Gotcha for Guys!: Nonfiction Books to Get Boys Excited About Reading

(Paperback)

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Description

Research indicates boys are interested in reading nonfiction materials, yet most children's librarians prefer to booktalk fiction. Offering citations for more than 1,100 books, Gotcha for Guys! deals specifically with books to pique the interest of middle grade boys. A series of booktalks are grouped within chapters with like titles such as: Creepy-Crawly Creatures, Disasters and Unsolved Mysteries, Action and Innovation, and All Things Gross. Complete booktalks are presented in a beginning section of chapters 1-9. A second section in each of these chapters contains short annotations and talks for other books of interest, and a third section offers lists of well-reviewed titles to consider for boys. The book is enhanced with book cover art and reproducible lists for teachers and librarians.

Reviews

Gotcha for Guys! is meant specifically for books that every boy will be comfortable toting around and reading probably out loud as they share the cool things they are discovering.A must-have as a book selection reference. * Children's Literature Network *
The authors are experienced educators, know their subject, and enthusiastically promote reading for fun.This Gotcha is most appropriate for libraries serving elementary and younger middle school-aged readers. * VOYA *
Gotcha for Guys! is a continuation of the Gotcha! series by Libraries Unlimited from Baxter and Kochel, who outdid themselves this time with this wonderful resource.Who says nonfiction for boys isn't exciting It is evident that the authors had great fun compiling the lists for this book, and this is a must have for all libraries that serve boys of this age. * Reference & User Services Quarterly *
Ten chapters cover 10 areas of interest to boys in kindergarten through eighth grade, including U.S. history, world cultures, science, action and innovation, disasters and unsolved mysteries, and hot topics like magic, drawing, and fascinating facts. Each section has three parts. New and Notable suggests books published since 2004, and includes a complete citation with booktalk. Older books are annotated in the Not to Be Missed section, where citations indicate whether a booktalk is available in an earlier Gotcha book. The third part of each chapter lists books with favorable reviews that are Worth Reading. Suggested ages are included for each title. There is a definite need for booklists such as this.Highlighting numerous titles on varied topics can only improve librarians' ability to serve this often under-reached segment of our reading population. * School Library Journal *
This annotated bibliography is definitely worth the purchase price. It lists nonfiction books by subject and gives the librarian enough information about each title to decide whether or not to add the item to the library. Although intended as a list of books specifically that boys will be interested in, it is a great source for nonfiction ordering ideas, especially since each chapter contains a different subject. The librarian can work on building the parts of the collection in which he or she has the most need. Each chapter begins with detailed descriptions of a few books, and includes lists of don't miss titles. The only draw-back is that many of the titles are repeated on the lists and sometimes between chapters. The book gives ideas for booktalking to boys as well. Index. Recommended. * Library Media Connection *
Baxter reminds us that many teacher-librarians only booktalk and push fiction and that nonfiction--particularly that for boys--often takes a backseat.This is a good selections tool for checking your male-appealing titles, but then you have to use it. Recommended. * Teacher Librarian *
This title is helpful for nonfiction collection development and can be used as a starting point for creating attractive, themed displays. * Booklist/Professional Reading *
This reference for librarians lists 1,100 books that will interest boys in grades 2-8 and encourage them to explore their favorite subjects. Focused around such topics as animals and science, the nine chapters provide descriptions of newer books that can serve as booktalk introductions, brief descriptions of recommended books, and citations of books receiving positive reviews in major library guides. * Reference & Research Book News *

Author Bio

Kathleen A. Baxter served as the Coordinator for Children's Services in the Anoka County (MN) Library for over 25 years. She is the coauthor of several other Gotcha! books for Libraries Unlimited and is a well known presenter for the Bureau of Education and Research. Marcia Agness Kochel is currently Media Director at Olson Middle School in Bloomington, Minnesota.