Boys

According to a recent USA Today editorial I read there is a "gender gap" in terms of reading performance whereby girls perform much better -- 55% better in one Cook County, Illinois elementary school that was evaluated.

So the U.S. Librarian of Congress, James Billington, has named author Jon Sieszka a "Reading Ambassador" for a campaign designed to get more boys to read. Mr. Sieszka's campaign can be found at this website:

www.guysread.com

I applaud citizens like Mr. Sieszka who use their talent for a civic need like this one since an illiterate population only becomes more dependent on government programs. But perhaps more importantly is the other "gender gap" -- namely the fact that men in the USA still earn more than women do for doing the same job. Today's boys need to empower themselves by reading more so they are better providers for their future families since men are still the primary wage earners in the USA today although this could change soon as girls outperform boys in reading.

Personally I would love to see the Boy Scouts of America join this reading campaign by creating a "Reading" merit badge.

Thanks Mr. Sieszka,

Todd