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bookloreforboys

@bookloreforboys

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Helping parents raise boys who love to read
✨ reader
✨ writer
✨ researcher
✨ mom of wild boys

POSTS STORIES REELS

Want your son to read more? Check out our printable resource for parents of boys.

Inside you’ll find:
✨4 color-in bookshelf pages (choose between football, baseball, soccer or basketball)
✨Book tracking and rating sheets
✨List of 40 favorite chapter books, organized by category
✨Guide to Building Better Readers (with 6 tips you can implement today!)

Comment BOOK LOG and l’ll send you a link to the full printable resource plus a coupon code to get it for just $2!

#kidlit
#boymom
#parentinghacks

(Made in partnership with Etsy shop Have Printer, Will Party as a resource for parents) by @bookloreforboys

If your son loves sports, this mega list of sports books is just for you!

Books rooted in athletics often go way beyond the mechanics of the game. They offer boys the opportunity to confront tough emotions, to imagine how they might react in a similar situation, or to simply cheer for a character as his story moves along.

This list includes books for boys from toddler to teen and covers all kinds of sports—from football to mountain biking and everything in-between.

Comment SPORTS and I’ll send you the list.

#sportsmom
#booksforboys
#parentingboys by @bookloreforboys

The latest research on boys and books ain’t pretty.

The @nytimes reports an alarming gender gap in reading scores between girls and boys. The @guardian found that less than 10% of teen boys read daily. And a study from the @literacy_trust shows that while reading for pleasure has gone up a bit for girls, it has gone down for boys, most notably ages 11-16.

What should we do with this information? How much does it even matter? And can we do anything in our own homes or social circles to make a difference?

That’s what we’re here to discuss. In the coming weeks and months, we’ll dive deeper into why raising boys who read is a worthwhile endeavor and how you can go about it. And, of course, we’ll share lots of book recs your boys will love.

Follow @bookloreforboys for more!

#boysread
#reluctantreaders
#parentingboys by @bookloreforboys

Including audiobooks for teens, toddlers and every boy in between. Comment WILD and I’ll send you the full list!

Let me know if you missed our conversation yesterday on the benefits of audiobooks for boys. Happy to send that over as well!

#audiobooksforkids
#raisingboys by @bookloreforboys

Where do you fall on the great audiobook debate?

We’ll take a look at what research tells us about kids who listen to books below. (TLDR: they’re a great tool to use alongside regular reading.)

In the meantime, comment AUDIO and I’ll send you two options for snagging free audiobooks!

Here’s what research has to say:

A 2026 study from MIT found that audiobooks increased vocabulary for third- and fourth-grade listeners. A 2022 scientific journal review showed audiobooks help kids ages 5 through 12 improve comprehension skills more than printed books.

These two benefits alone are huge for helping new or struggling readers. As Scarborough’s Rope explains, kids require both word recognition and language comprehension in order to read well. A stronger vocabulary and the ability to follow a story’s plotline contribute greatly to the language comprehension component of reading.

But the proven rewards for boys who listen to books don’t stop there. Kids also experience more vibrant imaginations and a greater ability to focus. Plus audiobooks serve as a wonderful substitute for screen time.

Perhaps the best finding of all?

Audiobooks spark greater interest in reading printed books for 37% of listeners ages 8 to 18. We love to hear it! 🥁😜

#audiobooksforkids
#parentingboys by @bookloreforboys

Art is supposed to be FUN!

If your son needs motivation to get creative, I’ve got the perfect list for you. More than 20 art activity books—including drawing, painting, paper airplanes, flip books and more!—something for every age, ability and interest.

Leave one of these out on the coffee table with art supplies or invite the boy in your life to join you for snacks and a laid-back drawing sesh.

Comment ACTIVITY for the full list.

#artforboys
#raisingreaders
#boymom by @bookloreforboys

This is no “boys will be boys” post. I hope my boys are daring. I pray they use wisdom. I teach them to be kind.

And yet.

I see the fire in their eyes. The craving for adventure. The need to explore. The desire to create. The never-ending joy of wrestling one another 😜

There’s real beauty in the nature of a boy. It’s a clay I hope to mold and shape.

We talk a lot. We’re outside all the time. And we read. Stories of adventure and bravery. Of failing and getting back up. Of choosing the right path instead of the easy one.

Books are powerful. And boys who read good books might just become men who welcome others into the world of the wild and free.

#raisingboys
#kidlit by @bookloreforboys

Comment ART and I’ll send you some of our favorite art fiction and non-fiction books for boys, as well as the tools we always have on-hand for when inspiration strikes!

#parentingboys
#creativekids
#raisingreaders by @bookloreforboys

Reading is reading is reading.

And yet. We all know there are some books that set us on a path. That make us think. That make us laugh. That inspire us to take on “reader” as part of our identity.

As parents, we guide our children toward a better future in so many ways. Book offerings should be no different.

Comment GUIDE and I’ll send you six tips for introducing your boy to new books and to a lifestyle that prioritizes reading.

#boymom
#raisingreaders
#booksforboys by @bookloreforboys

For our first teacher feature, I spoke with Hope, an elementary art teacher at a classical school.

Hope has a unique approach to engaging students and I think you’ll really appreciate the insight she shares.

Comment TEACHER and I’ll send you the full conversation, plus Hope’s favorite art history books and art mediums for boys.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a big list of our family’s favorite art books as well!

#drawingforkids
#raisingboys
#kidlit by @bookloreforboys

Does your son still draw voluntarily? If he’s a pre-teen or teenager, consider yourself lucky.

Research shows us that, much like reading, boys tend to ditch art earlier than girls (and sooner today than they used to).

But the act of drawing, painting and creating holds real-world rewards for all of us—and reading-related benefits for kids and teens.

Strong readers need minds that can move easily between the vision, hearing and language centers of the brain. The National Academy of Sciences found that art and music help to jumpstart these centers, making reading more possible and more palatable.

Teachers who encourage students to sketch what they read report greater reading comprehension. That’s because drawing tugs on memory and challenges understanding in order for kids to complete a full picture.

Teachers also find that asking teens to study and describe a piece of fine art helps to build the muscles of critical-thinking and brain stamina needed to tackle more complex works of literature.

Plus art is FUN.

Unfortunately, surveys tells us most boys stop drawing by the age of 10. The reasons vary, but typically include a combination of a perceived lack of ability combined with peer pressure. By 12 they decide whether or not they are “an artist.” And if the answer is no, they’re not likely to ever draw again.

If you, like me, hope to encourage lifelong creativity in your boys, follow along @bookloreforboys.

We’ll be discussing ideas all week!

#artforkids
#parentingboys
#raisingreaders by @bookloreforboys

Does your son love animals? Have I got the list for you! Comment ANIMAL and I’ll send the full 20-book list right over. ☺️

#momsofboys
#animalbooks by @bookloreforboys