Reading is the new cool. Everyone who’s anyone is getting into it, footballers, comedians, media personalities, and the good old Aussie dad.

More and more there are schools and libraries running sessions specifically designed to turn reading into a father/son activity. Which is a great idea. What better way to turn dinner table talk from footy onto the latest book on the reading pile?

But which literary ambassadors can rally the troops? We don’t want the dads who have gotten up before work to come to a bookish breakfast to wish they’d stayed in bed. And you don’t want to watch the eyes of eager young readers glaze over as they listen to the detailed synopsis of a book that they have no interest in.

But fear not, dear planners, for we here at Booked Out have taken on the challenge to find for you some wonderfully blokey speakers, who will wake men of all ages up to books and have boys and their dads fighting over who gets to read the novel first as they drive home.

First up, the lovely Mr Max Barry, author of the fast paced, political books Jennifer Government, Company, Syrup and the upcomingMachine Man. Max’s books are interesting and exciting, and will grab kids that have grown up on young spy thrillers and dads who like their action a little smarter than some.

James Phelan and Michael Hyde have titles out that would suit both age groups. Michael’s book Hey Joe is the younger readers edition of his recent memoir All Along the Watchtower (see our separate blog post on Michael’s book about this); while James’s book Chasers: Alone was loved by many boys whose dads were reading Patriot Actsome years before. The Chasers series has been garnering fantastic reviews, and sales to back it up, with some going as far as to compare it to John Marsden’s Tomorrow, When The War Began (but with politics more of our time).

Now that’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of guys who write for adults who could get younger readers excited about reading, and vice versa. But to kick start your thoughts on a program to encourage bookish boys, these are my suggestions.

– Bec Kavanagh

Some of the Booked Out staffers recently attended the launch of Michael Hyde’s latest book, All Along The Watchtower, held (fittingly) in Melbourne’s Trades Hall.

The launch was the most highly attended this booking agent has been to in quite some time – the cavernous Bella Bar packed to overflow, with people of all ages and backgrounds who had come to celebrate Michael’s time working against the Australian involvement in the Vietnam War (and American, for that matter).

As I had studied the war in depth back in high school, and subsequently spent my university years working in the student union at the Victorian College of the Arts, I was eager to be the first of the office to get to read our copy.

I had previously read Michael’s Hey Joe, which was a YA novel that channelled Michael’s experiences through a filter — a clever mechanism to allow him to tell only the parts of the story he was comfortable with. It was, and remains, a strikingly original, strong, and important YA work — and one that most Australians (young or otherwise) would benefit from: a lesson in often under-acknowledged Australian history.

All Along The Watchtower can be seen as reprise of Hey Joe, a gutsy way for the author to revisit his role in history. Without the constrictions of writing for a YA audience (much in the ‘60s, including Michael’s story is not suitable for young children!) Michael paints a far fuller picture of the events recounted in Hey Joe. This time, it’s a first hand recollection, rather than relayed stories (a device used to great effect in Hey Joe).

Michael has been working on this release for a very, very long time – long gathering research, waiting for the declassification of ASIO files, talking to old collaborators, and emotionally unravelling and reflecting upon his actions and those of others at the time.

In an era such as 2010, when many students are unaware of the scale and significance of the anti-war movement, or even the Vietnam War itself a book such as this is of vital importance. How is it that young Australians can arrive as tourists in Vietnam, and ask at the gruesome war museums, ‘Why was I not told about this?’. How is it that our nation continues involvement in Iraq, without it being a regularly and more publicly debated issue? What impact does the cycles and attention spans of the media have on the public impression of the war? What are the issues in a climate of terrorism, the introduction and debate of sedition laws, freedom of speech questions, the Wikileaks debate that has dominated the media of recent days…

For these reasons, Michael makes a compelling guest to a senior English, History, or Social Studies class — and whilst depending on the student maturity, teachers may use Hey Joe in place of All Along The Watchtower — Michael’s experiences, role in history, and belief in the importance and power of simply getting the story told have much to show our younger generations.

– Simon O’Carrigan

Related Links:

All Along The Watchtower at Vulgar Press

Hey Joe at Vulgar Press

Hey Joe teaching notes, courtesy of Lou Scacciante, English Teacher at University High School.

ABC TV Documentary on ASIO History