A review by jsmithborne
Misreading Masculinity: Boys, Literacy, and Popular Culture by Thomas Newkirk
5.0
Really enjoyed this defense of non-traditional "literature" in kids (not just boys) reading and writing. Very readable for an academic book, too.
I especially love Newkirk's reminder that kids are not without agency and critical thinking skills when it comes to the media they consume. One of the most important skills students need (and a recent study pointed out that they aren't getting, even in college), is critical thinking. Being willing to talk to kids about whatever stories they love, and finding out what they think the relationships are between the stories and the real world, even apart from the literacy aspect, is a great way to communicate to kids that their critical awareness is important to us and give them chances to practice it. I wonder if this means I have to actually read all those Captain Underpants books on my kid's shelf now, though....
I especially love Newkirk's reminder that kids are not without agency and critical thinking skills when it comes to the media they consume. One of the most important skills students need (and a recent study pointed out that they aren't getting, even in college), is critical thinking. Being willing to talk to kids about whatever stories they love, and finding out what they think the relationships are between the stories and the real world, even apart from the literacy aspect, is a great way to communicate to kids that their critical awareness is important to us and give them chances to practice it. I wonder if this means I have to actually read all those Captain Underpants books on my kid's shelf now, though....