Why I Write (Some) Books for Boys

A few years ago, during a severe bout with burnout when I was desperately trying to find a way to write again, I started jotting down notes for a Middle Grade story.

"Middle Grade" is a publisher-side term used to describe younger readers. Traditionally called "juvenile fiction," Middle Grade books target readers roughly ages 8 to 13, or readers who've graduated from illustrated children's books (Amelia Bedelia, Skippy Jon Jones, Fancy Nancy) and chapter books (Junie B. Jones, Magic Treehouse), but who aren't quite ready for Young Adult (teenaged) books yet.

At the time, I was quite concerned about declining literacy and reading rates among boys. Corporate publishers (meaning larger established publishers) were, and are, more focused with "leveling the gender gap" in reading by publishing books aimed primarily at girls. These books were/are mostly progressive-coded, a huge turnoff for roughly 65-75% of parents, containing negative oppressor-oppressed narratives--sometimes with men and boys placed firmly in the oppressor position with girls and women framed as the victims--and relational dynamics that don't particularly appeal to boys.

I won't go into the details of how and why these books fail, as award-winning author Malory does that in detail on his Substack, Snark and Shotguns, which I highly recommend. Suffice it to say that I'd noticed a concerning trend and, as an indie author, I was in a position to do something about it.

A New Series

I decided to focus on a particular group of boys, reluctant readers, and framed the stories around traditional values that appeal to boys: responsibility, duty, honor, loyalty, and family, including a found family in the form of a new group of friends. The stories needed a strong adventure component, which appeals to both boys and girls, and also a speculative element because that's what I write. They needed to be short to appeal to kids who bounce off longer books [1] and engaging enough to pull readers through the stories. Most of all, they needed to be fun.

Thus was the Creature Features Gang born.

It took roughly six months to write the first book, The Curse of the Werewolf.[2] I had no intentions of publishing it, except as a giveaway to the boys in my family, though I did find covers because...I'm a writer and this is what I do.

My son took a more practical approach. The book was written. Why not publish it? And since it was published, why not sell it at live events?

So I published it, added two more books to the series, and eventually made all three available at the local fairs we attended.

I was a bit surprised by the reaction the books received. To date, this series comprises about one-third of our event sales by volume. Kids are captivated by the covers, and adults follow to see what all the fuss is about.

While the adults were in our booth, they voiced their concerns over the state of reading among children and 'tweens. Nearly everyone shared their struggles to find books that engaged their male pupils, sons, and grandsons. And nearly all were delighted to find books aimed at boys, especially since they don't exclude girls.

In fact, many of the kids who walked away with books in hand were girls, while many of the boys walked away with the covers open and their noses figuratively buried in the books. One mother dropped by our booth again, after buying the entire series for her son,[3] and said he kept trying to pull the first book out so he could read it. He was so excited by the concept!

And honestly, I figured that if I could get even a handful of kids to read a book, then the series was a rousing success.[4]

But What Are the Books About?

The main protagonist of the Creature Features Gang Series is Theo Hesson, an eleven-year-old basketball enthusiast who goes to visit his paternal grandparents for the summer. There, he learns about the Saturday matinee at the local movie theater, which features a different monster movie every week.

On his first visit to the theater, Theo meets Bay, whose parents run the theater, and Jilly, two local kids who love monster movies. While watching The Curse of the Werewolf, Theo and his new friends hear a werewolf howling, which kicks off an adventure.

By the end of the book, they've figured out that the werewolf is actually their new friend Winnie.

In the second book, Zombies Need Brains, Theo, Bay, Jilly, and Winnie encounter zombies who arise from their graves after a meteor shower. And in the third book, The Thing in the Woods, they meet Victoria, a vampire, and have to deal with a tree spirit living in the woods. That last one also explains why the town, Deadwood Hollow, was formed and how and why it remains secluded from the world.

I'm currently working on a fourth book, They Only Come out at Night, though no promises on when it will be finished.[5]

While the series includes the positive values mentioned previously, as well as positive adult role models and group friendships, it's not message fiction. As I said, my goal was to create fun adventures, not to beat kids over the head with whatever the message of the day is. If we want boys to read, we have to give them books they'll enjoy reading. We can't do that if we hand them a lecture in written form.

So. Fun, adventures, friendship, and monsters. That's what kids will get when they pick up a Creature Features Gang story.

In fact, it's easier than ever for adults to snag the series for kids: recently, I (finally) compiled the paperback edition of the omnibus containing the first three books in one volume. You can find it here. I highly recommend it for summer reading or listening.

Maybe especially the listening part. Each story, including the omnibus edition, has an audiobook edition narrated by the fabulously talented Torin Lusebrink, who really brings the stories to life.

What Comes Next

My primary audience is adult readers, and that's currently where my focus lies.

However, I do have a list of stories I'd like to write for younger readers beyond the Creature Features Gang Series.

Although, to be honest, my daughter-in-law has encouraged me to write more books in this series and has even helped me brainstorm ideas for one.

Beyond that, I've promised a dragon story to a young cousin, who's absolutely fascinated by the mythical creatures.[6] I also have a few other ideas I'm playing with, though none as developed as the Creature Features Gang Series or the dragon one. And I will continue creating and developing Middle Grade stories because I'm a concerned parent and grandparent and believe that reading is one of the best ways to develop healthy minds in children.

Plus, they're fun and interesting to write. Throw in the fact that boys are currently an underserved niche and writing books for that age group becomes a no brainer, in my mind.

Kids need good books written with their interests in mind. They need to find encouragement for reading outside their normal circles. Hopefully, I can provide at least some of that with the books I write for younger readers.