This is where I thank the Lord, fasting, that I only ever had twelve-year-old girls. Pulling them out of a book in order to clean rooms (still a nightmare) or help with housework - now that was the problem.

Poor lad. A lot of boys his age have problems with reading - they seem to have an excess of energy and sitting with a book is almost physically painful for some of them. And because they don't read much, reading is more difficult for them. "Boring" is almost code for "this is difficult and I can't admit that fact."

Good luck to you. It's vital to keep him reading something, anything, even if it's way below his grade level. The habit of reading is the single best predictor of future academic success.

But you knew that. If only there were a way of getting them to grasp it too.