Encouraging Boys to Love Books

 Author Jon Scieszka has spent his adult life trying to encourage young boys to read. The former teacher and the author of more than 20 children’s books says treating boys and girls the same in school just doesn’t work. Read part of an interview at NPR and excerpts from his literacy program or visit the guysread website.

Jon Scieszka has spent his adult life trying to encourage young boys to embrace the written word. The former teacher and the author of more than 20 children's books says treating boys and girls the same in school just doesn't work.

In school reading lists, "we're promoting such a narrow version of literacy that we're not including what a lot of boys like," Scieszka tells Michele Norris.

Scieszka started Guys Read, a literacy program and Web site with suggested reading for boys. Now he's published a book, Guys Write for Guys Read, a collection of stories, comics and advice on boyhood by best-selling authors and illustrators. He hopes the collection (selections of which are below) will inspire boys to read.