DS is 14. He has always been a reluctant albeit good reader. He taught himself to read in English, is fully bilingual (we live in France) and doing okay at school.
I grew up in a “reading” house: books everywhere, mum always had a book in her hand, DSis and I both encouraged to be bookworms. I assumed DS would be the same... and he’s not at all. He did read under duress until he was 12/13 and since then he just won’t. He’ll read comics / BD, he’ll read some non fiction though he’s far more likely to Google anything he wants to learn about. In his spare time he games, chats to friends, does homework, sports, meets up with friends etc. He might read in bed for 5 minutes (Blackadder scripts atm :-)) but that’s about it. He just doesn’t want to and I’m fed up making him.
In his room there is a book shelf filled with reading options that we’ve bought / been given / hand me downs. Some of them DS even chose (book vouchers from grandparents) but he’s never read them. They cover the whole range - loads of popular authors, old books that DHused to read them, loads of non fiction. Frankly I’m sick of dusting it, the books just sit there from week to month, taking up space and representing my failure to produce a “reader”
. WIBU to pass most / all of them on? How many years would you hang onto unread books in the hope that they’ll be read? Do your children still have a bookshelf in their rooms even if they rarely read?
YABU. Keep the books - it’s important that yr DS has the option if he suddenly changes his mind
YANBU Lose the books and let yr DS pursue his own hobbies, his choice.