- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- preteenagers today articles
- preteenagers today q&a
- teenagers today articles
- teenagers today q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Introduce Him to the Joy of Reading
Great Books for Preteen Boys By Teri Brown
Encouraging Boys to ReadWendy Lamb is vice president and publishing director of Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House. As an editor for authors such as Gary Paulson and Graham Salisbury, Lamb is as close as you can be to being an expert on what boys like. She believes boys are looking for authenticity.
"They look for honesty, real characters they can relate to, strong, clear story lines and high action," she says. "There may be a message, but it can't be overt. The author must stay off the page the style must be natural and plain, not self-conscious or 'writery'. The storyteller must have authority in how he or she sets out the story. All of this is so the reader can trust the book and be willing to enter its world."
Lamb says it's important that parents send a message that reading is fun and cool, and that it's something they value and want to share.
"Set the example of reading for pleasure at home, and reading together as a family," she says. "Connect books to sharing and enjoying time together. If a child resists a book, find another approach and attach reading to something important to the child. For example, if your son loves reptiles but hates to read about them, if you visit a zoo or museum he might be intrigued enough to read the signs on the exhibits. Or if he has a pet, he might want to read about how to take care of it. A sports fan might persevere with the sports pages. One attractive thing about reading for many kids is that it's a way to get a parent's time and attention. Help your child see reading as a conduit to all sorts of useful and pleasurable things."