Get Boys to Read

Geekdads love to gather the kids outside and blow things up. Who doesn’t? After a vigorous day of blowing things up there’s nothing better than curling up with the kids and a good book about…
blowing
things up.

One of a geekdad’s main jobs is to pass on a love of reading. When my son was growing out of picture books, but not yet interested in chapter books, we discovered manga. These Japanese graphic novels have just the right mix of monsters, martial arts action, good versus evil battles, and explosions to keep a boy coming back for more. The first series we tried was Beet the Vandel Buster, Vol. 1,which I recommend as a great starting point. All manga have a rating, similar to a movie rating, which can tell you how appropriate it is for your child’s age group. I stick with manga rated “E” for
“Everyone”. Books with other ratings, such as “Teen” or “Mature”, might contain words or drawings are inappropriate for your child.

Other manga series deal with more real-life activities, such as Whistle!, Volume 1, which is about a young soccer player, and Hikaru No Go, Vol. 1, about a Go prodigy. An added benefit of these is that your child can pick up a good deal about Japanese society and culture.

One of the things your child might like best about manga is that the books read from right to left, adding to the fun.  Give them a try.

Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!