Top Ten Books to Give
to Adolescent Boys Who Say They “Hate Reading”
By Oona Marie Abrams
Three years ago, I welcomed the ritual of ten minutes of
daily independent reading into my 12th grade classroom. Of course, I was
nervous at the beginning. After reading Penny Kittle’s Book Love, I wondered
how on earth it would be possible for me to read enough titles to make good
recommendations to my students, particularly the young men. So I got down to
work reading books that were out of my comfort zone, and now when guys who come
into my classes saying they hate to read, I almost always recommend one of the
following. Note that after each description I put a recommended read-next book.
This is because I predict they will devour the first one, and I like to
challenge them while they’re open to new titles. That challenge might be to
read a longer or more complex text. Or it might be to continue reading or
extend upon their studies on the topic of the book they’ve just finished. That
depends on the reader.
See her suggestions at The Nerdy Book Club
