Perhaps the single best motivator is to show them the fun of reading.

After all, few can resist a good story. Told in the form of gossip, theatre, movie, music video or book, any interesting story will grip its audience. Hook a reader with a particular book, and the power of that good story becomes an immediate incentive and reward to continue. Initially — since one of the biggest reasons reluctant readers avoid books is because of poor reading skills — you may have to read aloud. Yet even then, your time will not be wasted, for you will have introduced your reluctant reader to the pleasure of written words.

Why is this important? Nobody teaches a child to run, to skate, to catch a ball, but the child himself. Children get better at anything simply by doing it, and reading is no different. As parents or coaches, the best we can do is guide and motivate so that the child will continue to practice in that discipline. 

Look for books and magazines on subjects that you know will interest your child. Especially look for ‘hi-lo’ books — high interest, low vocabulary. These are shorter, fast-paced books which won’t intimidate boys unskilled at reading. Use these simpler books as a stepping stone to make up for all the lack of practice during the crucial reading years in grades two and three.

With any book you are trying to get a reluctant reader to try, make sure it passes a simple three-step test:

One: If the back cover description is appealing, go to the step two. If the book doesn’t seem interesting, pass it by and look for another title.

Two: Read the first chapter aloud together. If it doesn’t grab the boy’s interest in the first ten pages, set the book aside. If, however, the book still looks interesting, go to step three.

Three: Read any page in the middle of the book. If the boy finds five words he doesn’t understand, pass on the book. Assure him this resulted from a lack of practice, not lack of intelligence. Practice at reading will make the book possible later, and like a good friend, it will wait for a return visit.

If a book passes all three tests, you can promise your reluctant reader it will be as much fun as watching a movie.

Remember, reading better is like playing any sport better. Unless there is an eyesight problem or physiological problem — most reluctant readers can be turned around through nothing more than practice. Get a reluctant boy reader through some simpler books, and you will be surprised how quickly he will become better as he gains confidence, and understands how enjoyable books can be. 

First, I think it’s about efficiency. Take this story for example: “The dog chased the cat. The cat ran up the tree. The dog barked for a while. The dog went home. The end.”

This story is typical of many that I see written by guys. Most guys I know would be fine with this. It says it all, at least to a guy. No wasted words like adjectives or adverbs. The guy writing it has saved a great deal of time and effort. The guy reading it has saved time and effort too. All the guys are happy about this story.

My wife, Cindy, wouldn’t be content with it. She’d have a lot of questions that guys would never think to ask:

What did the dog look like? What did the cat look like? What kind of tree? Did the barking wake up people in the neighborhood?

To answer those questions, the story would have be double or triple in word length. Adverbs and adjectives. That’s too much work.

But she wouldn’t stop there. Sentence by sentence, she’d want more.

Me: The dog chased the cat.

Cindy: Why did the dog chase the cat? What was wrong with their relationship?

Me: The cat ran up the tree.

Cindy: So that’s how they solved their problems? They couldn’t talk about it? Neither could forgive the other for what was wrong in their relationship?

Me: The dog barked for a while.

Cindy: How did the dog feel? Was it frustrated?

Me: The dog went home.

Cindy: Did the dog have friends? Did the dog share its feelings with its friends?

Me: The end

Cindy: That’s it? What about resolution? Surely the dog and the cat had to face up to their problems.

Me: Sigh.

If you are interested, I would suggest first going to this website to learn more about PCRF:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine_Children’s_Relief_Fund.

Here you will learn that “In June, 2006, PCRF president and founder, Steve Sosebee was featured on NBC Nightly News’ “Making a Difference” series which focuses on individuals and organizations that are making a positive impact in the world.”

You will also learn that “For the past three years, the PCRF has received the highest rating (4-stars) by Charity Navigator, an independent evaluator of charities’ fiscal management. It has received support and endorsements from Senator Paul Sarbanes, Congressman Albert Wynn and actor/humanitarian Richard Gere. In October 2006, U.S. former President Jimmy Carter issued a video endorsement of the organization.”

However, you should be aware that the organization has critics. “NGO Monitor, an Israeli non-governmental organization with the stated aim of monitoring other non-governmental organizations operating in the Middle East, criticizes PCRF for receiving assistance from Global Relief Foundation and the International Islamic Relief Organization, both of which it writes were closed down by the U.S. government for funding terrorist groups.”

I read the criticism with a critical eye, and my decision to sponsor was based on three reasons.

The first was Jimmy Carter’s endorsement via video clip on the PCRF website. Certainly a Nobel Peace Prize winner and world statesman has credibility. More over, I’m assuming that Jimmy Carter would not put his reputation on the line without having researched PCRF enough to know it is a worthwhile cause. Lastly, I’m reasoning, if there was any truth to even the slightest taint of terrorism links, as the NGO seems to be trying to imply, Jimmy Carter’s critics would have uncovered it and used it to embarrass Mr. Carter. After all, his book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid drew a barrage of detractors.

My second reason was in analyzing the NGO criticism. I’m setting aside my questions about the motivation of a Israeli non-governmental organization criticizing an organization founded to help Palestinians. If the Global Relief Foundation and the International Islamic Relief Organization were guilty of funding terrorist groups, it does not necessarily follow that all groups these organizations funded were terrorist groups. That conclusion, in my mind, is strengthened by the endorsement from Jimmy Carter.

The third factor was 4-star rating by Charity Navigators, combined with one of the points that I was trying to make in Fuse: politics should not get in the way of helping kids. While other critics have accused its founder of anti-Israeli views, whether that criticism is accurate or whether I disagree with any or all opinions given by the founder of this organization, the 4-star rating tells me that my sponsorship money is going to make a difference in the life of a little girl.

Here she is: Rayan Ahmad Farhoud.

Hope you’ll consider getting involved too.

I took his memory of it, and turned it into this passage:

“In elementary school, sometimes teachers who wore the FM transmitter for me would forget to turn it off when they left the classroom. In the staffroom or the washroom, I’d be able to hear them because the FM sent sounds to my processor, even if I was in another room. I can tell you that it changes how you think about a sweet old lady teacher after you have heard her on the toilet talking to herself about hoping the prune juice would deliver more than a good toot. It changes even more after you’ve heard something from her on the toilet right after that. Something loud and rude, like a startled duck quacking when you step on it. Something you want to make sure you don’t smell. Yup. A good toot. That was in grade four. Every time I looked at her for the rest of the year, I giggled and she didn’t know why.”

When Sarah, my editor at Orca Book, read the manuscript, she included this note about that passage: “Do we need this? I think it might be enough to say that he heard things he wasn’t meant to hear – leave it to reader’s imaginations.”

My reply? “No such thing as too much bathroom humor for guys.” (Especially hockey team guys!)

Maybe I shouldn’t have kept going with it, but later in the book, I couldn’t resist the temptation, when the main character, needs to get his FM that he had left behind in a video store to listen to the bad guys:

“My FM was still in the movie rental place. It was worth a lot of money. I couldn’t leave it behind. . .
Halfway back to the door, I froze at a new sound that reached me from inside the store. The sound was loud and rude, like a startled duck quacking when you step on it. Something you want to make sure you don’t smell.
“Dude,” Counter Guy said to himself. “Good one!”
Then a few seconds later, he coughed and gagged and muttered, “Dude, bad one. Trying to commit suicide?”
I decided to wait a few more minutes before I went back into the store. It was a small store. I wanted to make sure the air had cleared out before I went in for a movie. I wasn’t interested in any bonus features.”

I guess if you don’t think this is funny, you’d better stay away from the book Timberwolf Hunt. It has a chapter where a poor kid gets locked in a closet with a dog that has bad gas. . .