Any "Boy" books like the American Girl Smart Girls Guides?

[mohini]

My daughter has a few of the 'Smart Girls Guides'. They're not perfect but they're pretty good for my almost 9yr old. The Smart Girls Guide of knowing What To Say and The Feelings Book have helped her navigate some challenging relationships. I know her 11 yr old brother could benefit from reading them too but alas, he won't because they are too 'girly.' (sigh)

 

Can anybody recommend similar book(s) that would be appropriate for an 11-15 yr old boy? Specifically I'm looking for information about emotional intelligence, executive function, relationships etc...  It seems that all the 'boy' books focus on physical changes, puberty, sex ed etc.. Are there any good age-appropriate books about emotional stuff for boys???

 

Thanks

[Farrar]

We've had a couple of gender neutral ones, but they're definitely geared toward "you've got a problem" mentality and not just "growing up is hard".

 

For example, we had this one, and it's decent:

https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Myself-Intense-Emotions-Feelings/dp/1433808900/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1494594875&sr=1-2&keywords=understanding+emotions

[mohini]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll check it out. I agree that most 'boy friendly' books tend to highlight or directly address a "problem." That's what I like about the smart girl guides, they normalize those kinds of social growing pains and offer up some strategies for navigating through them. It's depressingly hard to find something similar that's directed at boys or gender neutral though.

I guess society at large still thinks that emotional intelligence is just for girls.  Â¯\_(ツ)_/¯