Books, Yes. Girls, No.

Boys-Only Reading Club Takes a Novel Approach to Finding Adventures

Yes, it was their moms' idea. But make no mistake, this is a boys book club. The six members -- all fourth-graders from Takoma Park and Silver Spring -- want to bury their noses in books and then talk about them, all right, but they want to do it while learning to sword-fight.

The club began two years ago as a way to stay in contact over the summer. (We told you it was a mom thing.) But the guys are running the show now.

Sure, they might read something suggested by their moms -- "Charlotte's Web" and "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler," to name two -- but their clear favorites are books about boys, especially boys who draw cartoons, play video games and joke about bodily odors.

The club meets once a month, depending on everyone's schedule, at a member's home. The only females allowed to attend are their moms, of course. They supply snacks and make sure things don't get too rowdy.

"The thing I like about book club is . . . you get to see the books in another way," said Ethan Lott.

Not every selection is a comic or action adventure. Recently the boys read "Bridge to Terabithia," which was inspired by the friendship between author Katherine Paterson's son and a classmate in Takoma Park in the 1970s.

Maybe it was the connection to their own neighborhood and kids their own age that made "Terabithia" Ethan's new favorite book. He admits to crying -- just a little -- at the sad ending.

Often the boys plan activities related to what they're reading or other literature. They went to a Shakespeare festival recently (where they learned sword-fighting) and saw "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" at Olney Theatre.

At each meeting the boys vote on what to read next. Their most recent selection, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney, got V.J. Whitehurst's vote because "I don't like really long books, and I like books that are funny."

The book also was a hit with the rest of the group. Carter Tipton said it was the best book he has read as a club member.

When they get together, the boys talk about their favorite parts of the books they have chosen. At their October meeting, a moldy piece of cheese in "Wimpy Kid" reminded Max Burke of a game at school called Chills. Soon the entire group was playing.

Zack Wathen said the best part of book club is that "you get to know other people's thoughts." Occasionally, the talk does turn serious. At this meeting, the boys explored why Greg, the main character in Kinney's book, goes to such lengths to be liked.

"Why does he want so badly to be popular?" Arjun Blum asked the group. Being popular is fun, they agree, but it only matters if you are popular with people worth being popular with.

"I want to be popular," Max said, "with the boys -- and not the girls."

-- Amy Orndorff