As a writer of middle-grade literature, I’m constantly browsing Amazon, Goodreads, and BookBub for new books to discover and read. This morning, I happened upon The Hidden Treasure of Glaston by Eleanore M. Jewett on Amazon. The book seemed interesting, a medieval mystery about a boy in search of the Holy Grail in 12th century England, based on actual Arthurian legends and historical events.

If I wasn’t inclined to read the book before, I most certainly am inspired to now by the vehemence wrought in me over one reviewer’s comment:

“Typical female writing that bogs the reader down too much with scenery descriptions and a bit of a challenge for the young male mind.” [Linked here.]

There is SO MUCH WRONG with that statement. This kind of thinking is poisonous to women writers, detrimental to young boys, and is sadly indicative of the present publishing modality for children’s books. Shockingly, the author of that comment is a woman and mother herself.

MYTH: Women writers must write lengthy, descriptive prose while male authors don’t mince words.

The person who believes this must have never picked up a fantasy novel. That genre still largely dominated by male writers, and the typical writing style is page after page of setting-and-worldbuilding narratives. The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien. The Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan. The Song of Ice and Fire, George R. R. Martin. All fantasy series, all incredibly descriptive (sometimes to a fault…), all written by men. It’s a writing style, not a gender style.

MYTH: Boys cannot read or think at the same level as girls.

There is some truth to the notion that boys and girls mature at a different pace, but you know what? Some girls mature faster than others; some girls are more academically inclined than others. The same applies to their male counterparts. Children should not be lumped together under a set of stereotypes anymore than you would want to be. They are each unique, each with their own set of talents, skills, insights, and interests. Perhaps the young men in this woman’s life found this book challenging, and that’s okay. That certainly doesn’t make it a universal for every boy.

I don’t understand putting all these suppositions on boys: they won’t read female authors. They won’t like literary stories. They won’t read those with female protagonists, they won’t read lengthy books, they won’t read introspective tales. Why on ever not? Because they’ve fallen prey to harmful societal expectations of what “being a man” means, and we cater to that? It’s up to parents to teach their children, show them different viewpoints and insights. We are failing our sons if we only ever give them one kind of book with one type of character.

FACT: Adults and publishers do not give boys, and children at large, enough credit.

This one lumps parents and publishers together because, let’s face it, publishers decide what children can read just as much as parents do, perhaps even more so. Parents choose particular books for their child, may even screen the ones given to them as gifts, but eventually that child will have access to books outside of the home: classrooms, school libraries, friends, etc. Publishers are the ones that determine what is even available for a child to get his hands on.

There are hundreds, thousands, of unpublished manuscripts every year, sitting in piles somewhere collecting dust. Many of these stories are legitimately unpublishable (in terms of the writing quality and story execution), but others merely don’t fit in with what the publisher thinks will sell. These stories are deemed too complex, too intellectual, too challenging for the average middle-grade reader. But what about the above-average? Or the average or even below-average reader who is curious and wants to be challenged? These people exist.

The publishers are the ones perpetuating the trends, the stereotypes—the fact that the young adult section has been riddled with nothing but paranormal, angsty teen romances for the past several years. Why? Because some book hit it big, and they want to piggyback on that success as much as they can. That in itself isn’t fault-worthy, because fans of that hit book naturally desire more of the same. Where they are to blame, though, is slamming the door shut against books for all the other readers out there who didn’t like said hit book. And that’s not right.

FACT: Boys are people, too.

George R. R. Martin once gave an interview where he was asked the question, “…you write women really well and different. Where does that come from?” His response? “You know, I’ve always considered women to be people.”

Exactly. The same applies in the reverse as well: we are all people, all part of the same human experience. Boys feel things, just like girls. Boys think things, just like girls. Boys have an equal need to reflect, express, escape, wonder, hope, imagine, and LIVE, just as girls. There are gradations of personality and preference in each of us, and that absolutely crosses genders. One size does not fit all; one book will not be loved by all.

PLEA: Let boys read widely.

I wonder how much of how we view boys today is self-fulfilling prophecy. We don’t think they can handle x topic or y vocabulary; we don’t think they’ll read z length. So we don’t offer it to them. We give them short, simplistic tales full of action and adventure but no introspection. No real way for them to relate said adventure to their own lives as they are set to embark on the scariest journey they’ve yet known: coming of age. A story of entertainment only, with no larger truth to stay with them, guide them, and comfort them in the years and struggles ahead.

What results? Boys who don’t grow and develop as much as their potential would otherwise allow. Boys who suffer because they weren’t exposed to things beyond their own scope, who weren’t inspired to learn and experience new things. Men who settle for what they are instead of pursuing who they could become.

Let’s give our boys a fighting chance. Let’s support, encourage, and CHALLENGE them. It’s our job to teach the next generation: Let’s do the best by them we possibly can.