Books for Parents

Some good books that discuss pop culture, gender issues, and raising boys. All are available in my bookstore.

Durham, M. Gigi. The Lolita Effect: The Media Sexualization of Young Girls and What We Can Do About It. Woodstock: Overlook Press, 2008.

The Lolita Effect inspired more than the title of my book. In examining media portrayals of females, it motivated me to write a book on a similar subject for young boys. Durham’s book talks about sexualized images of females in advertising and pop culture. I highly recommend it for parents of girls as a tool for teaching their daughters about stereotyped and sexualized portrayals of women and girls in the media. I also recommend it for parents of boys as a thorough introduction to media literacy and awareness, which is something children of both sexes need.

Fine, Cordelia. Delusions of Gender. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2010.

Some scientists have criticized this book. While I am not qualified to comment on Ms. Fine’s science, I found her book very informative. The main message: brain research is in its infancy and we do not know the impact of brain physiology and activity on behaviour. In other words, don’t jump to conclusions and assume that gender-typical behaviour can only be attributed to nature.

Kindlon, Dan and Michael Thompson. Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys. New York: Random House, 2000.

This book cautions parents not to fall into the trap of stunting their sons’ emotional growth by toughening them with harsh discipline and lack of affection. It also advises parents not to accept an outmoded definition of manhood that focuses on physical strength, aggression, stoicism, and emotional distance.

Madrid, Mike. The Supergirls: Fashion, feminism, fantasy and the history of comic book heroines. Minneapolis: Exterminating Angel Press, 2009.

For anyone interested in superheroes, this book is a lot of fun to read. It is also a great backgrounder for parents who want to introduce female superheroes to their sons.

Orenstein, Peggy. Cinderella Ate My Daughter. New York: Harper Collins, 2011.

Full review available here.

Pope, Harrison et al. The Adonis Complex. New York: Touchstone, 2000.

This book offers a detailed look at body image issues among boys and men, with a focus on how body dissatisfaction has increased among males since the 1980s. There is a chapter dedicated to boys that talks about the extent of body image problems and the use of steroids and supplements. Chapter 2 includes images that demonstrate just how much the male ideal has changed since the use of anabolic steroids took hold among body builders, athletes, actors, and models.

Silverstein, Olga and Beth Rashbaum. The Courage to Raise Good Men. New York: Penguin Books, 1994.

An excellent book that talks about the push to make little boys into men at a young age, The Courage to Raise Good Men challenges the belief that mothers need to pull back from their sons in order to ensure they become “real” men—a belief that is still common today, despite greater general awareness of the emotional needs of boys.