Crookhaven author JJ Arcanjo suggests ways to bring boys back to books.
Image: Euan Cook
J. J. Arcanjo is the author of the Crookhaven series
I hated English at school.
To be clear, I loved reading and creative writing but analysing literature at the sentence level was painfully dull and the sometimes pretentious interpretations often went way over my head. Had I not had a family of avid readers to stoke my passion for series like Adrian Mole and A Series of Unfortunate Events, I very well could have said goodbye to reading forever.
Thankfully I stayed a reader, and now I’ve become a writer, but the problem of boys giving up on reading is worse than ever. In fact, a recent National Literacy Trust study found that only 23.7% boys aged 11–14 enjoyed reading, and for boys aged 14–16 that falls again to a staggering 18.8%.
So why are boys turning away from reading, and how can we win them back?
From films to video games to social media, teens nowadays have an almost unlimited number of ways to entertain themselves, so it’s logical there would be somewhat of a fall-off of boy readers.
But for the speed of this unprecedented decline, I’m afraid I’m going to blame one group – adults. Though while we may be to blame, we are also the ones capable of reversing this trend. How? Let me explain.
Word of mouth
The grim truth is that the number of boy-led books are decreasing and the ones that are published often get the least amount of marketing and publicity push. So if there are fewer books for boys, with less of a budget behind them, then it’s no wonder boy readers are leaving.
What we desperately need then – aside from publishing more boy-led books with robust campaigns behind them – is to champion the ones that are published.
That can mean booksellers creating more displays recommending boy-led books, school librarians setting up book clubs to get boys talking about books together,and parents actively engaging with the stories their sons enjoy. I know this works, as booksellers, librarians and parents have done it so brilliantly for my series.
Word of mouth is still the most powerful force in publishing, so if you love a book, please talk about it. Because your voice matters, and it could be what keeps a boy reading.
JJ Arcanjo
My way or the highway
Every time I walk through a bookshop, I hear a variation of, “That’s not a real book” when a boy pulls out a manga or graphic novel to show a parent, or, “You’ve read that before, go for a different one” when they want yet another book in the same series.
I’ve witnessed that in the occasional school library too, with librarians who would like to encourage readers towards other books.
But reading is reading, whether it’s text set alongside engaging illustrations, or the 17th book in a series. And, though you undoubtedly don’t mean to, by subtly redirecting that boy away from the books they want to read, what you’re actually telling them is, “The books you enjoy aren’t worth reading.” Instead, we should stay tuned in to what’s captured their attention and stoke that passion.
The best way to keep a boy reading is for them to pick their next book.
JJ Arcanjo
Share their world
One key similarity of every voracious reader I know is that their parents read to them when they were young.
Humans are storytellers by nature, so it makes perfect sense that sitting side by side sharing the same worlds as our loved ones can ignite a lifelong passion for reading. Not only will you have the privilege of being there the first time they meet Luna Lovegood or the Cat in the Hat, but you get to teach them new words and phrases and turn a shared laugh into an inside joke that lasts a lifetime.
It’s no wonder, then, that the best messages I get are from parents who have read my books with their children, enjoying the twists and turns together.
This goes for teachers too. The most engaged I ever see boys in schools is after my talks, when they are back in their classes and their teachers have prepared a lesson that’s linked to my books. Whether that’s writing their own first chapter or creating a character, they are delighted to be temporarily sharing the same world with you and their classmates.
Give young readers the gift of your presence and you will have them reading for life.
JJ Arcanjo
Community tips
I recently asked my community about this crucial issue and here are some more suggestions I wholeheartedly agree with.
Audiobooks can be a gamechanger, engaging boy readers in the same multisensory way that games and films do, as well as offering parents the chance to make enjoying stories a communal experience.
Buy book vouchers – this goes hand in hand with my larger point above about letting them pick the stories they want.
Similarly, if they love a TV show, film or game, then see if there are book tie-ins that have been published. That way, you already know they love the subject matter and will persevere with it.
Having studied Criminology at university, I know how harmful applying labels to an individual can be. Often, they become a self-fulfilling prophecy. So a boy who is labelled as ‘not a reader’ will eventually believe that as the truth. By using labels like that, you are unwittingly turning them away from reading.
We need to get more male authors into schools to get boys excited about reading and, more importantly, to dissuade them from the idea that books are somehow uncool or boring or, worst of all, ‘only for girls’. Because if reading does become a pastime only enjoyed by girls, the world will be a much worse place for it.
Whether it’s talking about series we love, reading with them or letting them pick out their next story, we could all be doing more to get and keep boys reading. So it’s time we do those things or risk losing them for good.
