Have you heard the saying “Everyone has a story to tell”? Maybe the stories boys tell their friends are not exactly biography-worthy, but each story has a small part in helping them relate to each other.
Learning about other people’s real life experiences can help boys learn more about themselves and the world in which they live. Many amazing tales of achievement, challenge, success and hardship are told through biographies and autobiographies. Reading them can help boys discover unique qualities about themselves and possibly amazing tales of their own.
How Biographies Can Appeal to Boys
Since boys typically favor non-fiction, the ‘true story’ aspect of biographies and autobiographies appeals to their desire for hands-on, adventurous, life-related topics. Life stories of people who have succeeded or overcome challenges can interest boys and help them identify with characters they see as strong and in the control.
The subjects of biographies and autobiographies vary widely – from historical figures like Nelson Mandela to sports stars like Eli Manning to ordinary people who have led extraordinary lives like Rosa Parks. Although many boys may like sports, the biography does not need to be about a star athlete for them to be interested.
Opportunity for Self-Discovery
Autobiographies provide the opportunity for boys to learn about themselves and others through true life stories. Reading about the unique lives of real people can help boys start to recognize unique qualities in themselves and help them develop confidence in their own uniqueness. Learning about people from different backgrounds or cultures can also help boys relate to their differences on an emotional level and accept them.
Biographies help introduce boys to lives and experiences they may not have known existed. With their more personal tone and exploration, autobiographies can be a powerful self-awareness tools for boys. The challenges and triumphs of others can help boys identify real life role models and discover more about their own qualities and emotions through the stories.
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Lisa Hill
This is spot on! I do a biography unit with my Y5&6 classes every second year, and it’s very popular, especially with the all-boy classes. It’s not just sport – they like reading about explorers, inventors, military heroes and entertainers. One of these days I’ll get round to posting my unit on my website to share it!
Kate Saulsgiver
I have found that boys as young as 2nd grade get absolutely hooked on Mike Velenzia’s biographies. We have all of the presidents and they work through them one by one, introducing their friends to them on the way. There is great information, but also very appealing comic-style inserts that provide a “lighter side” to the story.
LLDonna
Two of your posts brought back a favorite memory. My son had the dreaded biography assignment in fifth grade. Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Edison need not apply! I suggested Woody Guthrie’s autobiographical Bound for Glory and offered to resurrect our old childhood pastime by reading it aloud. Like Thoreau’s chopped wood warming the wood chopper twice, reading this treasure out loud worked for both of us. I still get shivers remembering when the young man’s shirt comes off in the rainstorm in a futile effort to keep Woody’s guitar from getting soaked. And my son continues to be a reader of contemporary biographies and memoirs, some 25 years later.
yonca
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Mike McQueen
I know that biographies about athletes and musicians are popular with most boys.
Lisa Hill
The trouble is, I keep improving it so it is never finished LOL.
Lisa
Mary Cronk Farrell
I’m wondering if boys are interested at all in biographies about women?
I’m working on a biography about a woman labor organizer. There is a lot of action in the story, and info about coal mining and violence. I don’t like violence, but it’s a true story about a violent time in US history.
Anyway, because it’s about a woman, I’m wondering if boys would pick it up.
I’d love to know what you teachers and librarians think.
thanks,
Mary
testuser
Thanks for the great post! I love it.