Luke Bateman says boys need books ‘written for boys’ to become readers. But it’s not that simple

Luke Bateman, an Australian former rugby league player and BookTok creator, recently argued that boys need books written specifically for them to encourage reading. Monash University researchers, however, say this framing misses the real issue. The reading gap, per their analysis, correlates more strongly with socioeconomic status and class than gender—middle-class boys often outperform girls facing economic disadvantages, but lag behind girls from similar backgrounds. Rather than more 'boy books,' experts recommend making reading a gender-neutral, accessible activity supported by parents and schools from early childhood onward.

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