Luring boy readers with disasters, wild animals, spies, sports, machines, dinosaurs, and creepy-crawly things

The boys yell as a classmate swings a broom handle wildly in the air. When one boy connects with the tennis ball and runs around the makeshift bases, another reaches under a car in the parking lot to retrieve the ball.

Gym class? Boys blowing off steam after school? No, these boys are participating in the second year of the Boys’ Book Club at Scott Highlands Middle School in Apple Valley, Minnesota. After discussing a book about baseball, they trekked outside and learned how to play stickball.

Across the metro area, schools, libraries and even the juvenile justice system are looking into why boys fall behind girls when it comes to reading test scores and how they might kindle a love of reading in the boys. In some cases, a decreasing number of male teachers has led to situations where female teachers are left searching for books they think boys will like—about gross stuff, action, sports and creepy-crawlies. Read more about their quest at StarTribune.com.