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Stories Like Me

Yes, Boys Can! : Inspiring Stories of Men Who Changed the World - He Can H.E.A.L.

Yes, Boys Can! : Inspiring Stories of Men Who Changed the World - He Can H.E.A.L.

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hardcover

Synopsis

Yes, Boys Can! highlights the imagination, perseverance, and compassion of 50 men throughout history working in underrepresented fields of health, education, arts, and literacy, pairing each biography with a simple suggested activity.
 

Inspire boys to be confident and caring through the biographies of 50 fascinating men, past and present, representing the under-represented fields of health, education, the arts, and literacy (HEAL).

Inspired by his own experiences as a father and policy expert, Richard Reeves’s groundbreaking book Of Boys and Men uncovered some of the ways and extents to which boys and men have been falling behind and imagined initiatives like “He Can H.E.A.L.” to inspire boys to pursue paths that they might otherwise feel are inaccessible or inappropriate for them. He says:

“Gender equality is not a zero sum game. We can do more for boys and men without doing less for women and girls. We can be passionate about women’s rights, and compassionate towards the struggles of boys and men.”

Working with national elementary art educator of the year Jonathan Juravich, Richard puts “He Can H.E.A.L.” into action with Yes, Boys Can!, a book for boys ages 8 to 12 that tells the stories of men who have followed their dreams, cared for others, and changed the world, conveyed through biography, illustration, and simple suggested activities.

Here are just a few of the many compassionate and enterprising men introduced:

  • Booker T. Washington – educator and author
  • Luther Christman – the first man inducted into the American Nursing Association’s Hall of Fame in 2004
  • LeVar Burton – actor and literacy advocate
  • Tom Daley – Olympian and knitter 


While not all the names might be familiar, each of these life stories will inspire boys to fearlessly imagine what kind of man they could be and how they could change the world for good.

Because representation matters, and if you don't see it, you can't be it.



Authors

Richard V. Reeves is the founding president of the American Institute for Boys and Men (AIBM) and the author of Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It. Before founding AIBM in 2023, Richard was a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. While at Brookings, he focused on policies related to economic inequality, racial justice, social mobility, and boys and men. In 2024, Melinda French Gates made Richard the director of a $20 million grant-making fund to tackle the challenges faced by boys and men. He is also a regular contributor to The New York Times, The Atlantic, National Affairs, and other publications. 

Between 2010 and 2012, Richard was director of strategy to the UK’s Deputy Prime Minister. A former European Business Speaker of the Year, his other previous roles include director of Demos, the London-based political think-tank, principal policy advisor to the Minister for Welfare Reform, research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research, and journalist for The Guardian and Observer newspapers. He earned a BA from Oxford University and a PhD from Warwick University. He lives in Butler, TN.


Jonathan Juravich began teaching elementary art outside of Columbus, Ohio in 2005. Still actively teaching art to young students, his personal and professional focus is on the importance of social and emotional learning in our daily lives. This is his favorite topic for research and discussion, including his PhD dissertation, his TED Talk “How Do We Teach Empathy,” his limited series podcast "The Art of SEL," and his Emmy award winning digital drawing program "Drawing with Mr. J." In 2018, Jonathan was named Ohio Teacher of the Year and one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year. In 2023, he was named the National Elementary Art Teacher of the Year by the National Art Education Association and the 2024 Ohio Art Educator of the Year by the Ohio Art Education Association. He lives in Columbus, Ohio with his family.

Praise

"Yes Boys Can! is a great resource for boys and their parents to change the conversation about who and what boys can be in the world.  Boys have historically had a tragic lack of role models to help them see themselves in the fields of Health, Education, Arts and Literacy.  So thrilled to see this model for a different and more expansive path forward for boys to embrace their full humanity, and to help build a new generation of healthier, more connected men."

—Ruth Whippman, author of Boymom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity

"Today, girls can be anything they want to be, and so can boys. I love the way Yes, Boys Can! highlights an accomplished, diverse group of men who serve as inspiring role models in fields such as nursing, teaching, poetry, the arts, fashion and dance.

—Liz Lee Heinecke, The Kitchen Pantry Scientist and author of She Can STEM

"Yes, Boys Can! beautifully captures the lives of 50 inspiring individuals, such as Arthur George Smith, a barrier-breaking visual artist, and Candido Crespo, an empowering visual artist and educator. Through engaging illustrations and practical activities, this book provides young readers with role models who embody compassion, creativity, and the power to create a kinder world."

—Paula Liz, Art educator and author of Be a Creative Changemaker

Yes Boys Can! is exactly the kind of resource I have long been hoping for. While girls have benefitted from decades of leadership from women who have broken though many “glass ceilings,” entering professions unheard of 50 years ago, there has been very little role modeling for boys that departs from the “Man Box” of the tired old restrictive norms for masculinity. Breaking free of these norms, the HEAL (Health, Education, Arts and Literacy) professions offer respected well-paying careers for males. Yes Boys Can! provides portraits of 50 men in such professions as nurse, teacher, dancer, visual artist, and even floral designer.

—Dr. Ronald F. Levant, psychologist, professor, founder of the new psychology of men, and author of The Problem With Men.

We desperately need to spotlight occupations where boys and men can excel: artists, nurses, social work, and teaching, for example. There exists still a massive cultural, gendered inertia that leaves these meaningful and critical jobs outside the career goal radar. We need men in these roles, and Yes, Boys Can! not only inspires boys and men to strive for roles in careers of caring and expression, it normalizes them as possibilities. Pick it up and browse the pages, or read it cover to cover - even the format is well-suited to the target audience of middle grade boys.

—Ken Cadow, art teach and author of the Kirkus Prize winning Young Adult novel Gather

Product Details

ISBN: 9780760391952
112 pages
9.2 in H | 7 in W | 1.1 lb Wt 


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