Books, Gender, and Paradigms

Today for the first time, some of the kids took some of my favorite books out from the library. One of the 6th graders chose The Boxcar Children, a favorite from elementary school. Around 1st grade. Granted, I read above grade and he is reading below, so it probably is a good fit.

But the one that really startled me was an 8th grade boy who picked out a Dear America book. He's a sweet, but typical eighth grade boy. A goof, athletic like all the kids, pretty easy going. Definitely not effeminate. I didn't want to create stereotypes by telling him that Dear America books are "girl" books, but I was surprised that he didn't realize it, and none of the girls in the library corrected him. I like it; it's just was a weird moment.