I've been thinking lately about the kinds of books that boys read and the thought occurred to me: If J.K. Rowling had made the main character in her books a girl instead of a boy (imagine the same story but Harriet instead of Harry), would the series be as popular today among both girls and boys? Or would half the potential readers—meaning boys—decide that it’s a girls’ story and not give it a chance? Sad to say but I suspect the latter.
When kids are very young they’re less influenced by gender identity. I know little boys who love Dora, Maisy (the perky white mouse created by Lucy Cousins), and Ruby (of the Max and Ruby series by Rosemary Wells). But something happens to them when they get a little older, maybe age five or six and up. That’s when boys become reluctant to pick up a book starring a girl. (I’m talking in general because, of course, there are exceptions.) And that’s too bad because boys are losing out on some great reads. There are also boys who become reluctant to pick up any book at all—but that’s a whole other topic.
Girls, on the other hand, are more willing to read books starring the opposite sex. I, for one, read
Hardy Boys books as well as Nancy Drew. I liked Beverly Cleary’s Henry Huggins as much as Ramona Quimby. I didn’t mind that Encyclopedia Brown was a boy detective. But how many boys grew up loving the Little House books? How many boys today are willing to read Pippi Longstocking, Harriet the Spy, or Island of the Blue Dolphins (unless forced to by their teacher)? By the way, this isn’t confined to just books and boys. It also affects men and movies. If I had to bet on it, I would say you’re more likely to interest a woman in seeing a shoot ‘em up action film than to talk a man into seeing a “chick flick” (unless he’s trying to impress his date, that is).
Why is that? It’s certainly not because heroes are more interesting than heroines. I’m thinking it has to do with the subtle messages kids receive from our society—messages about what it means to be a boy versus a girl and what’s okay for boys versus what’s okay for girls. It may take a few years to sink in, but the messages are there at an early age. One father I heard about won’t let his toddler, a boy, drink from pink sippy cups, but it’s okay for his other child, a daughter, to drink from blue ones. Come to think of it, most parents would think twice before letting their son go out in a pink outfit. Yet it’s fine for little girls to dress in blue. It makes me grateful for Ugly Dolls. They let boys have dolls of their own to clutch without losing mini-male credibility! Have you noticed this too, or do you disagree? I’d love to know what you think. I’m also interested in your suggestions for “girl” books that boys might enjoy too.
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