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Getting Boys to Read: Start a GUYS READ Book Club!

Getting Boys to Read: Start a GUYS READ Book Club!. Joni Kreuser David Lane Hennepin County Library, Minnesota. Bookclub Basics: Why have a book club? Video Clip: The Anvil Smasher! Choosing Books Skyping : Meeting authors remotely. Leading Discussions

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Getting Boys to Read: Start a GUYS READ Book Club!

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  1. Getting Boys to Read: Start a GUYS READ Book Club! Joni Kreuser David Lane Hennepin County Library, Minnesota

  2. Bookclub Basics: Why have a book club? • Video Clip: The Anvil Smasher! • Choosing Books • Skyping: Meeting authors remotely. • Leading Discussions • Postcards – Worth the cost • Key tips for new facilitators • Troll pus and more: Activity ideas • Questions & Discussion What we’ll cover:

  3. Studies support the fact that boys read more frequently and widely as a result of participating in a book club. • Research shows that boys are having trouble reading, and that boys are getting worse at reading. No one is quite sure why. Some of the reasons are biological.  Some of the reasons are sociological. • But the good news is that research also shows that boys will read — if they are given reading that interests them. -Jon Scieszka www.guysread.com Why have a Guys Read book club?

  4. Promotes respect for others' opinions. • Exposes members to broader reading experiences. • Rewards guys for reading, especially over the summer. • Encourages higher academic achievement (“Summer Slide”). • Provides an opportunity to meet new kids and make new friends. • Provides a group experience for the non-sports kid. • Promotes several of the Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets, including Reading for Pleasure, Interpersonal Competence, and Other Adult Relationships. • Good way to promote children’s and teen’s collections. • Excellent experience for volunteers (adult or teen) Why have a Guys Read book club?

  5. Reactions? • Does it relate to the book? Of course! (dragons, castles, Vikings, crazed destruction). • Imagination and play. • Action, participation. • It was FUN. Message: A library book club can actually be fun! • Guys Read as an event! • Cost: About $20 (using a brick instead of anvil!) Video Clip: THISis Guys Read??!

  6. Choose books you really like! • Select books you have actually read! Sounds easy, but it takes time. Start early. Get recommendations from colleagues, online book lists, and local book stores. • Shorter tends to be better, especially if meeting weekly. • Series books can be popular. Choosing Books

  7. Popular topics: Wizards; High-tech; Adventure; Humor; Horror; Mysteries • Always offer audio copies if available. Helps to address varied reading levels. • Boy must be main character. • www.kidlinks.org > Books & Reading > Guys Read • http://www.guysread.com/books/ Choosing Books (cont’d)

  8. A great free way for the guys to meet the author. • Install Skype on the computer you will be using. • Check author web sites for contact information. • Learn to use Skype first. Test the connection and do a test call with the author! • Okay for guys to crowd the monitor. • Have some questions prepped for the author. The guys may be initially shy. • Sarah Prineas, Greg van Eekhout, Jason Shiga • COST: Free. Skyping with an Author

  9. Scan each book you’ve read to come up with questions. Reread it, if there is time. • Try to come up with a LOT of questions. They can be very tangentially related (i.e. What would be your super power? Worst bike crash?). • Check the HCL “Bookspace” page for existing questions from HCL and other sources. Leading Discussions - Questions

  10. Have each kid bring a question to the meeting. • Don’t get too hung up on spending a lot of time on the questions. Activities can be fun. • Some groups have informal quiz-games, with the snacks as the prize. Leading Discussions (cont’d)

  11. Ice Breakers warm up the group • Name badges. A good way to learn their names. • Involve all the kids. Be attentive of the quieter kids and ask for quiet when they speak. • You decide whether to have kids raise hands or not. Want to avoid seeming like school. • Wait about 15 minutes to serve the snacks. Helps the group focus on the book! Managing the Group

  12. Respect! Have a “Respect” mantra that is reinforced at every meeting. Come up with a question that relates to respect for every book. • A volunteer assistant can really help (safety in numbers!) • COST of snacks: About $10 per session Managing the Group (cont’d)

  13. www.amazingmail.com • A direct mail website where you can design and send custom postcards. • Guys in your group get a personal reminder of the upcoming meeting. • Generates an address book of guys in your group. • Learn to use a basic “image capture program” like SnipIt or Firefox’s screen capture add-on. • There is a learning curve, but not very steep. • COST: About $1.10 a card, including postage. 12 cards for 3 mailings over the summer: $ 39.60 Postcard Reminders

  14. Things Not Seen. A Whole ‘nother Story Mudville End of summer celebration

  15. Facilitator should be male. • Recruit outside the box: police officer, doctor, construction work, storytime dad, college student • Discuss any AV needs with the library contact a week or two before the meeting. • Check on supplies (snacks, books for next club.) Key tips for new facilitators

  16. Print off the registration list and review the names. Have name tags ready. • One or two days before your meeting scan the book to refresh your memory. • Think about anything over and above questions that you may want to try (activities, visits, etc). Tips for new facilitators (cont’d)

  17. The Brave Apprentice . . . “Troll pus” • Things not Seen . . . Braille book and visit with a blind person from State Services for the Blind • The Broken Blade . . Local history actor/with a canoe • The Séance . . .Debunking a séance/picking locks Go for it … activities we’ve tried

  18. Wolf Brother . . . Minnesota Zoo “WolfQuest” game • Simon Bloom Gravity Keeper . . . Launched a helium balloon and a book • Mudville . . . Local author visit • Tiger . . . Visit from a martial arts expert • Knucklehead . . . Get the anvil! Smashing army men More activities we’ve tried…

  19. Chasing Vermeer . . . pentominoes / Vermeer art books • The Awakening . . . What superpower would you chose? • Phineas Erupts . . . three exploding science experiments! • Zombiekins . . . brought in peanut butter taffy; next time Adam will dismember stuffed animals and have guys remake them into their own zombiekins. (This is how the Guy mind works, ladies!) • The JuvieThree . . . bring in local police officer And more …

  20. Joe the Barbarian . . Graphic novel. Adam brought in comic book illustrator for discussion; demonstrated drawing techniques and helped guys with art.(Teens) • Unwind . . . Is it murder? Is it not murder? (big success) • The Devil and his Boy . . . Ratsy and Moll Cutpurse were real people. Books on times. • Houdini the Handcuff King . . . Picking locks on handcuffs. Graphic novel. And more …

  21. Joni Kreuser: jkreuser@hclib.org David Lane dlane@hclib.org Presentation: www.hclib.org/extranet Questions & Comments…

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