What Boys Read + Thorns among Roses

'What Boys Read' explores the stereotypes within boys socialization around literacy and reading.  The stereotype is simple, being that in boys encouragment and habits towards the physical world, reading does not intertwine and when it does it is based on violence, action, or crude humor.  The author is exploring whether or not these stereotypes are created and wanted by boys themselves, or if these desires for action and battles in books are just furthered and assumed by authors.  While violence is often contained in good literature, the flipside of it is the story of the inner battle which explores the vulnerablilites and insecurites as experienced by boy characters.    Showing a real way of coping with violence, the author claims, is something important to be gained through literature- in a sense the battle has to gain more for the character other than superiority.  Magazines can be even worse in pushing stereotypes and desires in boys- for example in Nickelodeons magazine for 'kids' it is often targeted at a boy audience, and is often pushing the idea that boys are silly and stupid and contains an inherent rebellion against education.  

    'Thorns among Roses' focuses on the misunderstanding and behavior of boys learning development in and around the first grade. First grade, the author explains, is a vital time that sets the pattern for boys confidence and behavior in school, which is largely due to boys development in reading  in contrast to girls.  If boys are not up to speed with the lessons in class and are struggling, school can suddenly become a place that is associated with bad self confidence, and can also come out as 'deviant' behavior if they are showing resistance to something they don't understand.  Sucess or confidence, can make or break the rest of a child's experience within the school structure.   What the author also brings up is boys should not merely be dismissed as boys, in the sense that their strange or deviant behavior should not always be overlooked- they may be acting out in a way of avoiding an emotional, perhaps embarrassing,  situation.  In a big way boys tend to feel undervalued in the world of education.  

    Thinking back on my experience as a child, I never felt like a loser or incompetent.  I read at an early age and was highly encouraged by my parents to do so- I found great joy and reward in doing good school work.  What I did think about in the reading which now seems to ring true of my past experience is how kids that they claim to have natural talent, or are 'bloomers' are encouraged further with GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) programs, asking to read out loud in class, etc.  In a way I think the very notion of a program like GATE is more of a psychology for kids and works as a very high confidence- I couldn't imagine what it would have felt like for the other half of the class who stayed behind in the classroom when the GATE class went to go do their activities.  No matter what, kids need a lot of reinforcement within the school system.