GET BOYS READING WITH GREAT GROSS-OUT BOOKS!

Submitted by Gigi on March 27, 2012 - 2:42pm
in
Oh, Yuck!
Dog Breath Stink Knucklehead

A growing body of research is discovering that there is a real crisis in boys’ reading. Boys are reading less and less well than their female peers, and this gap only gets worse as children get older. Much of the reason for boys' poor reading is that the types of books being offered to boys in school often hold little or no interest for them.

Jon Scieszka, award-winning author of The Stinky Cheese Man and other favorites, has started a campaign called Guys Read to encourage boys’ reading. He believes that simply offering boys books that they will enjoy is a huge step in making the shift from reluctant to motivated readers.

To this end, a new and popular genre has sprung up which speaks to a topic of endless interest and hilarity for kids of all ages: gross, nasty, disgusting stuff, from bodily functions to ugly bugs, and mummies to mudpies.

While some grown-ups might consider this subject matter low-brow, keep in mind that these books are getting a whole subsection of kids, who are at-risk for poor performance throughout their school career, motivated to read regularly.

So if you know a reluctant reader who is consistently bored or frustrated by what he is reading in school, or if you know a kid who just wants a good belly laugh, try the following titles. Grown-ups everywhere beware…great gross-out books are here!

Comments

Submitted by Sarah on March 28, 2012 - 12:48pm.
My grandson loved Sewers and the rats that love them : the disgusting story behind where it all goes and the other 3 in the series
Submitted by Gigi on March 28, 2012 - 2:15pm.

Hi Sarah, I've never heard of that series before, but it sounds great! Thanks so much for letting me know about it! -Gigi

Submitted by Sarah on March 29, 2012 - 12:54pm.
He laughed so hard his older sister read them as well. But the problem with her is keeping her in books, she reads so much. Here are all 4: Do you know where your water has been? : the disgusting story behind what you're drinking by Barnhill, Kelly Regan. Call Number: j628.1 Barnhill . Garbage, waste, dumps, and you : the disgusting story behind what we leave behind by Miller, Connie Colwell, 1976- Call Number: j628.44 Miller Getting to know your toilet : the disgusting story behind your home's strangest feature by Miller, Connie Colwell, 1976- Call Number: j392.36 Miller . Sewers and the rats that love them : the disgusting story behind where it all goes by Barnhill, Kelly Regan. Call Number: j628.3 Barnhill
Submitted by Gigi on March 29, 2012 - 1:59pm.

Thanks so much for the details on these titles, Sarah! I will be sure to check them out! -Gigi

Submitted by Susie on March 28, 2012 - 12:19pm.
My sons loved the Oh Yuck! encyclopedias. We would spend hours pouring over the amazing gross facts. They would also spend time reading on their own, and delighting in bringing the book to me to show off the amazing stuff they found.
Submitted by Gigi on March 28, 2012 - 2:19pm.

I appreciate your comment, Susie, as it points out how much a topic of high interest can motivate kids to read. Sounds like you and your sons are on the right path! -Gigi

Submitted by Wracso 117 on March 29, 2012 - 12:24am.
Thanks for the Intel on those books.
Submitted by Gigi on March 29, 2012 - 1:58pm.

You're very welcome! We love sharing books with our customers; that's why we're here! -Gigi

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.

Comment Guidelines
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image. Ignore spaces and be careful about upper and lower case.