Luke Bateman says boys need books ‘written for boys’ to become readers. But it’s not that simple

This week, Australian Story profiled former NRL player, BookTok creator and fantasy author Luke Bateman. The episode explored his recovery from addiction, his struggles with mental illness and his love of reading, which led to a three-book publishing contract after his BookTok account went viral. Luke Bateman. Simon & Schuster “It was not something that men did,” he said, describing how he hid his childhood love of reading. To address this reading gap, he said, we “want to be writing more stories that boys want to read”. (Though, he reads books by women, and a week ago, posted a BookTok video of himself weeping over a romance novel.) Bateman’s efforts to encourage boys and men to read is worthy of recognition. However, his online aesthetics, which include hypermasculine Australian tropes such as tractors and blue singlets, suggest he appeals to an audience of women rather than men looking for role models. Calls like his for more “boy books” are common, and often suggest we need more books on a narrow range of topics “boys love”, like sport, zombies and science. But boys actually read more widely before they reach high school, and have been told over and over what they’re presumed to like. And decades of research shows that boys (and boy protagonists) have long been overrepresented in children’s literature. Calls for “boys’ books” misdiagnose both the problem and its solutions. The real problem with boys and reading International testing is consistently interpreted to show that girls outperform boys in reading tests in almost every participating country, including Australia. This has created widespread, overly simplistic concerns about a gender achievement gap, leading to ongoing claims about a “boy-crisis” in literacy and reading – accepted as “common-sense” knowledge. However, when you look at factors not based on gender, such as class, race and location, it becomes more complicated. Boys who are middle-class and not disadvantaged in any way often outperform girls who do face these barriers – but not girls from backgrounds equivalent to their own. The gap is bigger between socioeconomic statuses than between genders from the same socioeconomic level. Put differently, socioeconomic status and factors like race play a more significant role in reading outcomes than gender alone. These things shape children’s access to books, literacy and educational opportunities (like reading at home and attending preschool). They also shape the meaning we attach to reading. Masculinity, role models and reading In his first BookTok video, posted from his tractor, Bateman, wearing an iconic Australian blue singlet, shared his delight in having found a place to talk about books. He said his “blue collar” work and “country” location meant “not a lot of emotional depth in the men around me, not many readers”. Research confirms traditional cultural norms in regional Australian towns often perpetuate narrow ideas about masculinity, which can impact the willingness of some boys to identify as readers – or engage with reading at all. While this is intensified in regional Australia, it ranges more widely, too. “I never saw any of my male role models, my male heroes, reading books”, said children’s author Scott Woodward earlier this year. He also remembered the “shameful pleasure” of being a secret teenage reader, while “real boys did manly things”. Research confirms many boys enjoy reading, though they are less likely to admit it if they think it will affect their ability to fit in. And for decades, research has shown young people are socialised to see reading as a feminised activity, incompatible with dominant forms of masculinity. Some boys may begin to reject reading as they reach early adolescence to engage in normative masculine performances. Bateman describes leaning into sport as a teenager because it was the part of him that “received praise”. As young men are becoming increasingly sympathetic to anti-feminist and anti-gender equality politics, and are being exploited and harmed by the manosphere, critical literacy skills matter. Luke Bateman, playing for the Canberra Raiders in 2017, leaned into sport as a teenager because he ‘received praise’ for it. Daniel Munoz/AAP Myths and self-fulfilling prophecies Boys’ lower literacy is often blamed on a lack of male role models and a “feminised education system”. Schools have often responded by engaging boys with reading through “boy-friendly” literacy practices and reading materials (especially nonfiction), which attempt to present reading as masculine. This can narrow the reading made available to boys, becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. There are many social myths about boys and reading, like that they only like reading fiction (or conversely, only like reading nonfiction), or will only enjoy books with male protagonists. They reinforce the false idea that gender is the main influence. But many boys are forming their relationships with reading within the context of these stereotypes and myths about gender and reading, powerfully shaping what they think and how they feel. What is the answer? We agree with Bateman: we should normalise reading for all genders. But writing or recommending more “boy books” – a concept that reinforces harmful gender stereotypes – is not the answer. Instead, we should emphasise efforts to make reading a positive, gender-neutral activity, equally available to everyone. And while peer influences are important, parents have an important, lifelong role to play in encouraging reading. Experts recommend introducing books and storytelling as early as possible, choosing books based on child’s natural interests and preferences – as well as incorporating language, connection between what they read and the world, and conversation about books into their everyday lives. Local libraries are an excellent resource: many offer storytime for babies and preschool children, as well as a range of free activities and resources. School librarians can also play a valuable role in encouraging reading. But what can we do at the crucial juncture where so many boys fall away from reading – as they enter high school? When we recommend or buy books for boys, we can expand our thinking beyond stereotypical assumptions: think about what a person like them might be interested in, rather than “a boy”. Disrupting beliefs about reading as gendered helps, whether that’s the books you provide or the conversations you have about books. There have also been positive outcomes for boys who are able to engage with digital reading platforms, such as ebooks. Young people’s engagement with reading matters. We have always known this. And that’s why it’s so important that we get the message right.