Here’s a list of “Boy Books”, courtesy of the Eagle Academy Foundation, who hosted its third annual “Saving Our Sons” Professional Development Institute Conference this week in New York City. The Foundation has established and runs a series of all male, grades 6 through 12, college-preparatory schools in challenged, urban communities. They’ve opened three schools in New York City and are preparing to open its fourth in Newark, NJ this fall.
These books could be appealing summer reading for your middle school or older sons. Here at GCP we know and love some of these books, but others are new to us. We will continue to add to this list. Let us know what your boys think of these books, and send us info on their favorites.
The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie
Junior, a 14 year old boy growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation, makes the tough decision to leave his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. He struggles through the consequences of this choice when his new classmates shun him and his old friends and tribe turn against him.
Flight
by Sherman Alexie
“Call me Zits” begins the story of an orphaned 15 year old Irish/ Native American boy with a bad attitude who is constantly in trouble with the law. When he is shot while randomly shooting people in a bank he becomes a time traveler, going back and forth through time in a charged search for his true identity. Flight follows the troubled teenager as he learns that violence is not the answer.
Twisted
Laurie Halse Anderson
High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background—average student, average looks, average dysfunctional family. But since he got arrested for doing graffiti on the school, and spent the summer doing outdoor work to pay for it, he stands out like you wouldn’t believe. His new physique attracts the attention of queen bee Bethany Milbury, who is his father’s boss’s daughter, the sister of his biggest enemy—and Tyler’s secret crush. That sets off a string of events and changes that have Tyler questioning his place in the school, in his family, and in the world.
Letters to a Young Brother
Hill Harper
Harper, a young black actor and graduate of Brown University and Harvard Law School, offers young men inspirational advice in a down-to-earth style. This unique compilation of letters provides wisdom, guidance, and heartfelt insight to help the reader chart their own path to success. to young men clamoring for advice and encouragement at a time when popular culture offers little positive direction.
The First Part Last
by Angela Johnson
16 year old Bobby has to struggle through the responsibilities of single fatherhood after his girlfriend Nia has a baby while they are in high school, and he has to deal with raising their daughter alone.
Heat
Mike Lupica
12 year old Michael Arroyo has talent and ambition on the baseball field. But Michael and his brother, 17-year-old Carlos, have a problem: their father, who was their only living relative, has died, and the boys are hoping to avoid a foster home by pretending Papi is visiting a sick relative in Miami. When a rival accuses him of being older than the Little League limit, with no parents and a birth certificate stuck in his native Cuba, Michael’s secret world is blown wide open, and he discovers that family can come from the most unexpected sources.
