Kids/Teens Book Club discussion

I don't know if it's just me. But, I feel that there are WAY more females that read compared to males. I mean, I know there are a lot of readers in the world, and many are male, but it seems that most of the guys at my school don't read, and I think I have seen two other guys in this group that were around the kid/teen age group.

I might just be over-curious, but I wanted to know all of your opinions anyways. Is it because guys think reading is not "manly"? Is it because girls have a more active imagination? What do you think?

This is an excellent question. I just checked, out of our 50 top commenters, only 4 are guys. Yourself being one of them. I dont actually know why that is. Im friends with so many boys at school, and only one of them actually likes reading. I dont think reading is either masculine or feminine. Its something everyone can enjoy. Sure some books are aimed more for girls, but some are aimed for guys as well. There should be very few books which fall squarely into either category.
You're a boy, what do you think the reason is? Im sure you might now better than me...

Anyway, on a side note, any boy that reads novels gets extra points in my book. I'd rather go out with a boy who reads than doesnt. But thas just me.

Honestly, from my perspective, I think guys at my school don't want to be considered a nerd. Even though books (like Jess said) are neither masculine or feminine, guys tend to look at reading as less masculine then sports, fighting, girlfriends, etc. I mean, in Highschool, every guy tries to act as tough as possible. Not me though, I would rather read and become more intelligent. :D

The only exception is war books. Guys will consider reading a true story about war (books like: Black Hawk Down) more masculine than Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.

Gah, silly guys! Actually, Thinking it over, more guys than I thought read. Like, half of the "popular group"'s guys have read Harry Potter, and talk about it in class. They're not ashamed. And their pretty much the 'coolest' guys in the year. But they wont read anything else. And apart from that group and my friend I mentioned before, no guys read. Not even my brother, and he's grown up around books. I suppose, for anyone to read, they have to start at an early age. Plenty of girls dont read either. Those who start reading books as soon as they can are most likely those who love books. Girls or boys.

Statisticly, there are 5% more females readers than males. On the other hand, and how ironic is that(!), 43.78% of all statistics are made up at the moment. LOL go figure (:

I wonder if there is a accurate statistic out there. At a young age, it seems like more females read, but as people get older the difference seems less noticable.

In my enviroment in Israel, there are much more females read. Even in my class: we are 23 kids age 14 to 16 (mainly, 90% are 15, only two kids skipped a year or stayed a year in kindergarden). Almost NO male is reading constantly, for fun and not for school. No, NO male at all. On the other hand, about 40% girls reads not that often, sadly, only bestsellers or books they had to do school projects about, and kept reading it because they liked it (like a Diary of Wimpy Kid, my sister's keeper, hunger games, harry potter etc.). Me and three more girls read constantly because we love it.

That makes more females, and still, not many.. I wonder if there is any difference when the females are older, or not.

Frank B wrote: "Honestly, from my perspective, I think guys at my school don't want to be considered a nerd. Even though books (like Jess said) are neither masculine or feminine, guys tend to look at reading as l..."

Most of my guy friends at school that actually like to read, read war stories ect, like you mentioned above. The 'popular' guys that do read are not ashamed that they read and Jess's later comment about plenty of girls not reading is pretty accutate too. I also pefer to date a guy who reads than one who doesnt.

On another note, Black Hawk Down is a pretty good book i don't normally read that sort of stuff but i thought it was pretty good.

The idea that guys don't read is quite legit, though quite a social stereotype. I have a guy friend who reads and I told my friends about that and they asked whether he was gay.... It was weird.
Personally, I think guys who read are cute.

Hannie wrote: "Personally, I think guys who read are cute. "
Seconded.

My guy-friend who likes to read doesnt read war stories and stuff. Me and him share books. We both love The Knife of Never Letting Go, The Hunger Games, The Book Thief. So yes, boys not reading (and if they do read, its about war) is definitely a sterotype. It is kinda true, but equally so for girls.

Yeah, a guy recommended Vampire Academy to me.
Another guy recommended Darke Academy!

I find nerdy, cute boys just amazing!

Reading is just lame. Simple as that, brah.

I love reading. And it is stupid to be on a site called GOODREADS if you think reading is lame.

Haha, yes yes, I agree. Juuust kidding about reading being lame. To quote David Foster Wallace, "I do things like get in a taxi and say, 'To the library, and step on it.'"

The point of my terrible attempt at a joke is that (at my school at least) it seems like a mostly even divide of boys who hate to read and girls who hate to read. And since we are talking about reading, read this: I mean pretty much everybody. It's less of a "Oh girls like to read so much more" than it is "Oh nobody likes to read at all."
Why do girls seem to read more? No idea. At all. At first I thought it was old stereotypes that have still survived (boys do the tough things and games outside, girls sit inside and read and knit and clean), but I'm soooo not convinced of that.
Dang man, somebody needs to get up on some research on this! I must know the answer!

Haha oh Baxter :)

I definitely agree. We need stats and official research!

MOst guys that I know that read tend to read manga. And most of the guys I know don't read at all.

I'll see what i can find and yes there are sterotypes. I should have clairfed my earlier post. I didn't mean to sugest that all guys who read only read war books; just alot of my guy friends who read war books.

Which reminds me. If you read comic books, you are the nerdiest of the nerds (according to idiots at my school). I just happen to read graphic novels, and such, and I just happen to get tortured from it. I don't see what is wrong with them at all.

I'll also look to see if I can find any statistics.

Most of my guy friends read, but that's because we are just in that kind of group. ;)

I don't have that many guy friends. Mostly just girls. I hate the drama that comes with it, though.

I think I have more guy friends than girls, but I'm closer to my girl friends.

I go to a girls school. I have a limited amount of guy friends. One? Two?

Two word answer: Video games.

I'm a guy and I love to read, but boys brains are simply wired differently than girls. Many more boys are diagnosed with ADD and ADHD than girls - boys, by and large, there's always exceptions, can't/won't sit still long enough to read a book. Video games appeal much more to their need for stimulation as far as entertainment goes.

Like I said, there are always exceptions (heck, I'm one of them) but I really believe this to be true.

Believe it or not, I am a member on a video game discussion site, and most of the members there read. I think a lot of video gamers like an interesting story and adventure that can go into movies, books, and video games.

Probably because most publishers produce books aimed at girls. Girl authors write girl main characters and romance is usually a big element of the story, if not the biggest element. What is a boy to read?

Amelia, the pragmatic idealist wrote: "Probably because most publishers produce books aimed at girls. Girl authors write girl main characters and romance is usually a big element of the story, if not the biggest element. What is a boy t..."

yeah, I'm gonna go with what Amelia said, it makes a lot of sense. It's the truth. Not all books, but a lot. And sure, some guys can read them, but it's primarily girls. Some books are uni-sex, but I think the majority of those readers are females, as well.

I don't think it's genre related. I mean, there is romance which is aimed at female readers. There are also books that tend to be war related, or very violent and intense. Some of those books are aimed at guys.

I don't really think romance dominates the book industry...Not yet at least.

Amelia, the pragmatic idealist wrote: "Probably because most publishers produce books aimed at girls. Girl authors write girl main characters and romance is usually a big element of the story, if not the biggest element. What is a boy t..."

I happen to disagree there, to a certain point, and also sort of agree. I think the issue is not that they publish books geared toward girls but that they are perceived as publishing books geared toward girls. It's not cool for a boy to read if it's a book meant for a girl. That's why the difference is so much more noticeable in YA than children's or adult–because that's who they market to.

Personally, I believe that is a bunch of nonsense. Your example is that the majority of books contain romance, an element for girls alone. I can only speak for myself, but I, a girl, do my best to avoid romance in a book. Yes, I understand that it's going to happen, but a book about a love story? Not a chance. That's why I can read very little YA realistic fiction. For some reason authors, particularly YA ones, have decided that a book must have romance. I'm sure (actually I know) this is a factor that turns some boys off, but it does the same to me. By that logic, it should attract some boys as well, if to a lesser extent.

I personally think that the idea of books aimed at boys or books aimed at girls is stupid. All it does is stop people from reading books that might otherwise interest them because "That's a boys'/girls' book". These stereotypes, I believe, contribute greatly to the lack of boys who read. If they don't like war books, or are tired of war books since so many are the same thing over and over again, what else are they supposed to read without looking like a nerd?

I feel that us girls are more prone to being hurt, emotionally. And, for me, picking up a book is really the only way I can deal with pain. Sometimes, girls have a relationship mishap, and they pick up a book and seem to forget about the boy/girl all together. That's what I always did. And, I feel it's made me stronger; ready to face life's challenges. :)

Andrea, this is me too, but I'm sure that boys can find reading as a way of escape, just as some girls do.

Kate wrote: "Personally, I believe that is a bunch of nonsense. Your example is that the majority of books contain romance, an element for girls alone. I can only speak for myself, but I, a girl, do my best to avoid romance in a book. Yes, I understand that it's going to happen, but a book about a love story? Not a chance. That's why I can read very little YA realistic fiction. For some reason authors, particularly YA ones, have decided that a book must have romance. I'm sure (actually I know) this is a factor that turns some boys off, but it does the same to me. By that logic, it should attract some boys as well, if to a lesser extent.
"

Yes yes yes! I hate romance books! I cringe every time I walk past the 'romance' section in the book shop. And I avoid so many books because of it. YA novels do not NEED to include love triangles and so much romance. That would probably stop boys from reading so many books-it does for me even.

Natalie wrote: "Andrea, this is me too, but I'm sure that boys can find reading as a way of escape, just as some girls do."

This is true. I don't really let what others say to me affect my personality, but sometimes if I am lonely, bored, or just frustrated at something: I will read. Or if something is going on in the background of my life, then reading can also act as an escape.

At the whole romance deal: That is a good point. I know a lot of people that consider The Hunger Games as "girl books". Ironic that I know older men (including authors like Stephen King) that read and loved the books.

Reading is an escape. Agreed.

I disagree on The Hunger Games. Collins did it well. Romance is an important part of the story, but its in the background: a sub-plot, if you will. Boys do actually like The Hunger Games; I've recommend it 3 guys, they all loved it. I think that book isnt aimed for a particular gender.

The Hunger Games is an example of a book that I will read despite the romance...and yet one that I think would have been stronger without it. It is practically impossible to find a YA book without a love story, and only slightly easier to find an adult one.

Well, sure, I know boys that find escape in books. Then again, the ones I know aren't the heart breakers. So, maybe books are the reason behind that. Also, I ADORE 'The Hunger Games', my favorite book series. But, I feel that the romance in here is different from the Twilight Saga and any traditional romance. It's more..bittersweet? Maybe it's the idea of their surroundings and what could happen that makes it emotional for me.

People read books for more than escaping or getting over a relationship though.

You guys all have excellent ideas.

I know lots of boys who loved The Hunger Games.

I read not only for an escape. I like to live in a world that's more interesting than ours, even if only for a few hours..and, most boys I know are too ignorant to even pick up a book and read the title.

I read for entertainment and for escape espically if i had a rough day. Alot of guys i know that read, read tom clancy's stufg.

I mainly read for the adventure. I have always loved stories, whether they are in books, movies, video games, or TV Shows.

Kate wrote: "Amelia, the pragmatic idealist wrote: "Probably because most publishers produce books aimed at girls. Girl authors write girl main characters and romance is usually a big element of the story, if n..."

Wow, that's a really long response. I got my information from two publishing Q&A sessions, where a team of editors and publicists from the biggest houses (Harper, Little Brown, Simon and Schuster, etc) talked about why they sign the books that they do. They said that the majority of submissions they receive are from women. Most of these books contain heroines as main characters. There's a bit of psychology that goes into it: most women write from a female POV. Sure you have noteworthy exceptions like J.K. Rowling or Angie Sage (and you have the opposite, guy writers whose main character is a girl, e.g. Frank Beddor and Garth Nix). Frankly, the majority of teen fiction books contain some kind of romance angle, and quite a lot of these books have that particular angle as the **main** focal point of the story. I acknowledge that that is a subjective argument because different people notice different things when they read, but in books aimed at teens (read: teen girls), the MAJORITY of stories have some kind of angle. And when 1) there's a very pronounced romance angle...especially if you have the inclusion of love triangles or the "OMG we can't be together because ______" 2) the POV is a girl anyway, and 3) said POV is either really aggressive in personality or wishy-washy, that makes it even harder for the average guy to connect. Every guy? Of course not. From my experience, though, and from what I've observed, guys have a hard time relating to girls who are portrayed this way. It can be reversable: I am actually more inclined to read a book with a guy protagonist (Septimus Heap, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper, Eragon, etc.) than a girl (because I'm personally sick of all the whine), but I can't stand some guys' portrayals (like how authors like John Green, for example, choose to portray guys...absolutely cannot relate).

It's all in marketing, really. Stats show that in the 14-21 range, most readers are female. Most prospective authors, according to the panels I observed at BEA, are females. It's kind of a circular effect. More guys need to write for submission, AND more publishers need to release those books, which will (I predict) result in more guys reading. You can't create a market when there isn't a product. But if I had a dime for every time a guy has asked me "Do you know of any good book...yeah, and it's not a 'girl book' is it?" I would be in pretty good financial shape.

Amelia, the pragmatic idealist wrote: "Kate wrote: "Amelia, the pragmatic idealist wrote: "Probably because most publishers produce books aimed at girls. Girl authors write girl main characters and romance is usually a big element of th..."

Wow. Can't really argue with that. I'm curious, are these studies mostly for teen lit, or all books? Either way, I'm finding that really really interesting.

Probably just YA Fiction. There are SO MANY different types of boosk when you get out of YA Fiction.

Amelia, the pragmatic idealist wrote: "Kate wrote: "Amelia, the pragmatic idealist wrote: "Probably because most publishers produce books aimed at girls. Girl authors write girl main characters and romance is usually a big element of th..."

Woah. But this is great, and I find this to be true.

Baxter wrote: "Amelia, the pragmatic idealist wrote: "Kate wrote: "Amelia, the pragmatic idealist wrote: "Probably because most publishers produce books aimed at girls. Girl authors write girl main characters and..."

Yeah, the panels was for YA, and one of the editors kept referring to it as "teen fic." The funny thing is, I sat in on the "Middle Grade" (technically YA, but the younger end) panel, and they said pretty much the opposite - their readers were mostly guys and they were wondering how to get more girls to read :P

Frank B wrote: "Probably just YA Fiction. There are SO MANY different types of boosk when you get out of YA Fiction."

Yep, so true. There are tons of books outside of the YA fiction spectrum.

Amelia, the pragmatic idealist wrote: "Kate wrote: "Amelia, the pragmatic idealist wrote: "Probably because most publishers produce books aimed at girls. Girl authors write girl main characters and romance is usually a big element of th..."

Talk about a long response. But yes, mine was quite long. The thing is, you would rather read about a boy protagonist than a girl one. I don't care whether said protagonist is male or female, so long as it's a good character. Girls will read books about boys. Many boys will not read books about girls.

The other thing is, there may be more submissions with female protagonists than male at the moment, but not only was that not true until recently (so the majority of books are still male-focused), it's not true across the board. There are tons of books about girls, yes, but try to find a good strong female character, particularly in an adventure book, and it becomes much harder. This may sound a little odd, but it's an argument I've heard from experienced, professional authors, and one I believe: girls have have been forced to "adapt" and read books about boys; boys on the other hand, for the most part, have not had the same issue. It's a lot less common to find a romance book from a male perspective, because supposedly boys don't care about that, but it's also a lot less common to find a good adventure from a female perspective, because supposedly girls don't like that. But there are exceptions to every so-called rule and you get to a girl like me who would rather read adventure, or a boy who would rather read a romance. I will still read the book if the POV is male, the boy will not read the romance if the POV is female. Part of that is personal inclination, but part of that is the fact that society has drilled it into us that it's okay for girls to read about boys, but not for boys to read about girls.

Sorry about another long response.

I write my books with a female lead, but I've had a very good response from boy readers because the stories are more adventure oriented. I also switch viewpoints (including some guy characters) so that may help as well.

I have to agree wholeheartedly with Andrea and a couple of the others regarding all the "drama" romance that exists in so many YA stories. Why do so many authors want to give such bad examples of relationships to teens? I groan inwardly every time I think about "sparkly" vampires. ; )