My nonreader 16-year-old has once again proven my theory: Nonreaders do not exist; they’re just dormant readers who haven’t met the right book yet.
Latest evidence:
A few nights ago, I came home to a stranger who looked like my son curled up on the sofa with The Hunger Games in his hand.
When I said that dinner was ready, it took him an abnormally long five minutes to come to the table. This is a kid who lives to eat.
He groaned when it was time to surrender his book for basketball practice.
“I wanna finish this tonight, Ma,” he says with resolve. “So I can start the next one. I’m so glad Uncle Mikey gave me the second one for Christmas.” (Guess whose brilliant idea it was to tip off Uncle Mikey.) “I keep telling myself I’ll just finish one chapter, but I can’t stop.” (Can’t stop?? Do you know how many perfect, uncracked spines are lined up on his bookcase? Years of tempting him with all kinds of books I wished, I prayed, that he’d simply start – with no such luck.))
I couldn’t resist trying to take a picture of him snuggled in his bed, propped up on pillows with a book in his hand. He was not so engrossed that he ducked just in time underneath the blankets. “Come on,” I wheedled. “Just one picture.”
“NO!”
“Please!”
“No, mom!” (burrows even deeper)
“Get outta there or I’ll take that book away from you.”
“Ha!" he sneers, "You? Take a book away from me? Yeah, right.” Damn this kid, calling my bluff.
The next morning, he got up bleary-eyed, having stayed up to finish. Getting ready for school, I saw him sticking Catching Fire in his backpack.
“When are you going to have time to read that in school?” I asked. There's no way he’d skip hanging out with his friends during lunch to read. He’s not a nerd like his mother.
“Well,” he said in a hopeful tone, “He might give us time in English to read. Maybe. Just in case.” Hmmm.
So here’s my vicarious review of The Hunger Games: It’s either so good that my son would rather read it than practice basketball /eat OR this is proof that the apocalypse is truly upon us.
Does he know that the second book has a cliff-hanger ending? I hope he has the third book on hand. When I recommended the books to my son, I only owned the first two volumes so I gave him both saying, "If you like the first book enough to read the second, go get the third before you finish the second. Otherwise, you'll be like me, frustrated with anticipation as you wait for the third book to reach your hands."
ReplyDeleteThe second one has a cliffhanger? I guess I better order the 3rd one ASAP!
DeleteIt's great, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteMy son's reading breakthrough came a couple of months ago when he started reading Harry Potter. Suddenly he was spending all his free time reading, even waking up at 5Am to fit in extra reading time before school. Though I did manage to snap a few pictures without him noticing ;)
I need to be a better ninja photographer - I'm no match for my son's peripheral vision and lightning reflexes. Harry Potter, unfortunately, did not inspire my son to read. He loved it when I read it out loud to him and went to every single movie with me though.
DeleteThis is so awesome! My little brother desperately wants to be a reader but he can never get into a book and I have recommended Hunger Games but I just have to accept that I have to buy it and physically put it in his hands and he WILL be obsessed!
ReplyDeleteI hope you succeed, Jess! What prompted my son was his peers; one of his friends really liked it so he had to try it for himself. He's promised to see the movie with me...but only if I read the book so I guess I better get started.
DeleteHa! You found his niche! Yay! Way to go! We have a young teen in my unit complex who's starting high school today and she's not looking forward to it. I told her last year that she'd be given set reading and she said she didn't read; but I do believe she just hasn't found the right authors who she enjoys yet; just like your son didn't until he found 'The Hunger Games'.
ReplyDeleteOh, I do hope she finds the right book to get her going. I had all but given up hope until about a year-and-a-half ago. It will happen for her!
DeleteLol, I am glad he found a book to like. That is just the best
ReplyDeleteIt never ceases to amaze me whenever I see him so into a book that he forgets everything around him.
DeleteCutest story ever!!! OMG! This makes me so hopeful. I just let my little cousins borrow my copies of the book and I really hope they catch the HG fever because they are awesome books.
ReplyDeleteSo funny about him calling your bluff, though.
I felt funny threatening him too; I couldn't even say it with a straight face.
DeleteLOL I love the fact that he called your bluff! So funny. I so need to start this series. I mean, if it gets your son to read, I so need to read it!
ReplyDeleteIt's gotta be good, right?
DeleteLOL!! You have my son there with you? LOL! He is the exact same way, no books in his hand. But I will say he is currently reading Catching Fire too. And when I told him tonight he was not allowed to play playstation, he was to do homework and read, he didn't argue. Yeah, he even answered he got 10 pages in at school. I stopped, jaw on the floor. That kid doesn't read in school. I just asked, "What?" He shock his head at me and walked away with a few cookies in hand. lol
ReplyDeleteSooooo glad your son has found a book he enjoys. Oh, we were at the book store yesterday and he picked up 3 hard covers and 3 paperback books. I said, "Um, what are you doing?" (again his book shelf is the tall tale of a reader not met his book yet) He wanted them all. But I told him after Catching Fire we will go pick one out. :D Now I can't wait to go book shopping with him. lol.
Our boys sound alike! And what a great scene of your son coming to you with an armful of books he wants. Maybe someday that'll happen to me. I would love to go book shopping with my boy!
DeleteYes, they really do. And I was rather shocked to see him with the books. lol. I drag him in there with me when we are out running and by the bookstore, so I don't have to make a second trip. He usually gets annoyed with me as I kind of have a habit of getting lost. lol.
DeleteBut with him, I know what would happen. I'd spend all that money and he'd never crack one of them open. So, I figured he can decide on one for his next read for school and I'll get it for him.
Aww!!!! My baby bro, who's nine years younger than me, just turned 19- and he used to do the SAME thing!
ReplyDeleteAll it took was the right book! :) YAY!
And my theory keeps gaining momentum!
DeleteWoo Hoo!! Very excting for you and your son. Shoot, I'm excited for you. Still haven't read this one, but someday...
ReplyDeletePhew! I'm so glad I'm not the only one who hasn't read it yet.
DeleteThat's awesome that he's found a book he loves. (I haven't read them either.)
ReplyDelete