YA for guys

My impression is that YA fantasy is written (normally) to appeal to both men and women. By your question, I assume you're looking for YA novels with male leads - written by male authors. I'm new to the genre, but my impression is that there are lots of those.

There are always the classics that started the fantasy genre - Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia. Both written by men.

I'm reading Christopher Paolini's Eragon right now.

I was curious what made you assume they were for girls?

There are a lot of series aimed at girls. At the Borders near me, there is a shelf specifically for boys. 99% of it was sports related and the other 1% was fantasy. I notice this sort of thing because my kids are all boys.

There are very good books with male leads (Harry Potter). But a lot of the series and such do seem aimed for girls, but the stats are that women buy more books than men, so I am sure that is something in the agent/editors/booksellers minds.

I would guess that there's little market, outside the SF/f genres. It's always been my understanding that, statistically speaking, boys in that age range don't read for entertainment, and only read what they're required to read. (I know there are exceptions, and writers probably have kids or know kids who read a lot, but across the population as a whole, it's not as common.) The boys in that age group who do read for entertainment, tend toward either non-fiction of sf/f.

JD

I have 3 boys. 1 is 11 and loves star wars and comic books. 1 is 14 and pre-fers SF and war stories for the action. Same with the 15 yr old. That is the crux of the problem. I have tried to get them to read, but hear it's boring, or it goes to slow. Hatchet, Holes, Where the Red Fern Grows,the River those caught their attention. Yes, also the Narnia Chronicles, the Riders of Pern, and the ever popular HP. Action seems to be the key. oops almost forgot Artemis Fowl.

I have read that teachers are crying out for mid-grade and YA books targeted at boys. It's the old chicken and the egg thing: do boys not read because there are no books of interest to them, or are there no male-oriented books because boys don't read? If a boy isn't interested in fantasy or sports, what do they read? My son used to read non-fiction books when he was younger, but that won't do for a novel study in school. Orca Soundings, a line for reluctant readers, has a good amount of boy-oriented hilos, but how much else there is out there, I don't know.

So K-Mark, write a great boy-book, and teacher-librarians will beat a path to your door. There's definitely a market.

I have two boys (my youngest is three so he can't read yet but he adores picture books) and I notice that my oldest son (ten) , who reads a lot, gravitates towards fantasy and sci-fi. There isn't much else that catches his attention. My nephew is eleven and I (and his mother) have to force him to read anything. (his mom is divorced and I have watched him since he was 3 so I am really involved in making him do his homework etc.) My nephew is probably the more typical boy in this respect. I don't know if this is because there isn't much fiction that interests them, or if it is a simple lack of the desire to read at all. In my nephews case (since he loves sports) I tend to think that maybe he really just dislikes reading. I find it hard to comprehend, but I suspect a lot of boys would rather be doing something rather than reading about someone else doing something. I think they need something to draw them in and realize that reading can be great.I hope you write a fantastic book for boys and help my nephew, and so many others who think they hate reading, to see what the heck all the people singing the praises of books are talking about. It is really sad when you see so many kids who don't want to read.

The Goosebumps series was always targeted at boys--Paula Danzi-something has a book called Earth to Matthew which is very good. What about classics like Trumpet of the Swan or Where the Red Fern Grows? There are several abridged classics which would appeal to boys. I just saw yesterday a very abridged Three Musketeers in the children's section. Or how about The Princess Bride?

Check out Melvin Burgess. He wrote 'Doing It' which is definitely aimed at boys, and 'Bloodtide' was pretty boyish. The first one is about teenage boys having sex (duh) and the second is a sci-fi futuristic thing. Kevin Brooks also writes some stuff for boys - try 'Martyn Pig' - and David Klass wrote the excellent 'You Don't Know Me' which has a male protagonist.

There is YA fiction for boys that isn't sci-fi/fantasy, but it's a niche market.

My son is discovering a love for mysteries, so I think my next YA mystery will have a male protagonist. I've never written a male MC before. Ever.

I never realized that. Thanks K-Mark. I spend enough time around the little critters (boys that is) that I ought to be able to write for them.

Take a look at anything by Marcus Zusak, and King Dork by Frank Portman. These are great examples of non-sports YA for boys -- and just great examples of YA.

Yep. -- Drinking, the fumblings/successes of early sexual experiences, drugs, illegal activites, swearing...shall I go on?
Big rule in YA writing: Don't write for their parents. Write for your audience. They've outgrown their winnie-the-pooh PJs and are curious about the taboos and inter-workings of today's society. They don't say Aw Shucks and Golly anymore, that's for dadgum sure!
My ed says there's a current renaissance in YA/lad lit brought on by fringe readers who got caught up in HPotter; these readers aren't straight sports-readers, aren't straight fantasy readers. There's a new wave of young, hip male writers like Zusak and de la Pena who are sliding into the refreshed market of early male teen readers, writers who are the charming surfer-dude cool-uncle type of guys who are able to write for this audience.

I refuse to believe teen boys aren't readers. If they aren't reading, it's because we haven't given them something exhilarating to read. Go for it.

Had another thought - Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider books. I am convinced that a teen boy market is opening up more because of their success.

By the way, if you haven't seen the film of Stormbreaker, it's worth a look. I am very envious that Horowitz wrote his own screenplay - of course, he has years of TV/film-writing experience, but how wonderful to be able to adapt your own novel and have a hit both times!

Ranger's Apprentice

I'm reading Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan right now. I'm actually enjoying it more than Eragon by Christopher Paolini - which I've put aside for the time being.

K-Mark,

Two items worth mentioning:

1) Check out anything written by Chris Crutcher. His YA books have some sports plot lines but are mostly about messed up kids trying to figure out how to get by. Main characters are boys but they read well for both genders. Titles include: Stotan, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, Running Loose, The Crazy Horse Electric Game, and more. He's tremendous. You might also like Amanda Jenkins' book, Breaking Boxes. Rich Wallace has written some strong YA books for male readers too: Wrestling Sturbridge, Restless.
2) Sadly and maybe incidental, my agent sent my YA novel to Stephanie Lane of Delacorte early this year and she said she liked the book but had to pass because "boy books" just didn't sell. That's quite a kick in the pants but it's only one person's view. It's a flighty business. You never know what will work.

I see it, too

I don't think there is an extreme shortage, but I do feel like girls have more to choose from. The funny thing is I did not notice it that much until my novel was in print. As families began to read it, many commented to me that they were so glad their son found a book that spoke to them. It seemed like an odd comment to me. Then I began to see that my book focused on a boy, his father, and his grandfather... and not many other YA works in the market had a similar focus. Even in my classroom we read many books that are centered on female characters, such as "Walk Two Moons" and "Fever".

Now, I say there is not an extreme shortage because there are some books to choose from that my students and I both really enjoy. "The Cat", "Sign of the Beaver", and "My Side of the Mountain" are a few that come to mind. Overall, though, I think the original point is very valid, and I have noticed an imbalance myself.