High school boys and philosophy...in my early years, it never occurred to me that these two would intersect. My first moment of vague enlightenment occurred when a senior boy came in the library raving about Ishmael and asking for another book like it. Not having read the book (and I am embarrassed to say I still haven't read it--though it's a constant resident on my to read pile), I asked him what he liked about it. "It's all about the meaning of life and the way we live it as human beings," he simplified. This caught me off guard, but no more. That year 2 or 3 more boys made similar requests.
Since then, I've listened more closely to these kids, made some suggestions, and asked them to stop by and keep me posted on their opinions on books I've recommended as well as books they've heard about from others. Some of the titles that might appeal are Way of the Peaceful Warrior and its sequel Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior, Siddhartha, Life of Pi, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and The Prophet. Mitch Albom's books might also be likely candidates. Sherri's post regarding genres applies to this list as well. Some of these books are classified non-fiction, though to me they read like fanatasy...e.g., Peaceful Warrior, a book I did not enjoy, but at least three boys have told me it's their all-time favorite! Others are fiction, and one (The Prophet) is poetry.
Clearly, the meaning of life/human values are among the weightiest of topics, so my guess is that the number of students who seek this type of book is limited. This brings up two questions:
1. My experience is that upperclass boys are the most likely to seek this type of material...I understand the "upperclass"--but why boys more so than girls?
2. Since this may be a niche market, how do I include this into a booktalk...what are the hooks that will reach these kids? Our booktalks are generally geared to free reading...are there some words/terms connected to these books that might sound too "intellectual" and could turn students away?
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