fact, they are Bizerkers. When they go into battle, they lose all control, all restraint. They kill and burn and rampage,
and no one can stop them; they can’t even stop themselves. They want to
die in battle and go to the glorious halls of Valhalla, where they can feast
and fight forever and ever. How do you reason with people like that? You
don’t. How do you survive people like that? You scare them into believing
you have magic, and you let them imagine just what you can do to them
if they make you mad. But, of course, who better to send on a dangerous
quest than a powerful magician? Now you have to survive carnivorous
plants, huge trolls, and man-eating beasts instead.
bOOKTALKS FOR mIDDLE sCHOOL BOYS
47
John Feinstein. Cover-Up: Mystery at the Super Bowl.
Knopf, 2007.
Steve Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson are fourteen-year-old sports
fans with the dream job. They get to cover all the biggest sporting events
as sports reporters. Now they are on TV and covering the biggest sports
event of all: the Super Bowl. But these two never get to enjoy the game,
what with major scandals and people trying to kill them and all. Here is
a story of big-time, big-money, big-pressure sports and the two teenagers
who have to save the game for everyone.
John Flanagan. The Battle for Skandia. Ranger’s Apprentice series,
book 4. Philomel, 2008.
They have battled beasts of unspeakable horror, and dark magic bent on
covering the world with its thrall, but Halt and Will, Ranger and apprentice, must face a terror all too human. The Temujai are a fearless and selfless horde that have never been defeated in battle, because they fight by
the thousands as if they were a single sword. The civilized world is threatened with extinction unless the Temujai are stopped at a line in the sand,
and all Will and Halt have to stop them is a thin strip of land and an
unruly bunch of adventurers and thieves. Teaching time is over; the Ranger’s Apprentice is going to war.
John Flanagan. The Burning Bridge. Ranger’s Apprentice series,
book 2. Philomel, 2006.
Sacrifice: it means to step between. To put yourself over the abyss so that
others may pass safely. Sacrifice is like a bridge over a huge chasm. In The
Burning Bridge, book 2 of John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series, both
Will, the apprentice ranger, and Horace, the apprentice soldier, step into
the gap. As young as they are, they can stand where all the adults cannot. The bridge in the story is the link that will allow the evil Lord Morgorath to march his armies into the heart of the peaceful world, and it needs
to come down. One apprentice will take on the bridge; one will take on
Morgorath himself. But danger is in the nature of sacrifice; the two young
heroes will step into the breach, and one will not come back.
Tim Green. Football Genius. HarperCollins, 2007.
A fantastical football book from a real professional football player. Is football a game of physical strength or football smarts? More rests on the
answer to that question than you may think: people’s jobs, their careers,
the hopes of one middle school football genius, and the season of the
Atlanta Falcons. But how do you convince a professional football team
that they need the help of a scrawny kid with a neat parlor trick?
48
bOOKTALKS FOR mIDDLE sCHOOL BOYS
Dan Gutman. Getting Air. Simon and Schuster, 2007.
What do you call
a couple of skateboarding guys who are forced to wear dresses . . .
a stewardess who is forced to eat bugs . . .
and a grandmother who just lost all her friends in a plane crash?
In Dan Gutman’s Getting Air, you’d call them the lucky ones.
Julie Hahnke. The Grey Ghost. The Wolf’s Apprentice series.
PublishingWorks, 2009.
Five hundred years ago, Black Duncan Campbell is out to exterminate Clan
Macnab, and he very nearly does it. Seven-year-old Angus is the sole survivor, but he is not alone. He has the history of his clan, and some magical
creatures to guide and aid him, but what can a boy, a pine marten, a hawk,
and a luna moth do against the greatest tyrant Scotland has ever known?
They can fight to the last, and that is what they pledge to do in this, the first
book in a new series based on Scottish history and mythology.
Sid Hite. Stick & Whittle. Scholastic, 2000.
What are the chances that two guys named Melvin would run into each
other in the vast open plains of Indian country? What are the chances that
a soldier who has been gone for eight years could find his long-lost sweetheart when all he knows is that she is somewhere out West? And what
are the chances that a dead man, two teenagers, and one old Indian could
rescue the captives from a band of well-armed desperadoes in a heavily
forti­fied canyon? Well, when Stick and Whittle are involved, anything is
possible.
Will Hobbs. Go Big or Go Home. HarperCollins, 2008.
With a meteor named Fred, a giant trout named Stan, a war dog named
Attila, super germs from Mars, and a toilet-chucking catapult, Will Hobbs
takes his own advice in Go Big or Go Home.
Will Hobbs. Wild Man Island. HarperTrophy, 2002.
Here is an adventure story that has it all:
Sea kayaking in Alaska . . .
Getting lost in a deserted wilderness . . .
Huge brown bears . . .
And a wild man running around in animal skins and waving a stone
spear.
Read it now so you will be ready when they make the movie.
Index
A
Abbott, Tony, 87
Abduction, 105
Abner & Me, 108
Abracadabra! series, 40, 104
An Abundance of Katherines, 117, 131
action, adventure, and mystery books
about, 10–11, 103
for elementary school boys, 103–104
great authors for boys, 122
for high school boys, 106
for middle school boys, 104–106
Adams, Richard, 131
adventure books. See action, adventure,
and mystery books
The Adventures of Captain Underpants: An
Epic Novel, 112
The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby, 113
Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 130
Age of Reptiles series, 114
Airborn, 98
Akamatsu, Ken, 114, 127
Al Capone Does My Shirts, 85
The Alchemyst, 94
Alex and the Wednesday Chess Club, 111
Alex Rider Adventures series, 49–50,
104, 128
Alien Adventures series, 38, 97
Aliens Ate My Homework, 38, 97
Aliens Stole My Body, 97
All Keyed Up, 107
The All New Captain Underpants ExtraCrunchy Book o’ Fun 2, 113
All-Action Classics series, 113, 120
Allende, Isabel, 58, 106
Allies of the Night, 100
The Amber Spyglass, 94
The Amulet of Samarkand, 16, 69–70, 95
Anderson, M. T., 98
The Angel Experiment, 98
Animal Grossology, 81
Anthony, Piers, 123
The Arctic Incident, 98
Ariwara, Yura, 115, 120
Ark Angel, 104
The Art of the Catapult, 80
Artemis Fowl, 98
Artemis Fowl series, 98, 127
Arthur, 112
Attack of the Fiend, 100
Attack of the Giant Octopus, 99
Attack of the Tagger, 106
Austen, Jane, 101, 119
The Austere Academy, 105
Avi, 45, 116–117
B
Babe & Me, 107
Backyard Ballistics, 80
The Bad Beginning, 54, 105
The Bard series, 56, 92
Barfing in the Backseat, 85
Barnaby Grimes series, 101, 130
Barry, David, 45, 88–89
Bartimaeus Trilogy series, 16, 69–70, 95,
128
baseball, books on, 50–53, 57, 80,
107–109
Baseball Card Mysteries series, 40,
107–108
Baseball Great, 108
Basilisk, 71, 115
basketball, books on, 108–109
The Bathroom Companion, 81
Battle Drift, 106
Battle for Maruyama, 93
137
138
The Battle for Skandia, 47, 90
The Battle of the Labyrinth, 91
B.C. Mambo, 112
Bearwalker, 58, 106
The Beast from the Wizard’s Bridge, 101
Bec, 102
Beneath the Mask, 92
Beyond the Grave, 104
The Big Field, 50–51, 108
The Big Nap, 40, 103
Big Rigs, 111
Big Stuff series, 111–112
Black Water, 90
Blacker, Terence, 58, 86
The Blind Side, 63, 80, 109
blog sites, 77
Blood Beast, 102
Blood Tide, 88
Bloodsucking Fiends, 101
Bolger, Kevin, 38, 83
Bolton, John, 114
Bone series, 114
Bone: The Complete Epic in One Volume,
114
Bonehead, 79
Boo! Ghosts in the School! 104
The Book of Lost Tales, 95
The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two, 95
The Book of Monsters, 91
Books of Ember series, 90, 96, 98,
128
The Books of Magic, 114
booktalks for boys
elementary school boys, 38–44
high school boys, 58–71
middle school boys, 45–57
recommendations, 32–37
Boot Camp, 68, 118
Borgenicht, David, 34, 81
Born to Rock, 86
A Boy at War, 116, 130
Boy minus Girl, 70, 118
A Boy No More, 116
Boy 2 Girl, 58, 86
Boy, Were We Wrong about Dinosaurs! 79,
112
The Boy Who Saved Baseball, 109
boys’ literature
defining, 5–8
index
types of, 9–12
why boys are different, 1–4
Bradley, Marion Zimmer, 119
Branzei, Sylvia, 81
Brisingr, 93
Brooks, Terry, 123
Brozo, William, 25
Bruchac, Joseph, 58, 106, 116, 131
Bryan, Mike, 80
Bryson, Bill, 80
Buckingham, Royce, 89
Buckley, James, 81
Buehner, Carol, 110
The Buffalo Train Ride, 44, 79
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV show), 128
The Burning Bridge, 47, 90
Butt Wars! The Final Conflict, 85
C
The Call of The Wild, 21
Cammuso, Frank, 114, 119
The Captain Contest, 107
Captain Underpants and the Attack of the
Talking Toilets, 112
Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle
of the Bionic Booger Boy, Part 1, 113
Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle
of the Bionic Booger Boy, Part 2, 113
Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the
Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies
from Outer Space, 112
Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of
Professor Poopypants, 113
Captain Underpants and the Preposterous
Plight of the Purple Potty People, 113
Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the
Wicked Wedgie Woman, 113
Captain Underpants Extra-Crunchy Book o’
Fun, 113
Captain Underpants series, 112–113, 126
The Car, 65, 106, 118
Card, Orson Scott, 20
The Carnivorous Carnival, 106
Carpe Jugulum, 94
Cavanaugh, Terence W., 76–77
Cave of the Dark Wind, 88
Caveney, Philip, 59, 92, 96
Cavern of Fear, 91
The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse, 103
index
Chan, Queenie, 62, 115
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer, 70, 80
Chasing the Falconers, 105
The Chicken Doesn’t Skate, 50, 108
Chief Sunrise, John McGraw, and Me, 57,
109
Chin, Karen, 79, 111, 126
Choldenko, Gennifer, 85
Christopher, Matt, 107, 129
Cirque Du Freak, 53–54
Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare, 100
Cirque Du Freak series, 53–54, 100, 130
City in the Clouds, 87
The City of Ember, 46, 90, 98
City of the Beasts, 58, 106
City of the Rats, 91
classic retellings, 119–121
Clements, Andrew, 45, 104
The Climb, 105
Code Talker, 116, 131
The Coiled Viper, 88
Colbert, David, 127
Cole, Stephen, 106, 128
Colfer, Eoin, 38, 83, 98, 124, 127
The Color of Magic, 93
Comeback Kids series, 41, 108
comics
for high school boys, 114–115
for middle school boys, 113–114
Conrad, Joseph, 131
The Contest, 105
Cool Stuff and How It Works, 82
Cool Stuff Exploded, 82
Cool Stuff 2.0 and How It Works, 57, 82
Cooper, James Fenimore, 10
The Count of Monte Cristo, 120
Countdown, 105
Cover-Up: Mystery at the Super Bowl, 47,
108
Coville, Bruce, 38, 97, 124
Craddock, Erik, 39, 112
Crane, 92
Crispin: Cross of Lead, 45, 116
Cross, Gary, 101
Crown of Horns, 114
Crown of Wizards, 88
Crutcher, Chris, 124, 131
The Curse of Arkady, 89
Curse of the Bane, 100
139
Curse of the Night Wolf, 101
The Curtain Went Up, My Pants Fell
Down, 85
Curtis, Christopher Paul, 45–46, 116
D
Da Wild, Da Crazy, Da Vinci, 89
The Danger, 105
Daniel X: Alien Hunter, 115
Darkwing, 91
David, Lawrence, 97
The Day My Butt Went Psycho, 85, 126
Day of the Iguana, 84
Dead Water Zone, 98, 128
Death’s Shadow, 102
The Deep, 105
Deep Space Disco, 112
Defect, 70, 98, 128
Defoe, Daniel, 59
Delany, Joseph, 100, 123, 130
Delgado, Ricardo, 114
Deltora Quest series, 91, 127
Deltora Shadowlands series, 91
The Demigod Files, 91
Demon Apocalypse, 102
The Demon Thief, 101
The Demonata series, 67, 101, 130
Demonkeeper, 89
Deuker, Carl, 59, 109, 125, 131
The Diamond of Darkhold, 90, 98
The Diamond Throne, 92
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, 83, 114
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Do-It-Yourself Book,
114
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, 84,
114
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, 83, 114,
126
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw, 84,
114
Dino Dung, 79, 111, 126
Dinosaurs (Gould), 112
Dinosaurs (Holtz and Rey), 49, 80, 127
Dirt Boy, 111, 126
A Dirty Job, 64, 101–102
The Discovery, 105
Discworld series, 65, 93–94, 96
Dive series, 8, 105
The Dodgeball Chronicles, 114, 119
140
Dog Breath: The Horrible Trouble with
Hally Tosis, 110
Dogsong, 131
Dogzilla, 111
Doiron, Ray, 9
Domes of Fire, 92
Donaldson, Julia, 110
Downer, Ann, 46, 89
Doyle, Arthur Conan, 130
Dracula, 101, 113, 120
The Dragon Conspiracy, 93
The Dragon Guard, 90
The Dragon in the Driveway, 90
The Dragon in the Sock Drawer, 90
Dragon Keepers series, 90
The Dragon Players, 114
Dragon’s Nest, 91
Dragons of Deltora series, 91
The Dragonslayer, 114
Drake, Emily, 46, 89, 127
Dread Mountain, 91
The Dream Thief, 88
Drift X series, 69, 106, 131
Duey, Kathleen, 39, 59, 92, 112, 126, 128
Dumas, Alexandre, 120
DuPrau, Jeanne, 46, 90, 96, 98, 128
E
Eagle, 92
Eagle Strike, 104
Eddings, David, 92, 123, 128
Eldest, 93
elementary school boys
action, adventure, and mystery
books for, 103–104
better options for, 129
booktalks for, 38–44
fantasy books for, 87–89
gothic horror books for, 99
humor books for, 83–85
nonfiction books for, 79
read-alikes for, 126
science fiction books for, 97
sports books for, 107–108
The Elenium series, 92
Elephant Run, 68, 116
Elliott, David, 39, 59, 93, 96–97
Encyclopedia Brown series, 129
Encyclopedia of the End, 80
index
The End, 106
Enemy Spy, 106
Eoin Colfer’s Legend Of . . . series, 83
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn, 60–61, 93, 96
Equal Rites, 93
Eragon, 93
Eric, 93
The Ersatz Elevator, 105
Escapade Johnson and Mayhem at Mount
Moosilauke, 16, 43–44, 84
Escapade Johnson and the Coffee Shop of the
Living Dead, 84
Escapade Johnson and the Phantom of the
Science Fair, 84, 121
Escapade Johnson and the Witches of
Belknap County, 84
Escapade Johnson series, 84, 121
Escape, 105
Escape from Jabar-Loo, 88
Escape from the Carnivale, 88
Escape the Mask, 57, 92
The Eternity Code, 98
Ettus, Samantha, 60, 81
Everest series, 8, 105
Evil Star, 101
The Experts’ Guide to 100 Things Everyone
Should Know, 60, 81
extreme sports, 108
Eyes of the Storm, 114
F
Fall of the House of Mandible, 99
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,
127
fantasy books, 16
about, 10, 87
for elementary school boys, 87–89
great authors for boys, 123
for high school boys, 92–95
humor fantasy, 96
martial arts fantasy, 96
for middle school boys, 89–92
realistic fantasy, 96
Farewell, My Lunchbag, 103
Farmer, Nancy, 46, 90, 93, 128
Fear Street series, 130
Feed, 98
Feet of Clay, 94
Feinstein, John, 47, 108, 125
index
The Fellowship of the Ring, 95
The Fetch, 62, 93
The Fifth Elephant, 94
The Final Warning, 98
Fine Feathered Four Eyes, 83
Firewing, 90
First Light, 68, 95–96, 98, 128
Fitzgerald, F. Scott, 120
The Five Ancestors series, 92, 96
Flanagan, John, 47, 90, 123, 127, 130
Fleischman, John, 80, 127
Fleisher, Paul, 80, 114
Flight of the Blue Serpent, 88
Flight of the Genie, 88
Fluke; or, I Know Why the Winged Whale
Sings, 86, 93, 96
Flush, 86
Fold Me a Poem, 110
Fool, 120
football, books on, 41, 47, 59, 61, 63, 80,
108–109
Football Champ, 108
Football Genius, 47, 108
Football Hero, 108
Forbes, Esther, 130
The Forests of Silence, 91
The Fortress of the Treasure Queen, 88
Fowl Language, 39, 83
Fray, 70, 115, 128
Freaky Friday, 130
From Russia with Lunch, 104
From the Tattered Casebook of Chet
Gecko, Private Eye series,
103–104, 129
The Fugitive Factor, 105
G
The Gadget Book, 82
Gaiman, Neil, 100, 114, 120, 130
Game, 109
Gammell, Stephen, 111
Gankutsuou, 115, 120
Gantos, Jack, 80, 85
Garfinkle, D. L., 39, 60, 83, 86, 123
The Gate of Bones, 90
The Gatekeepers series, 101
The Gecko and Sticky series, 106
Gee Whiz! It’s All about Pee, 79
Gender Blender, 65, 85, 130
141
George, Jean Craighead, 131
George, Kristine O’Connell, 110
The Get Rich Quick Club, 39–40, 83
Getting Air, 48, 104
Ghost Circles, 114
Ghost of Spirit Bear, 106
The Ghost’s Grave, 100
Giant Earthmovers, 111
Gipson, Fred, 130
Give a Boy a Gun, 68–69, 118
Give My Regrets to Broadway, 103
The Giver, 98, 128
Gleitzman, Morris, 85
Go Big or Go Home, 48, 98
Goblins! 89
Godless, 117
Gold Dust, 51–52, 108, 116
The Golden Compass, 94
The Golden Wasp, 88
The Golem’s Eye, 95
The Good, the Bad, and the Goofy, 89
Goodman, Alison, 60–61, 93, 96
Goodman, Susan E., 79, 111, 126
Goodreads.com, 77
Goosebumps series, 129–130
gothic horror books
about, 11, 99
for elementary school boys, 99
gothic humor, 102
great authors for boys, 123
for high school boys, 101–102
for middle school boys, 100–101
gothic humor, 102
Gould, Robert, 111–112
Grahame-Smith, Seth, 101, 119
Grann, David, 61, 80, 131
graphic novels
for high school boys, 114–115
for middle school boys, 113–114
The Grassland Trilogy series, 57, 92, 96
The Graveyard Book, 100, 120, 130
Great Books for Boys, 24
The Great Cow Race, 114
The Great Gatsby, 120
The Great Ice Battle, 87
The Great Whale of Kansas, 50
The Greatest Power, 106
Green, John, 117, 131
Green, Tim, 47, 108, 125
142
index
Greenburg, Dan, 99, 102, 129
The Grey Ghost, 48, 90
Griffiths, Andy, 85, 126
The Grim Grotto, 106
Grisham, John, 61, 109
Grossology, 81
Grossology and You, 81
The Gruffalo, 110
Guards! Guards! 93
Guinness Book of World Records, 2009, 81
Gurstelle, William, 80
Gutman, Dan, 39–40, 48, 83, 104,
107–108, 122, 127
Gym Candy, 59, 109
H
Hahnke, Julie, 48, 90
Hale, Bruce, 40, 103–104, 129
Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, 115
Hampton, Scott, 114
The Hamster of the Baskervilles, 103
Handbook for Boys, 117
Hands-On Grossology, 81
Hank Zipzer series, 84
Harris and Me, 85
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 91
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, 92
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 91
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, 92
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,
91
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,
91
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, 91
Harry Potter series, 15–16, 91–92, 127
The Harsh Cry of the Heron, 93
A Hat Full of Sky, 94
Hat Trick, 107
Hatching Magic, 46, 89
Haunted House, 64, 115
Hautman, Peter, 98, 117
The Hawk Bandits of Tarkoom, 88
Heads Up, 107
Hearn, Lian, 61, 93, 96
Heart of Darkness, 131
Heat, 108
Heaven’s Net Is Wide, 93
Help! I’m Trapped in a Movie Star’s Body,
86
Help! I’m Trapped in a Professional
Wrestler’s Body, 86
Help! I’m Trapped in a Supermodel’s Body,
86
Help! I’m Trapped in a Vampire’s Body, 86
Help! I’m Trapped in an Alien’s Body, 86
Help! I’m Trapped in My Camp Counselor’s
Body, 86
Help! I’m Trapped in My Gym Teacher’s
Body, 85
Help! I’m Trapped in My Lunch Lady’s
Body, 56, 86
Help! I’m Trapped in My Principal’s Body,
86
Help! I’m Trapped in My Sister’s Body, 86
Help! I’m Trapped in My Teacher’s Body, 85
Help! I’m Trapped in Obedience School, 85
Help! I’m Trapped in Obedience School
Again, 85
Help! I’m Trapped in Santa’s Body, 86
Help! I’m Trapped in Summer Camp, 86
Help! I’m Trapped in the First Day of
School, 85
Help! I’m Trapped in the First Day of Summer Camp, 86
Help! I’m Trapped in the President’s Body,
85
Help! I’m Trapped . . . series, 56, 85, 126
Help! Somebody Get Me Out of Fourth
Grade, 84
Hemingway, Ernest, 121
Herald, Diana Tixier, 24
Heroes of the Valley, 92
Hey Kid, Want to Buy a Bridge? 89
Hiaasen, Carl, 86
Hidden City, 92
The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet, 87
high school boys
action, adventure, and mystery
books for, 106
better options for, 130–131
booktalks for, 58–71
comics for, 114–115
fantasy books for, 92–95
gothic horror books for, 101–102
graphic novels for, 114–115
humor books for, 86
illustrated books for, 114–115
manga for, 114–115
index
nonfiction books for, 80–81
read-alikes for, 127–128
science fiction books for, 98
sports books for, 109
The Higher Power of Lucky, 130
Highfield, Roger, 127
Hino, Matsuri, 61–62, 114
His Dark Materials series, 94, 128
Hiss Me Deadly, 104
historical fiction, 116
The History of Middle-Earth series, 95
Hite, Sid, 48, 104
H.I.V.E. series, 106, 127
H.I.V.E.: The Higher Institute of Villainous
Education, 106
The Hobbit, 36, 92
Hobbs, Will, 48–49, 98, 104, 122, 130
hockey, books on, 50, 67–68, 108–109
Hogfather, 94
Hole in My Life, 80
Holes, 92
Holmes, Thom, 79, 111, 126
Holtz, Thomas R., 49, 80, 127
Holy Enchilada! 84
Honus & Me, 107
Hoops, 109
Hoot, 86
Horace Splattly series, 97
Horace Splattly: The Cupcaked Crusader, 97
Horowitz, Anthony, 49–50, 100–101, 104,
123, 128
Horowitz Horror: Stories You’ll Wish You
Never Read, 100
horror books. See gothic horror books
The Hostile Hospital, 106
Hot Hand, 108
The House at Pooh Corner, 41
The House of the Scorpion, 93, 128
The House Where Nobody Lived, 101
How Angel Peterson Got His Name, and
Other Outrageous Tales of Extreme
Sports, 108
How Cool Stuff Works, 82
humor books
about, 10, 83
for elementary school boys, 83–85
gothic humor, 102
great authors for boys, 123–124
for high school boys, 86
143
humor fantasy, 96
for middle school boys, 85–86
humor fantasy, 96
Humphreys, Chris, 62, 93
The Hunt, 114
Hunters of the Dusk, 100
Hunting the Hunter, 105
I
I Got a D in Salami, 84
I Left My Sneakers in Dimension X, 97
I Stink! 110
The Ice Caves of Krog, 88
The Icebound Land, 90
If I Grow Up, 118
Ikesawa, Satomi, 62, 115
illustrated books
for high school boys, 114–115
for middle school boys, 113–114
In Odd We Trust, 62, 115
In the City of Dreams, 88
In the Shadow of Goll, 88
indirect readers’ advisory, 72–78
Inheritance series, 93
Interesting Times, 94
Into the Land of the Lost, 88
Into Thin Air, 80
The Invasion of the Shag Carpet Creature,
97
Is That a Dead Dog in Your Locker? 86, 126
Is That a Glow-in-the-Dark Bunny in Your
Pillowcase? 86
Is That a Sick Cat in Your Backpack? 86
Island series, 8, 105
Isle of Illusion, 91
The Isle of Mists, 88
Isle of the Dead, 91
It’s All Greek to Me, 89
It’s Disgusting and We Ate It! 81
It’s Kind of a Funny Story, 118
J
Jackie & Me, 107
Jake Reinvented, 117, 120
Jenkins, A. M., 62, 101–102, 131
Jennings, Richard, 50
Jeremy Cabbage and the Living Museum of
Human Oddballs and Quadruped
Delights, 59, 93, 96
144
Jim & Me, 108
Jingo, 94
Joey Pigza Loses Control, 85
Joey Pigza series, 85
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, 85
Johnny Tremain, 130
Journey to Inuyama, 93
Journey to the Volcano Palace, 87
Julie of the Wolves, 131
The Jungle Book, 120
Junior Genreflecting, 24
The Juvie Three, 117
K
Kat Kong, 111
Keane, Nancy J., 76–77
Kehret, Peg, 100
Kelley, Marty, 110
Key Lardo, 104
Kidnapped series, 105
Killers of the Dawn, 100
King, Stephen, 131
King Lear, 120
Kinney, Jeff, 83, 114, 126
Kipling, Rudyard, 120
Klimo, Kate, 90
The Knights of Silversnow, 88
Knights of the Kitchen Table, 89
Knights of the Lunch Table series, 114,
119
Knowles, John, 131
Koontz, Dean, 62, 115
Korman, Gordon, 8, 21, 50, 63, 85–86,
104–105, 108, 117, 120, 122–124,
130
Kraft, Erik P., 84, 126
Krakauer, Jon, 80
Kronzek, Allan Zola, 127
Krosoczka, Jarrett J., 112
Kudlinski, Kathleen, 79, 112
L
Laird, Roland, 80, 115
Laird, Taneshia Nash, 80, 115
The Lake of Souls, 100
The Lake of Tears, 91
Lamb, 86
Lamentation, 66, 94
The Last Apprentice series, 100, 130
index
The Last Book in the Universe, 98, 128
The Last Burp of Mac McGerp, 84, 126
The Last Continent, 94
Last Hero: A Discworld Fable, 94
The Last Olympian, 91
Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery, 108
The Lays of Beleriand, 95
Legend of Captain Crow’s Teeth, 83
Legend of Spud Murphy, 38, 83
Legend of the Worst Boy in the World, 83
Legion of the Dead, 101
Lenny and Mel, 84
Lenny and Mel: After-School Confidential,
84
Lenny and Mel series, 84, 126
Lenny and Mel’s Summer Vacation, 84
Leong, Sonia, 67, 115, 121
Lerangis, Peter, 40, 104
Leroux, Gaston, 121
Lewis, Michael, 63, 80, 109
Lewis and Clark . . . and Jodi, Freddi, and
Samantha, 89
Lewis Barnavelt series, 56, 101
Life in Prison, 71, 80, 128
The Life of Me: Enter at Your Own Risk, 85
The Light Fantastic, 93
The Lightning Thief, 91
Loch, 102
London, Jack, 10, 21, 130
Long Shot, 108
Looking for Alaska, 131
Lord Fujiwara’s Treasures, 93
Lord Loss, 101
The Lord of the Rings series, 95
Lord of the Shadows, 100
Lords and Ladies, 94
Loser, 55, 85, 126
The Lost City of Faar, 90
The Lost City of Z, 61, 80, 131
The Lost Colony, 98
The Lost Road and Other Writings, 95
Lowry, Lois, 98, 128
Lubar, David, 41, 84
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, 112
Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians,
112
Lunch Lady series, 112
Lupica, Mike, 41, 50–51, 108, 125, 129
Lynch, Chris, 51–52, 108, 116
index
M
MacHale, D. J., 90
Maeda, Mahiro, 115, 120
The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter, 127
The Magician, 95
The Magickers, 46, 89
The Magickers series, 89, 127
Making Money, 94
The Malted Falcon, 103
manga
about, 11
for high school boys, 114–115
for middle school boys, 113–114
Manga Shakespeare series, 67, 115, 121
Maniac Magee, 36, 55, 118
Marco? Polo! 89
Markle, Sandra, 80, 112
martial arts fantasy, 96
Martin, David, 110
Martino, Alfred C., 63–64, 109, 125
The Mask of Maliban, 88
Maskerade, 94
Masoff, Joy, 35, 81
Master of Disaster, 107
Matt Cruise series, 98, 128
Matthews, Andrew, 116
Max, 98
Maximum Ride series, 65, 98, 128
Maze of Bones, 104
The Maze of the Beast, 91
Mazer, Harry, 116, 130
McMullan, Kate, 110
Me Oh Maya, 89
Meet the Gecko, 106
Melville, Herman, 131
Men at Arms, 94
The Merchant of Death, 90
Meyer, Stephenie, 99, 131
Mickey & Me, 108
middle school boys
action, adventure, and mystery
books for, 104–106
better options for, 130
booktalks for, 45–57
comics for, 113–114
fantasy books for, 89–92
gothic horror books for, 100–101
graphic novels for, 113–114
humor books for, 85–86
145
illustrated books for, 113–114
manga for, 113–114
nonfiction books for, 80
read-alikes for, 127
science fiction books for, 98
sports books for, 108–109
Mihara, Mitsukazu, 64, 115
Mikaelsen, Ben, 21, 36, 105–106, 122,
130–131
Mike Lupica’s Comeback Kids series,
41, 108
Milne, A. A., 41, 129
The Miserable Mill, 105
The Mists of Avalon, 119
Moby Dick, 131
Moline, Karl, 70, 115, 128
Monkey, 92
Monsell, Mary Elise, 41–42, 110
Monster, 64, 117, 128
Monster Trucks, 111
The Moon Dragon, 88
Moon Magic, 88
The Moon Scroll, 88
Moore, Christopher, 64, 86, 93, 96, 101,
120, 123
More Horowitz Horror: More Stories You’ll
Wish You Never Read, 100
More Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside
School, 84
Moredun, P. R., 93, 128
Morgoth’s Ring, 95
Morse, Jennifer, 81
Mort, 93
The Most Evil, Friendly Villain Ever, 97
Mouse, 92
Moving Pictures, 94
Mucci, Michael, 101, 113, 120
Mucci, Tim, 113
Mummy, 112
Munsinger, Lynn, 41–42
Murder, My Tweet, 104
My Dog’s a Scaredy-Cat, 85
Myers, Laurie, 42, 84
Myers, Walter Dean, 64–65, 109, 112,
116–118, 124, 128
The Mysterious Island, 87
mystery books. See action, adventure,
and mystery books
The Mystery of Mr. Nice, 103
146
N
Necropolis, 101
Negima! Master Negi Magi, 114, 127
Nelson, Blake, 65, 85, 130
Nelson, Kadir, 52–53, 80, 108
Never Land series, 88
The Never War, 90
Newbery Award winners, 130
Niagara Falls, or Does It? 84
The Night I Flunked My Field Trip, 84
Night of the Howling Dogs, 66, 106, 131
Night of the Soul Stealer, 100
Night Road, 62, 101, 131
Night Watch, 94
Nightmare on Joe’s Street, 89
Nightrise, 101
No, David! 111, 126
No More Dead Dogs, 21, 63, 86, 130
nonfiction books
about, 9–10, 79
for elementary school boys, 79
for high school boys, 80–81
for middle school boys, 80
picture books, 111–112
sports books, 108
Nothing but the Truth, 117
The Not-So-Jolly Roger, 89
Now You See Them, Now You Don’t, 105
Noyes, Deborah, 80
O
Odd Jobs, 81
Odder Jobs, 81
Odean, Kathleen, 24
Off the Crossbar, 67–68, 109
Oh Say, I Can’t See, 89
Oh Yikes! History’s Grossest, Wackiest
Moments, 81
Oh Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything
Nasty, 35, 81
The Old Man and the Sea, 121
Old Man’s Cave, 114
Old Yeller, 130
Oliver, Lin, 84
On the Run series, 105
One False Note, 104
The Only Way I Know, 80
Ontiveros, Martin, 113
The Onts, 99
index
The Opal Deception, 98
Operation Babysitter, 107
Oppel, Kenneth, 90–91, 98, 124, 128, 131
Othello, 62, 115
Out from Boneville, 114
Outside and Inside Mummies, 80, 112
The Outside Shot, 109
Over the End Line, 109
The Overlord Protocol, 106
Owens, Andy, 70, 115, 128
P
Paolini, Christopher, 93
Parasites, 80, 114
Parent Swap, 86
Patch, 112
Patrol: An American Soldier in Vietnam,
112, 116
Patron, Susan, 130
Patterson, James, 65, 98, 115, 128
Paulsen, Gary, 65, 85, 106, 108, 116, 118,
122, 124, 131
Pearson, Ridley, 45, 88–89
Peck, Richard, 53, 85
Pendragon series, 90
The Penultimate Peril, 106
The People of Sparks, 90, 98
The Peoples of Middle-Earth, 95
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series,
91, 127
Peter and the Secret of Rundoon, 89
Peter and the Shadow Thieves, 89
Peter and the Starcatchers, 45, 89
The Phantom of the Opera, 121
Philbrick, Nathaniel, 80, 131
Philbrick, Rodman, 53, 98, 105, 121, 128
Phineas Gage, 80, 127
picture books
for boys, 110–111
nonfiction, 111–112
Pierce, Tamara, 130
Piggy and Dad Go Fishing, 110
The Pilgrims of Rayne, 90
Pilkey, Dav, 110–113, 124, 126
Pinned, 63–64, 109
Pirate Palooza, 112
Pirates of the Purple Dawn, 88
Piven, Joshua, 34, 81
Plague of the Undead, 101
index
Playing for Pizza, 61, 109
Please Don’t Eat the Children, 99
Point Blank, 104
Pony Express, 112
Poof! Rabbits Everywhere! 40, 104
Possession, 93
The Possum Always Rings Twice, 104
Poultry in Motion, 83
Pratchett, Terry, 65, 93–94, 96, 123
Presto! Magic Treasure! 104
Pride and Prejudice, 119
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, 101, 119
Private Eye series, 40
The Prophet of Yonwood, 90, 98
Ptolemy’s Gate, 95
Public Enemies, 105
Pullman, Philip, 94, 123, 128
Punished! 41, 84
Pyle, Howard, 119
Pyramids, 93
Q
Queen of Shadowthorn, 88
Quest for the Queen, 88
Quidditch through the Ages, 127
The Quillan Games, 90
R
The Race to Doobesh, 88
Racers, 112
The Radioactive Boy Scout, 67, 80, 127
Ranger’s Apprentice series, 47, 90, 127,
130
Rash, 98
Raven Rise, 90
Raven’s Gate, 101
Rawls, Wilson, 130
Ray & Me, 108
read-alikes
for elementary school boys, 126
for high school boys, 127–128
for middle school boys, 127
readers’ advisory
dealing with boy readers, 13–14
indirect readers’ advisory, 72–78
issues of popularity and quality,
18–21
outside-directed, 23–25
parent-directed questions, 26
147
with parents, 27–29
with parents and children together,
30–31
what we do not need to know, 17–18
what we need to know, 14–17
readers’ advisory online, 76–78
realistic fantasy, 96
realistic fiction, 117–118, 124
The Reality Bug, 90
Reaper Man, 94
Repossessed, 101–102
The Reptile Room, 54–55, 105
Rescue, 105
Rescue Josh McGuire, 36, 105, 130
Rescue Vehicles, 111
A Resurrection of Magic series, 59, 92,
128
Return of the Emerald Skull, 101
The Return of the King, 95
The Return of the Shadow, 95
Return to Del, 91
Revenge of the Whale, 80, 131
Revenge of the Witch, 100
Rex, 112
Rex 2, 112
Rey, Luis V., 49, 80, 127
Ricky Ricotta series, 113
Ricky Ricotta’s Giant Robot, 113
Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot vs. the Jurassic Jackrabbits from Jupiter, 113
Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot vs. the
Mecha-Monkeys from Mars, 113
Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot vs. the
Mutant Mosquitoes from Mercury,
113
Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot vs. the Stupid
Stinkbugs from Saturn, 113
Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot vs. the Uranium Unicorns from Uranus, 113
Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot vs. the Voodoo
Vultures from Venus, 113
Riddell, Chris, 101, 130
The Riddle of Zorfendorf Castle, 88
The Rifle, 116
Riordan, Rick, 91, 104, 127
Ripken, Cal, Jr., 80
Ripley’s Believe It or Not, 127
Ripley’s Believe It or Not Special Edition,
2009, 81
148
Ritter, John H., 109
The Rivers of Zadaa, 90
Roberts, Ken, 42–43, 84, 108
Robinson Crusoe, 59
Rock Jaw, 114
Rodda, Emily, 91, 127
Rodgers, Mary, 130
Romeo and Juliet, 67, 115, 121
Rowling, J. K., 15, 91–92, 127
The Ruins of Gorlan, 90
The Rules, 110
The Runestone Saga series, 62, 93
S
Sachar, Louis, 84, 92
Sacred Scars, 92
Safari Journal, 44, 113
Safe at Home, 108
Salisbury, Graham, 66, 106, 131
Sam Samurai, 43, 89
Samuri, 112
The Sapphire Knight, 56, 92
The Sapphire Rose, 92
Satch & Me, 40, 108
Sauron Defeated, 95
Saving the World, and Other Extreme
Sports, 98
Scars of Victory, 93
The Scary States of America, 56, 101
Scat, 86
Scheer, Cheryl Perkins, 24
Schiff, Nancy Rica, 81
Scholes, Ken, 66, 94
Schooled, 50, 85
School’s Out—Forever, 65, 98
Schuett, Stacey, 111
Schusterman, Neal, 21, 66–67, 98, 128
science fiction books
about, 10, 97
for elementary school boys, 97
great authors for boys, 124
for high school boys, 98
for middle school boys, 98
The Science of Harry Potter, 127
Scieszka, Jon, 7, 43, 89, 96, 111, 124, 126,
129
Scorpia, 104
Scott, Michael, 94–95, 128
Sea Creatures, 112
index
The Sea of Monsters, 91
Sea of Trolls, 46, 90
The Search, 105
The Search for Snout, 97
Search for the Dragon Ship, 88
Sebastian Darke, Prince of Fools, 92
Sebastian Darke, Prince of Pirates, 59, 92
Sebastian Darke series, 92, 96
Sechrist, Rad, 113
Secret Identity, 106
The Secret Life of a Ping-Pong Wizard, 85
The Secret Life of Doctor Demented, 108,
127
The Secret Science Project That Almost Ate
the School, 111
Secret Weapon, 107
Secrets of Dripping Fang series, 99, 102,
129
The Secrets of Droon series, 87
The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas
Flamel series, 94–95, 128
Sector 7, 111
See You Later, Gladiator, 89
Segawa, Masaki, 71, 115
A Separate Peace, 131
A Series of Unfortunate Events series,
54–55, 105–106
The Seven Blunders of the World, 89
Shadowgate, 91
The Shadowlands, 91
Shakespeare, William, 67, 115, 120–121
Shan, Darren, 53–54, 67, 100–101, 123,
130
Shannon, David, 111, 126
The Shaping of Middle-Earth, 95
Sherlock Holmes series, 130
The Shifting Sands, 91
The Shining Ones, 92
Shipwreck, 105
The Shluffmuffin Boy Is History, 99
Shoeless Joe & Me, 108
Shooter, 118
Shredderman series, 106
Shroades, John, 90
Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside School,
84
Sideways Stories from Wayside School, 84
Sidewayz Glory, 106
The Siege of Macindaw, 90
index
Sierra, Judy, 111
The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer, 101
The Silmarillion, 95
Silverstein, Ken, 67, 80, 127
Silverwing, 90, 131
Singer, Marilyn, 79, 112
Sir Fartsalot Hunts the Booger, 38, 83
Sister of the South, 91
The 6th Grade Nickname Game, 85
Skeleton Key, 104
Skin Hunger, 59, 92
Skinny-Dipping at Monster Lake, 101
Skuy, David, 67–68, 109
Skybreaker, 98
Slam! 109
Slangerup, Erik John, 111, 126
Slawter, 67, 102
The Sleeping Giant of Goll, 88
Slide or Die, 69, 106
The Slippery Slope, 106
Small Gods, 94
Smallcomb, Pam, 84, 126
Smith, Elwood H., 79, 111, 126
Smith, Jeff, 114
Smith, Roland, 68, 116
Snake, 92
Snakehead, 104
Snicket, Lemony, 54–55, 105–106
Sobol, David J., 129
soccer, books on, 107, 109
Soccer Cats series, 107
social networking sites, 77
The Soldiers of Halla, 90
Solheim, James, 81
Solway, Andrew, 80, 114
Son of the Mob, 86
Son of the Mob: Hollywood Hustle, 86
Sons of Destiny, 100
The Sorcerer of the North, 90
The Sorcerer’s Companion, 127
The Sorceress, 95
Soul Music, 94
Sourcery, 93
Spanking Shakespeare, 71, 118
The Specter from the Magician’s Museum,
101
Spignesi, Stephen, 81, 102, 127
Spinelli, Jerry, 36, 55, 85, 118, 126
The Spook’s Tale, and Other Horrors, 100
149
sports books
about, 11, 107
baseball, 50–53, 57, 80, 107–109
basketball, 108–109
better options, 129, 131
for elementary school boys, 107–108
extreme sports, 108
football, 41, 47, 59, 61, 63, 80, 108–109
great authors for boys, 124
for high school boys, 109
hockey, 50, 67–68, 108–109
for middle school boys, 108–109
nonfiction, 108–109
soccer, 107, 109
tennis, 108
wrestling, 63–64, 108–109
The Starcatchers series, 89
Starclimber, 98
Stauffacher, Sue, 68, 115
Stead, Rebecca, 68, 95–96, 98, 128
Stewart, Paul, 101, 130
Stick & Whittle, 48, 104
Still I Rise, 80, 115
Stine, R. L., 129–130
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly
Stupid Tales, 111
Stoker, Bram, 101, 113, 120
Stone, Jeff, 92, 96
Stone Rabbit: B.C. Mambo, 39
Stone Rabbit series, 39, 112
Storky, 60, 86
Stormbreaker, 49–50, 104
The Story of King Arthur and His Knights,
119
storytelling. See visual storytellling
The Stowaway Solution, 105
Strasser, Todd, 56, 68–69, 85–86, 106, 118,
124, 126, 131
Strickland, Brad, 56, 101
Stringer, Laura, 110
Stroud, Jonathan, 16, 69–70, 92, 95, 123,
128
The Subtle Knife, 94
Sugisaki, Yukiru, 115
Sullivan, Michael, 16, 43–44, 56, 84, 92,
121
Summer Reading Is Killing Me, 43, 89, 129
Summer School! What Genius Thought
That Up? 84
150
The Summit, 105
Sunrise over Fallujah, 65, 118
Sunwing, 90
Superdog: The Heart of a Hero, 110
Supernatural Rubber Chicken series,
39, 83
Survival, 105
Surviving Brick Johnson, 42, 84
Swanson, James L., 70, 80
Swear to Howdy, 57, 86, 130
Swindle, 105
The Sword of the Warrior, 61, 93
The Sword Thief, 104
T
Talbott, Hudson, 44, 113
A Tale of Two Tails, 85
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, 127
Tales of Deltora, 91
Tales of the Otori series, 61, 93, 96
The Tamuli series, 92, 128
The Teacher’s Funeral, 53, 85
The Tech-Savvy Booktalker, 76
Teen Genreflecting, 24
Teitelbaum, Michael, 56, 101
tennis, books about, 108
The Terror of the Pink Dodo Balloons, 97
Thief of Time, 94
Thieves like Us, 106, 128
Thieves till We Die, 106
The 39 Clues series, 104
31 Going Postal, 94
This Book Really Sucks! 81
This Gum for Hire, 103
The Three Pigs, 111
Thud! 65, 94
Thumb and the Bad Guys, 84
The Thumb in the Box, 42, 84
Thumb on a Diamond, 42–43, 84, 108
Tiger, 92
The Time Paradox, 98
Time Soldiers series, 39, 112, 126
Time Warp Trio series, 7, 89, 96, 126, 129
The Titan’s Curse, 91
To Catch a Clownosaurus, 97
Toad Away, 85
Toad Heaven, 85
Toad Rage, 85
Tocher, Timothy, 57, 109
index
Tolkien, Christopher, 95
Tolkien, J. R. R., 21, 36, 92, 95, 123, 128
Tom Sawyer, 113
Touching Spirit Bear, 21, 106, 131
The Tower at the End of the World, 101
Tower of the Elf King, 88
Tractors, 111
The Transmogrification of Roscoe Wizzle,
39, 97
Travel Team, 108
Treachery and Betrayal at Jolly Days, 99
Treason of Isengard, 95
Treasure Hunters, 114
The Treasure of the Orkins, 88
Trials of Death, 100
Tribal Warfare, 114
trivia, minutiae, lists, and encyclopedias,
81–82
Trouble Is My Beeswax, 103
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, 111
The Truth, 94
The Truth about Poop, 79, 111, 126
Tuesday, 111
Tunnels of Blood, 100
Turner, Thomas N., 10
Tut Tut, 89
Twain, Mark, 113, 130
Twelve Terrible Things, 110
20th Century Boys, 115
2095, 89
Twilight, 131
Twilight Saga series, 99
The Two Towers, 95
Two-Minute Drill, 41, 108
U
Uhlig, Richard, 70, 118
Under the Serpent Sea, 88
Underwear! 41–42, 110
Unseen Academicals, 94
Unwind, 21, 66–67, 98, 128
Urasawa, Naoki, 115
V
The Valley of the Lost, 91
Vampire Knight, 61–62, 114
Vampire Mountain, 100
The Vampire Prince, 100
The Vampire’s Assistant, 100
index
The Vampire’s Curse, 99
Van Draanen, Wendelin, 57, 86, 106, 130
Vande Velde, Vivian, 44, 89
Vanishing Act: Mystery at the U.S. Open,
108
Vendetta, 93
Vess, Charles, 114
Vieceli, Emma, 115
Viking It and Liking It, 89
The Vile Village, 106
Villain’s Lair, 106
visual storytellling
about, 110
comics for high school boys, 114–115
comics for middle school boys,
113–114
graphic novels for high school boys,
114–115
graphic novels for middle school
boys, 113–114
illustrated books for high school
boys, 114–115
illustrated books for middle school
boys, 113–114
manga for high school boys, 114–115
manga for middle school boys,
113–114
nonfiction picture books, 111–112
picture books for boys, 110–111
Vizzini, Ned, 118
Volz, Bridget Dealy, 24
Voyage of the Jaffa Wind, 88
W
Walden, Mark, 106, 127
A Walk in the Woods, 80
Wallace, Bill, 101
The War of the Jewels, 95
The War of the Ring, 95
war stories, 116
Ward, David, 57, 92, 96
Watership Down, 131
Watson, Jude, 104
The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 45–46, 116
The Wave, 118
The Way of the Warrior, 116
The Way through the Snow, 93
Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger, 84
Wayside School Is Falling Down, 84
151
Wayside School series, 84
We Are the Ship, 52–53, 80, 108
Weaver, Will, 70, 98, 128
Webber, Desiree, 44, 79
The Wee Free Men, 94
A Week in the Woods, 45, 104
The Weird 100, 81, 102, 127
Welborn, Lynda Blackburn, 24
What Stinks? 79, 112
What Would Joey Do? 85
What’s Living in Your Bedroom? 80, 114
Whedon, Joss, 70, 115, 128
When Bad Snakes Attack Good Children,
99
When Second Graders Attack, 97
Where the Red Fern Grows, 130
The Whistle, the Grave, and the Ghost, 56,
101
Who Is He? 68
Who Ordered This Baby? Definitely Not
Me! 85
Whoa! Amusement Park Gone Wild! 104
The Wide Window, 105
Wiesner, David, 111
Wild Man Island, 48–49, 104
Williams, Stanley “Tookie,” 71, 80, 128
Winkler, Henry, 84
Winnie the Pooh, 129
Wintersmith, 94
Wireman, 115
Wireman series, 68
Witches Abroad, 94
Wizard at Work, 44, 89
Wizner, Jake, 71, 118
Wolf Island, 102
The Wolf’s Apprentice series, 48, 90
Wong, Janet S., 111
Woodcock, Jon, 57, 82
Woodford, Chris, 57, 82
The World of Eldaterra series, 128
The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook, 34, 81
The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Extreme Edition, 81
Wow! Blast from the Past! 104
Wrath of the Bloodeye, 100
wrestling, books on, 63–64, 108–109
WWF Magazine, 127
Wyrd Sisters, 93
152
Y
Yamada, Futaro, 71, 115
Yeeps! Secret in the Statue! 104
Yikes! It’s Alive! 104
You Lucky Dog, 107
You Suck: A Love Story, 101–102
The Young Man and the Sea, 53, 105, 121
Your Mother Was a Neanderthal, 89
index
YouTube website, 77
YuYu Hakusho, 115
Z
Zap! Science Fair Surprise! 104
Zindel, Paul, 102
Zippity Zinger, 84
Zombie Butts from Uranus, 85