Hop on Pop

As a single mom of two sons, I have a special spot in my heart for boys. I watch them being dragged into the library (usually by mothers) who tell them what to read. I see teachers (usually women) giving them reading assignments of books too thick, too dull, and too ancient to pique their interests. Sometimes I just want to scream, "Leave the poor guys alone!"

Instead, three years ago, I kicked off a father-son book discussion group for second- and third-grade boys entitled "It's a Guy Thing." My hope was that younger boys would develop a love of reading and eventually choose to visit the library, rather than see it as a punishment.

Since positive male role models can be difficult to find, a "father" figure can include any male—a grandfather, uncle, older brother, or even a neighbor. After assigning an age-appropriate picture book in advance, we meet once a month for an hour in the library's cozy storytime room. I leave the books at the circulation desk for the boys or their fathers to pick up, and they can read them at their own convenience prior to our gathering. This typically leads to a father-son discussion about the book beforehand. Our meetings take place around 7 p.m. on a day that doesn't conflict with Boy Scouts, Little League, or any other important activity.

Since most of the boys in the group prefer reading nonfiction books, I choose titles such as John Henry (Dial, 1994) by Julius Lester, Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man (Harcourt, 1997) by David Adler, The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (Viking, 1992) by Jon Scieszka, and Togo (Philomel, 2002) by Robert Blake, which falls under factual fiction. We even read poetry such as The Spider and the Fly (S & S, 2002) by Mary Howitt and illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi and Just Us Two: Poems about Animal Dads (Millbrook, 2000) by Joyce Sidman.

I promote the program by sending letters directly to second- and third-grade teachers at local schools, giving flyers to boys in the library, sending announcements to the local paper, or advertising in our newsletter. Often, it's mothers who sign up their husbands and sons. Since guys aren't known for being expressive, I was initially concerned that no one would discuss the books. Boy was I wrong! Once I throw out a few questions, the participants just take over the conversation. We often compare current books to previous books, and I ask questions, such as what made a particular book different. We also talk about various writing styles and emotions that certain books may raise. And we take plenty of time to discuss the artwork. By the time it's over, everyone is laughing and having a great time.

For our first session, in 2001, a total of three sons and three fathers showed up, but since then we've had as many as 20 fathers and sons attend. The program takes place throughout the school year, and we take summers off.

Snacks are a must, and I use foods that fit our themes. For example, I brought fortune cookies when we read Yin's Coolies (Philomel, 2001) and Danish butter cookies when we talked about The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark (Peachtree, 2000) by Carmen Agra Deedy.

Our evenings include games, crafts, videos, and other related activities. One year, during Ramadan, I read the book Ali and the Magic Stew (Boyds Mills, 2002) by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim. Afterward, I asked each boy to decorate a plastic bowl, which represents the date bowls many Muslims use to break their daily fasts.

The program hasn't always been easy. There was a session when no one showed up. But overall, it's worth it, particularly when you hear a father say, "My son hated reading until he started coming here. Now he loves it!"