Hope you have all been well. Without any of my amusing introductions (this time), I will get straight to talking about some recent great reads:
Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide To Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald - First and foremost Charlie Joe Jackson does not like to read. He is renowned around school for getting reading assignments done without actually reading the materials he is assigned. Charlie has skated through school on reading by using the following method. Read the first chapter of the book and then the last. Next find someone to read the rest for you. What's so funny is that all the reading Charlie puts into reading other people's summaries of what happens in between the first and last chapters and presenting it is more work on Charlie than if he actually read the book. Unfortunately for Charlie all that is about to change because Charlie is found out by his English Teacher and his parents (not a pretty scene). Charlie tells you his story along with his harrowing experiences with this whole not reading thing that really just wants to make you laugh because, well it's just funny. What will Charlie do now that everyone is on to him. Read this extremely funny book and find out. Recommended for ages 9 and up.
Beat The Band by Don Calame -
By: James Preller,
on 5/4/2011
Blog: Fathers Read (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Cameron Pendino, Resources, Swim the Fly, SJ Boys Read, William Allen Middle School, Don Calame, Kyle Thumar, Nikhil Thumar, Beat the Band, Boy Group Spreads the Written Word, Authors & Artists We Love, Add a tag
* Here’s an article that suggests a powerful new motivational tool to get boys reading — naked girls. Meet Don Calame, author of Swim the Fly and Beat the Band.
“I sat down to write a book that would speak to the 15-year-old boy I was,” Calame said. “Be true. Be honest. Make the kids real. Make their thoughts real. If it’s not what they hear, if it’s not how they talk, they’ll put it down. [They will think] it’s like the author is lying to us. You want to get books in the hands of kids. You want them to read the next page, then the next chapter. You want to keep them reading.”
* We’re seeing this more and more — older boys modeling a love of reading for younger boys. Click here to read about these impressive young men, “Boy Group Spreads the Written Word.” You can also visit their website, SJ Boys Read, by jumping up and down on this link.
Add a Comment“Reading isn’t something we should do just because we have to do it. It can be fun,” said Nikhil Thumar, a seventh-grader at William Allen Middle School.
Nikihil isn’t alone in his feelings on the subject.
For the last three years, the 13-year-old has teamed with his older brother Kyle Thumar, 15, and Cameron Pendino, 15, to help run the nonprofit organization, SJ Boys Read.
The teenagers started the organization after learning that more and more young boys aren’t really that thrilled about reading.
“Our goal is to mentor young boys and show the value of reading by selecting a book title and holding events featuring discussion questions, games and prizes,” Cameron said.
And what started as a few boys gathered at a local bookstore has grown into an organization that draws dozens of boys to books and brings in authors, professional athletes and others to talk about the value of the written word.
