SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • *Best New Books*
    • Annual Best Lists
  • Reviews
    • One Star Review
    • Nonfiction
    • Toon Reviews
  • Articles
    • Authors
    • Link Du Jour
  • Covers
    • Covering the Newbery
    • Cover Curiosity
    • Unfortunate Covers
  • News
    • Books on Film
    • Morning Notes
  • Newsletter

October 11, 2018 by Travis Jonker

Boys Who Boo Books

October 11, 2018 by Travis Jonker   6 comments

giphy-downsized

Shannon Hale had a great piece about gender and books in the Washington Post, and it had me thinking about something happening in my K-4 school library this week . . .

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The Scholastic book fair is an annual event in my school. Every year they send an author video so kids can find out about the books in the book fair and the authors and illustrators who made them.

My first year when I showed this video, something happened that I didn’t expect – kids booed the books they didn’t like. More accurately, some of the boys booed books that featured girl characters or topics they considered “un-boylike”.

I was furious. I stopped the video and talked with the class. Later that day, the same thing happened. I responded in the same way. I was beginning to dread showing the video if this was going to be the reaction.

I decided I should talk with students beforehand – address the issue before it became an issue.

So with the next class I talked with students about how we treat each other, and I looked every student in the eye and told them that whatever they like to read is okay. And that making fun of someone for reading what they like is not okay. And that putting down books is not okay because that book might be someone else’s favorite book.

And it felt good, but more importantly it helped. Boys cut it out. And, to be honest, I think (whether they realized it or not) they felt relief not having to put on a big macho show anymore. Because whatever anyone likes to read is okay. I have the same conversation with kids every year now – we’re having it again this week.

I don’t tell this story to say I’m some great person (we all know that is soo not the case). I say it because I think it’s rare when we get a good opportunity to talk about this with students. So take the opportunity (or make the opportunity), because, as Shannon Hale’s piece shows, this sort of discussion needs to be happening way more often.

Filed under: Articles

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Travis Jonker

Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

January 2023

Who's Published the Most Newbery Winners in the Last 25 Years?

by Travis Jonker

January 2023

2023 Caldecott Medal Predictions

by Travis Jonker

January 2023

The Ten Most Eye-Opening Caldecott Books of All Time

by Travis Jonker

January 2023

Enter the World of Incredibly Specific Children's Literature Instagram Accounts

by Travis Jonker

December 2022

Top 10 Posts of 2022: #1

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

One Star Review, Guess Who? (#181)

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Review of the Day: The Tree and the River by Aaron Becker

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Monkey Prince Vol. 1: Enter the Monkey | Review

by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Heavy Medal

Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Readers’ Poll Results

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

The Value of Innocence for BIPOC Students, a guest post by David Mura

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

The Roads Taken: Kids’ love of things that go puts transportation books front and center | Great Books

6 Middle Grade & YA Novels on Repeat for Groundhog Day

Remember: 10 Titles to Read for Holocaust Remembrance Day

6 Chapter Books Series Updates for Transitioning Readers

ChatGPT Does Readers’ Advisory | Top Stories on SLJ

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Joanne Rubenstein says

    October 11, 2018 at 6:47 am

    I have had exactly the same experience. I have seen kindergarten boys excited by the beginning of a segment, and then when a girl figure appears, they physically pull back and start booing to prove their masculinity. I give the talk also. i also speak to them about how in 2018 girls can truly be anything, but boys are stills stuck in a narrow stereotype and that they are the generation to change that.

  2. Jen Robinson says

    October 11, 2018 at 4:19 pm

    Good for both of you, Travis and Joanne (and the doubtless many school librarians who DO have this talk with their students). Think of how freeing it is for these boys to hear that it’s ok to read what they want to read. For what it’s worth (as I am not really in a position to give this talk to groups of kids directly), I gave both Dork Diaries and Babymouse to the 8 year old son of a friend recently, and he was quite pleased with them both :-).

    • Joanne Rubenstein says

      October 11, 2018 at 9:41 pm

      That is heartening to know, Jen!

  3. Shannon Hale says

    October 12, 2018 at 1:57 pm

    Thanks, Travis! The boos were new to me till I wrote the Ever After High books. I wrote about it here: http://www.squeetus.com/2015/04/boos-for-girls.html
    I’ve since heard from a lot of educators how common it is. Speaking up beforehand is such a good idea! What a gift you’re giving those kids that they’re allowed to not like something but don’t have to exhibit hatred toward it and toward those who do. Hatred hurts the hater. (not to mention they probably will like it when they can try it without fear) I would love to live my life without ever hearing “boys will be boys” ever again.
    Also librarian Margaret Millward came up with a reading experiment she does in her school that I think is worth checking out: http://shannonhale.tumblr.com/post/131043165410/stories-for-all-librarian-margaret-millward

    • Travis Jonker says

      October 14, 2018 at 7:50 am

      Thank you Shannon! You’re doing good work.

  4. Emily Akins says

    October 18, 2018 at 9:39 am

    Thank you for sharing these stories, Shannon and Travis! It is discouraging to see how closed minded some parents can be. But I am encouraged by how open minded kids are!

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • Author/Illustrator Blogs

    • Erin Stead Illustration
    • Hey, Rabbit!
    • James Preller's Blog
    • MATTHEWCORDELLBLOGS
    • Mo Willems Doodles
    • The Scop
  • Book Blogs I Like

    • A Book and a Hug
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • A Kids Book a Day
    • A Year of Reading
    • Abby (the) Librarian
    • Awful Library Books
    • Becky’s Book Reviews
    • Better Book Titles
    • Book-A-Day Almanac
    • Bookends
    • books4yourkids.com
    • bookshelves of doom
    • Bottom Shelf Books
    • Calling Caldecott
    • Caustic Cover Critic
    • Chad C. Beckerman
    • Charlotte’s Library
    • Cheryl Rainfield
    • Chicken Spaghetti
    • CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATION
    • Collecting Children’s Books
    • Cybils
    • EarlyWord
    • educating alice
    • Finding Wonderland
    • For Those About to Mock
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Good Show Sir
    • GottaBook
    • Great Kid Books
    • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
    • Hi Miss Julie!
    • Jen Robinson’s Book Page
    • Kidsmomo
    • Maria T. Middleton Design
    • Nerdy Book Club
    • Neverending Search
    • Nine Kinds of Pie
    • One Book, Two Books, Old Books, New Books
    • Out of the Box
    • Oz and Ends
    • PlanetEsme
    • Read Roger
    • Reading Rants!
    • Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
    • sharpread
    • ShelfTalker
    • so tomorrow
    • The Children's Book Review
    • The Miss Rumphius Effect
    • Uncovered Cover Art
    • Waking Brain Cells
    • Watch. Connect. Read.
  • Library Blogs

    • ALSC Blog
    • Blue Skunk Blog
    • librarian.net
    • LISNews
    • Stephen's Lighthouse
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Unshelved
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2023


    COPYRIGHT © 2023