“Great Battles for Boys” from Author Joe Giorello Takes Aim at Boys Reading

Joe Giorello has launched a new children’s book series focusing on ancient battles and modern wars. It brings history to life in a way that he hopes will get more boys reading.

Rochester, United States - March 19, 2019 /PressCable/ —

Educators across the country are sounding the alarm about boys and reading. Today’s boys are choosing video games and computers over books, and falling behind girls in learning.

Seattle-based author Joe Giorello wants to change that with “Great Battles for Boys,” a bestselling non-fiction series that’s winning over even reluctant readers.

“I get a lot of emails from parents and grandparents who are thrilled that their son or grandson actually chose to read a book instead of playing video games,” Giorello said. “And that’s my goal—to make reading and history so exciting that boys forget they’re holding a book.”

An acclaimed middle-school teacher, Giorello began writing the Great Battles for Boys series when he realized his own son was “acting like he was allergic to books.”

“Study after study has shown that a child’s reading ability is a good predictor for future success,” Giorello said. “Boys need to be reading. But the key is to find books that boys want to read. Enjoyment builds the reading habit.”

The Great Battles for Boys series, which has repeatedly hit #1 on Amazon’s bestseller list for Children’s History, focuses on the world’s most exciting military battles. From the 300 Spartans in Ancient Greece to Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders on San Juan Hill to the brave men who landed at Normandy during D-Day, each of the five books offers insights into a specific conflict, such as the Civil War or WWII. This fall, Giorello will release his sixth book focusing on WWI battles.

“Most boys are not interested in memorizing historical dates,” Giorello pointed out. “But if you tell them about how Hitler invaded Poland, and that the Polish army was on horseback with swords fighting German tanks, suddenly September 1,1939 becomes an unforgettable date. And then, boys want to know what happened next. What happened to Hitler? Military history offers a literally explosive method of teaching history, and in the process, showing boys that books are really exciting and worth their time.”

Each of the books’ chapters offers an array of historic images and maps, along with a short biography of a prominent figure involved in that specific battle, such as General George Washington at the Battle of Yorktown, or medal-of-honor winner John Basilone at the Battle of Guadalcanal.

“Biographies are a cool way to get boys interested in reading, especially when you explain that many of these men had really challenging boyhoods, yet went on to become these brave military heroes.”

Digital versions of the books offer hyperlinks, allowing boys to discover more historical material, such as battle maps and archival photographs, or they can listen to Winston Churchill giving his famous speech before the Battle of Britain, calling on England to reach for its “finest hour.”

“My goal is to show boys that these amazing events actually happened, and that they can read all about the details. Our WWII Marines really did fight in hand-to-hand combat against the Japanese on Wake Island. American bomber pilots really did fly out on raids not knowing if they had enough fuel to fly home safely. Civil War soldiers marched through the wilderness with only rags on their feet. These are incredible-yet- true tales of valor, and they set a great example for today’s young men.”

Designed for boys ages 8-13, the books can hold even small attention spans with short and suspenseful chapters with interesting visual images. The books are also a great help to teachers who can’t fully cover all of the history inside the classroom.

“Unfortunately, most textbooks these days, including the new Common Core curriculum, cut out all this good stuff. Teachers are compelled to spend hours drilling historic names and dates into kids. But in the end, will it mean anything to them? On the other hand, when a boy reads about what really happened at the Alamo, when he can smell the black smoke coming off the battlefield, he won’t soon forget any of the people or the dates.”

The Great Battles for Boys books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, and all other online retailers.

For more information please visit the website: https://greatbattlesforboys.com

Contact Info:
Name: Keri Barnum
Organization: New Shelves Books
Address: 595 Blossom Road Suite 301 A, Rochester, New York 14610, United States
Website: https://www.newshelves.com/

Source: PressCable

Release ID: 493438