I am involved in a conspiracy to turn a fourteen year old young friend of mine into a reader. He is a pleasant and intelligent young man, but he does not read books. He can read, but he doesn’t. I like this young friend and think he should be reading more than the occasional street sign, menu or assigned reading for English class.
So do any of my bright blog visitors have any suggestions on how to trick, cajole, or persuade my friend to begin the wonderful adventure of reading?
Most boys that age can be tempted by science fiction or military books. Fiction or non-fiction, maybe, about WWII or the Civil War, or books that focus on weapons, or the expoits of a single hero (my airplane-loving son enjoys stories about real pilots). Ender’s Game, The Once and Future King, Watership Down, John Christopher’s White Mountain Trilogy (those are a bit shorter and perhaps less off-putting).
Some kids just don’t get into fiction, though. Perhaps you could work through his particular interest in some area, offering books about the history and discovery of (fill in the in the blank).
On the subject of trickery and cajolery, I have one suggestion–money. Most teens I know want more money than they are able to acquire. Paying for each book read (or each chapter or hour spent reading, even) can be a motivation. If I were going to do it, I’d be blunt about the reasons–“I know that reading is so valuable, and so worthwhile, that I am going to pay you for it, and I think that what you get out books is worth more than money, so you are actually getting paid double.”
You could apply the same principle more subtly, if he is working or saving for some big project and event, by offering to contribute toward summer camp or whatever if he will read xyz…
Are you ever in a situation where you could have a book on tape playing that he would hear, but then have to cut it off at a tense part? You could offer him the book to read if he wants to finish the story…
Good luck!
Try some lighter stuff, Edgar Rice Burrows (Mars/Tarzan/Pellucidor), Spy novels (Fleming, Adam Hall), Swashbuckling (Sabatini)?
I know you’re not a big fan of the Harry Potter hype, but that series has turned many reluctant readers into avid ones.
I’m going to second the nonfiction suggestion. Some kids (mostly boys) just don’t do novels or stories. Use the types of T.V. shows the kid likes as a clue to what types of books he would like. Military books, books about WWII, especially if they have lots of photos along with the text, biographies of people he might be interested in, books on a particular sport he’s interested in, science books, etc.
Oh, and leave lots of these sorts of books in the bathroom.
Oh, I know–King Solomon’s Mines. I think that book is the inspiration for every Hollywood adventure ever made. The whole time I was reading, I kept thinking, “Is there any adventure or extreme situation these guys DON’T encounter?” I was floored to discover a sequel with even more extreme adventures–Allen Quatermain.
Get him the first of the Jim Butcher “Harry Dresden” series. A wise cracking detective who can do magic … fashioned a la “noir” style mysteries. He’ll love them.
Here’s some suggestions
Lloyd Alexander’s Pyridian series
The Wrinkle In Time books
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
Hank the Cowdog may be quite young for him but they’re still a hoot!
Oh, yes…
One book and a series that turned my daughter into even more of a reader than she was as a teenager:
Exodus by Leon Uris
Brock & Bodie Thoene’s original series that follow WWII and the birth of Israel. They affected Stephanie so much that she took Jewish studies courses at the University. Easy books to read while following a good storyline.
At 14 I loved Tom Clancy. Robert Ludlum is also an option. Not great literature, but it’s a step in the right direction!
My teen brother enjoys/has enjoyed…
The Alex Rider series
The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
Operation Red Jericho (and sequel)
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
The Beast of Noor by Janet Lee Carey
Hope you find something!
When my outdoor-loving, mechanically-minded little brother could not be convinced of the joys of reading or writing, my homeschooling Mom told him he could write his assigned research paper on absolutely any subject he wanted. Thus was the genesis of “John Deere: A Man and His Tractor”! He still remembers all of his research. So I agree with the others who recommend non-fiction.
OOh… I have a 13 yr old boy who also doesn’t read that much. He loves non-fiction fact books and atlases most of all. We give him excellent books his older brothers couldn’t put down– he doesn’t finish them. Are Clancy ad Ludlum appropriate for this age group? I never read them. He loved “The Mismantle Chronicles” last year. I will try the Hornblower books on him soon. He also likes some old mystery stories collected in large volumes that used to be my husband’s way back when, entitles Hitchcock something or another.
Not everyone is a reader. I’m a librarian. Neither of my adult children have library cards and it certainly isn’t for lack of my trying. Both knew how to read before entering school. However, my daughter reads a lot but will only buy books; my son just doesn’t read–not even newspapers. There’s a pleasure signal in the brain that doesn’t always click in even if one has the skill. For some of us, it’s the genre. I rarely ever read fiction.
Interesting topic. I’ve enjoyed the suggestions.
This topic must be in the air – I wrote about how I “encouraged” my son to get into reading yesterday. It was a the first Harry Potter that sparked his love of reading. But if you don’t like that series, a lot of boys are really into Alex Rider at our school.
I recommend Ender’s Game too – one of my favs and my boys’ favs too. Also Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.
And I would use the money suggestion – as long as you’re up front about it.
I have a link to an excellent article on this topic but I haven’t figured out how to hyperlink in comments yet. Sorry about that. It’s on my site though if you’d like to read it.
I would find him a nonfiction book directly related to any area of interest. What I mean is if he is interested in rockets, find him a how to book on building them or a fact book on them. That’s a Fact Jack is a collection of facts and that might interest him. Let us know if you find any winners.
I would add The Lightning Thief books by Rick Riordan (written by the author to lure his own reluctant reader son into the fold), the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson (also written with an eye to engaging reluctant readers, action-packed all the way), Airborn and sequel by Kenneth Oppel, and the Young James Bond series (starting with Silverfin) by Charles Higson.
I was so pleased to be able to write down eleven of the book titles above as suggestions for my avid 12-year-old reading son. Thanks for asking the question. I’d have to put in a third voice approving of the suggestions of Ender’s Game and the Alex Rider series (6 books beginning with Stormbreaker). Also perhaps the Stars Wars trilogy, the Dragons in Our Midst series, the Left Behind series (maybe not that well written, but fascinating to my son nonetheless), and maybe even the Guinness Book of World Records? If he has favorite movies, you could find some “The Making of…” books about how they made the movies. I know they have one for Stormbreaker (with photos and text).
My husband says he didn’t read much at all till, around 11?, his sister handed him a Robert Heinlein novel. He’s got the whole collection now.
This is April 26th, so you may have found an answer already. I have been reading chapter books at lunch since My oldest was in Kindergarten. 1 chapter at a time we can finish a book in a month usually. We take turns picking out what I will read. It is truly fun and rewarding to see my “non” reader get involved in the story.
My husband started out as a non reader until his mother set him down in high school and read the Pearl by Steinbeck to him. He is an avid reader now and not just of fiction, but nonfiction as well.