“Just get ’em reading. Worry about what they're reading later.”

That quote above is from a VERY cool youth librarian named Amelia Yunker. I read it in an article over here that's so excellent, there's a shortened version below. (It's about reading, farts, and author Raymond Bean.)

Can fart jokes save the reading souls of boys?

You'd better hope so. [To read more, click the "Read more" link!]

Boys have lagged behind girls in reading achievement for more than 20 years....Parents of reluctant readers complain that boys are forced to stick to stuffy required school lists that exclude nonfiction or silly subjects, or have teachers who cater to higher achievers and girls.

They're hoping books that exploit boys' love of bodily functions and gross-out humor can close the gap.... 

Farts are Ray Sabini's halfway point for younger kids. The Grade 4 teacher from Miller Place, N.Y., outside New York, heard from dozens of grateful parents, teachers and librarians after he self-published his Sweet Farts in 2008 under the name Raymond Bean.

The book chronicles a nine-year-old boy's multimillion-dollar science fair invention of tablets that can change foul-smelling gas into the culprit's scent of choice: summer rose, cotton candy, grape – even pickles. It climbed to No. 3 on Amazon in children's humor in October on little more than word of mouth and prompted a sequel, Sweet Farts: Rippin' It Old-School, to be released next month.

“Reaching those reluctant boys – it's a challenge I take very, very seriously and this is what they think is funny,” Mr. Sabini said.