Boys And Girls

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

• Roxane Gay’s collection of essays explores her identity and frustration with traditional feminist values. Roxane Gay’s writing challenges gender norms from all segments of society and creates her own form of gender identity.
• ties in to themes of gender roles and expectations
• Bad Feminist on Super Summary

Outlawed by Anna North

• Anna North’s novel reimagines the iconic stories of outlawed gangs in the Wild West through the warping of gender norms and roles.
• ties in to themes of the loss of innocence, gender roles and expectations, and adult and child perspectives
• Outlawed on Super Summary

A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean

• Norman Maclean’s semi-autobiographical novella traces the coming-of-age story of two boys in a small western town.
• ties in to themes of gender roles and expectations and the loss of innocence
• A River Runs Through It on Super Summary

Other Student Resources

“The Mask You Live In”

• The documentary “The Mask You Live In” critically analyzes the boxes society puts boys in, raising them to fit into an emotionless norm that ultimately harms boys and girls alike.
• ties in to themes of gender roles and expectations and adult and child perspectives
• "The Mask You Live In" on YouTube

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

• This novel follows a teenage boy through his anger, frustration, disillusionment, hope, and growth.
• ties in to themes of the loss of innocence and gender roles and expectations
• The Catcher in the Rye on Super Summary

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

• Lee’s classic novel tells the story of a southern town whose racist structures are revealed during the trial of a falsely accused Black man. Central to the novel is the narrator Scout’s relationship with her father, Atticus.
• ties in to themes of gender roles and expectations, the loss of innocence, and adult and child perspectives
• To Kill a Mockingbird on Super Summary

Teacher Resources

Feminism is for Everybody by bell hooks

• This study of the potential and impact of feminism, as well as the accessibility of feminist ideals, is directly relevant to the organization and management of boys and girls in school settings.
• ties in to themes of feminism, alliance-building, and environment
• Feminism is for Everybody on Super Summary

Alice Munro Biography

• a biography of Alice Munro’s life and literary work