Ben Brooks

Prince charming, dragon slayer, mischievous prankster . . . More often than not, these are the role-models boys encounter in the books they read at home and at school. As a boy, there is an assumption that you will conform to a stereotypical idea of masculinity. But what if you're the introvert kind? What if you prefer to pick up a book rather than a sword? What if you want to cry when you're feeling sad or angry? What if you like the idea of wearing a dress? There is an ongoing crisis with regards to young men and mental health, with unhelpful gender stereotypes contributing to this malaise. Stories for Boys Who Dare to Be Different offers a welcome alternative narrative. It is an extraordinary compilation of 100 stories of famous and not-so-famous men from the past to the present day, every single one of them a rule-breaker and innovator in his own way, and all going on to achieve amazing things. Entries include Frank Ocean, Salvador Dalí, Rimbaud, Beethoven, Barack Obama, Stormzy, Ai Weiwei and Jesse Owens - different sorts of heroes from all walks of life and from all over the world.

"Fifteen-year-old Etgar Allison is spending spring break alone in an empty house, when he inadvertently learns that his girlfriend has cheated on him with another boy. Heartbroken and lonely, without parental supervision, he turns to alcohol. Unable to cope with his grief, he looks to the Internet for comfort and lands in an adult chatroom. There he meets Macy, a bored but attractive housewife; flirtatious IMs escalate into cybersex chats and soon Etgar is raiding his savings account for a romantic rendezvous in London. What could possibly go wrong? Ben Brooks's Lolito is an uncompromising look at the turbulent emotional life of teenage boys, a funny and poignant story that injects raw honesty--and even a little tenderness--into its portrait of a taboo relationship."--Provided from Amazon.com.