Dime Store Novels and Boys Reading

Today in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Mark Bauerlein, a professor of English at Emory University tackles the question of what boys should read. In it, he mentions the iPulp Fiction Library, a site that offers free online fiction in the dime-novel tradition. He writes:

Books of any kind compete with so many digital diversions that just about any fiction that encourages long reading hours is worth a look — pulp or sports or Western or murder mystery or classic novel. Reading researchers believe that sheer volume of reading plays a large role in the acquisition of basic literacy skills and vocabulary, and that print matter of even child-oriented books can be more verbally challenging than some of the best television shows.

It's an interesting piece. Do read the article and the comments, and when you get a chance, stop by the iPulp Fiction Library and check it out. There are titles by Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game), Bruce Coville (Wizard's Boy) and more.