flitting from book to book without finishing any of them!

[tigermoth]

Anyone else have a child who does this?

My 9 year old son is a good reader but can't seem to settle to any book for long apart from Harry Potter, the Goosebumps series and a few others. He has read them ad infinitum. He can now skim reads them very quickly. Some of you may know this already - but I am starting a thread because this is getting getting worse.

All this term we have gone to the library every weekend, so he has ample opportunity to see a wide range of books and I have tried to point him in the direction of books recommended by other mumsnetters here. I have tried to wean him off his favourites, and he has enthusiastically started Lord of the Rings (a rather too ambitious choice I think, but he would not be talked out of it) and did get to bit where Frodo and party enter Rivendale (so did manage quite a lot) but then gave up. Said it was too boring. Said 'The Hobbit' was too boring. The same with 'Firesong' - a book by the author of 'Windsinger' which was read to his class at school and he raved about.

He is now reading 'Pigheart boy' (think that's what it's called) and says he likes it so far.

I have written something about this in his home reading record for his teacher to see and have spoken to her about this at parent's evening, but still don't feel I am doing enough.

He seems to resort to skim reading in order to gallop through books - boy of little patience that he is - then I think, he misses the plot, gets lost and so the book stops making sense and gets too boring for him. I have heard him read out loud and he can read the words - it's just taking them in he can't/ won't do.

He is reading, obviously, but hates talking about the books or writing the shortest reviews, indeed if I ask him simple questions like 'who is your favourite character?' or 'why did the beginning of the book make you want to read on?' he changes the subject fast.

I want his reading to feed into his writing and general literacy development, but I am worried that with skim reading, this isn't happening enough. I also want him to love books, not see reading a book as a race to be won.

Is this a phase? how does it pass? what can I do to help?

I have to agree with ks, I am lost in admiration for your ds's efforts. Mine (also just 9) reads little but the Beano to be honest. There is no way that he would get through even Harry Potter. He is technically a very good reader, but just can't be arsed basically. I have always been a voracious reader, but I do remember going through a phase, probably at about your ds's age, where I just preferred re-reading my favourites (i.e. endless Noel Streatfeild, What Katy Did, Little Women etc etc). It hasn't done me any harm really, and I guess as long as he's happy and you keep encouraging him that's all you can do!

Go for factual books. Boys tend to prefer them ( a generalisation I know). I also skim read from time to time, and read every day. Dd does too, she will dip into and out of books, has a huge vocabulary and reads ahead of her age. As long as he is happy and interested, try not to worry. At this age I don't think that it matters what they are reading, as long as they are reading something and getting pleasure from it. I read Enid Blyton at that age and I'm OK now

Agree re factual books. DS1 10, sounds similar to your son. He reads (what I call) a "proper book" over a long period of time-say three weeks for a northern lights book. Within that time however, he has a pile of books by his bed/in the car etc that he dips in and out of-things like horrible histories/murderous maths/guiness book of records/white dwarf magazine. He doesnt sit there for hours like we would (given the chance )reading a single book- maybe its a boy thing?
What he has read voraciously last few nights is a series by paul jennings, all start with UN eg unbearable/undone. Each book is a collection of sci fi ish short stories, might be worth looking for in the library.
Its so frustating though isnt it, so tempting to say "are you going to finish that?"

tigermoth, I'm an avid reader and a skimmer too. I can read a book in record time but like ks, won't skim a truly fantastic book. IMO a book has to be amazing to make the plot and writing truly worthy of my full attention and to make me read every single word. So sorry, no good advice I'm afraid but just to say that I know how your ds feels and maybe he'll feel differently about a really gripping book?

tigermoth, ds2 doesn't read "proper books" at all. They always have a class book on the go and he enjoys those, but doesn't read stories for his own pleasure. At parents' evening I mentioned it to his teacher and he said well, they'd see what they could do; but of course, sadly, you can't make anybody love reading for its own sake.

Like miggy's DS, ds2 has a collection of reading material beside his bed - joke books, poetry, football mags, Beano annual etc - which he dips into. (He does love poetry, oddly - maybe because it's short and snappy!) We have shelves and shelves of books that the older ones have read and I'm beginning to think I should just donate them to school, much as I hate discarding books, because they really are just taking up space and will never be read again.

FWIW - dd1 was always a passionate reader and still is; dd2 wasn't, was a lot like ds2 in fact but does read quite a bit now (she's 18) so some hope there! ds1 was a slow starter but got going with Goosebumps etc at about 8/9 and reads a lot now (15) - though it tends to be mostly fantasy, LOTR again at the moment - and he is probably going to take Eng Lit A level next year.

So don't despair - who knows what he will be like in a few months time? I don't think you can do more than you are doing, and it might even help if you just let him get on with it for a bit.
(Does he let you read to him? You could get a story across to him properly that way.)

tigermoth, I still do this

What about those old famous five books? He couldnt help but read one of those could he?!

Tigermoth - Hi! How are you doing?

I don't have personal experience, but am passionate about encouraging children to read. At school I help with yr3, and there appears to be something going wrong there too ... most of the good, competent readers are not enthusiastic readers, but I don't know why. I want to know how to inspire them. Would he be interested in joining/starting a reading group? Would writing to a favourite author help encourage him? Could you successfully bribe him to do a brief review/presentation of a book he's read?

Does he listen to story-tapes, or watch videos? Sometimes knowing the story in advance can help with the motivation to plough on to the end. Some of the books you mention are very long for a 9 yr-old - I'm not surprised he gives up.
The BluePeter book awards this year have a category for 'the book I could not put down'. here Two of them I wouldn't recommend, but:
Morpurgo: Cool - quite a short book, but gripping - powerful stuff, about a child in a coma in hospital on a knife-edge between life and death.
Marcus Sedgwick: The Dark Horse This is a fantastic book, some of the best writing in a children's book I've come across. The ending is phenomenal - takes your breath away with its unexpectedness.

The other one that springs to mind is Morpurgo: Private Peaceful - another very powerful book, about the first world war. And again, it's not too long.

I agree - Hobbit and Lord of The Rings are boring! Remember trying to read them at age 12ish, and found them interminable.
Short stories? Sci fi short stories? Horrible histories? Books about any passion he has - be it cars, dinosaurs or space or whatever.

hi, I am digesting all these comments - most helpful and reassuring to know other children (and adults) skim read. I can't stop now, but will be back here later today I hope.

I was thinking to myself, if someone asked me to say who my favourite character was in a book or why the introduction made me want to read on, I too might be lost for words. Really, considering my profession I have no excuse for that! Reading is one thing, reviewing is another, I guess.

KMG - funny you should say that the competant readers in class tend to be the ones who are least enthusiastic about books. I wonder why?

I think it's good that he skim reads tigermoth. I never think I've read a book if I do this but it shouldn't make any difernece if he's got the plot. Maybe he just doesn't like reading, lots of people don't.

My brothers never really read novels but one, in particular, read loads of Eric von Danekin (I've spelt that wrong but no time to check) type garbage, loads about UFO's, ghosts etc, think this kind of thing appeals to boys (and girls as well!)

I've never read The Hobbit of LOTR, life's too short, have no intention of doing so.

Why, what is your profession Tigermoth?

the paul jennings stuff is good for short stories. a lot of the stories ahve been turned in to eopisodes of 'round the twist' (mad kids programme on citv or it used to be anyway). have one round here, had a giggle at the stories the other day.

Yes, I agree that LOTR and The Hobbit can be a boring and slow moving. It's years since I've read them but I do remember yawning over the page long descriptions of landscapes. Picking up on the point that films and spin offs can inspire children to read the book, in the case of LOTR I'm not sure if it's a bessing or a curse. My son is very into the films, so knows roughly two thirds of the plot, which helps him understand the book, but of course he also equates LOTR with fast paced action so when the book reaches a slow bit he gets bored. Anyway, I'm really not expecting him to grasp such a complicated book at his age.

Sometimes the film link works however, as in teh case of Harry Potter.

KS, I worked as a copywriter for many years and I am still doing a fair bit of writing in my present public sector commmunications job, hence my comment. I wonder if I expect too much from my son when it comes to writing? I do get impatient when he can't substantiate a viewpoint as in ' I like the ending of this story because ......'. His mind just goes blank and he can't think of any answer when usually he has so much to say for himself.

I wish I could say he takes in the plot with his skim reading, but I'm really not sure he does. I don't read all the books he does so I have no way of checking.

I do find my son is better with books of short stories. he tends to steer clear of factual books - I think he feels they are too much like hard work. He has read a few 'horrible histories' books, but that's often at school. I wonder if he equates books he sees in the school library and arount the class as 'work' and also a bit too worthy? Perhaps that's the problem - it's only the reading material books he sees out of school that feel like 'play'? perhaps that's a boy thing thought I hate seeming sexist about it. I cannot believe there is a neat boy /girl divide, but I wonder, do most girl readers finish books and happily read books they get from school?

Thanks for that link and book recomendations kmg1. I will look into them very shortly.

BTW I absolutely loathe this trend of making children become critics by writing reviews of the books they read. They're not stupid, and they must realise this is just a nasty, sneaky, untrusting way of checking up on them to make sure they have read the book. I think it takes the joy out of reading. I also think setting reading as homework also saps reading of all its pleasure. Skim reading is great - fast, effective and gets you where you want to go! I do it all the time. I also like to re-read, it's very comforting, I find. And I also like to read very quickly - I really enjoy a book a lot less if it takes a long time or I have to read it chapter by chapter because I'm tired or dh wants to sleep. I have been known to decamp to the spare room and read the whole thing in one chunk between, say 10pm and 3am and relish this far more. Otherwise, for me, it's like watching a movie with big gaps in between. I think it's a personal preference in his case to 'gulp' a book down in one rather than taking in slowly. I'm the same.

LOTR and The Hobbit are NOT boring; they are great, but not when you're 9 I shouldn't think - leave them until he's a stroppy 15 year old! Agree with the suggestions on non-fiction, but also, how about some graphic novels (vetted for content first). My 8 yr old daughter enjoyed the graphic novel of - you guessed it - The Hobbit! The Lemony Snickett Series Of Unfortunate Events books are very good, very collectible and he'd probably want to keep reading as they are unpredictable (unlike Famous 5 which dd won't read any more because after reading one and a half she said she could guess all the outcomes).

havent read the whole thread..but the following are some authors who write short, snappy and 'edge of your seat' books which reluctant boy readers seem to love!
anything by jeremy strong - cliffhanger, my dads got an alligator etc etc
anything by paul jennings..good ones are collections of short stories that all begin with 'un...' - unstopable, unbelievable etc etc
anything by philip ridley - eg scribble boy
try these links
jeremy strong
paul jennings
philip ridley - though the top 3 in the philip ridley list are a bit tricky..try the other ones
hope it helps

havent read the whole thread..but the following are some authors who write short, snappy and 'edge of your seat' books which reluctant boy readers seem to love!
anything by jeremy strong - cliffhanger, my dads got an alligator etc etc
anything by paul jennings..good ones are collections of short stories that all begin with 'un...' - unstopable, unbelievable etc etc
anything by philip ridley - eg scribble boy
try these links
jeremy strong
paul jennings
philip ridley - though the top 3 in the philip ridley list are a bit tricky..try the other ones
hope it helps

also michael morpurgo books...but he needs to have a bit more reading 'stamina' before he tries those....
also robert swindells for when he is finally hooked too

thanks for those suggestions popsycal. My son likes Jeremy Strong books, and those collections of short stories by Paul Jennings sound just right. Slight problem though: I am sure he's seen these authors works at the library when we visit - I am always waving likely books under his nose, but he's not tempted to get them out. There is a shelf full of horrible histories. He ingores them. He insists on choosing his own. I say anything but Harry Potter or Goosebumps again. He chooses LOTR. I am buying him a Lemony Sickett book for christmas in hope.

I think it's his attitude, and mine, rather than lack of book ideas. No that I don't appeciate all the suggestions here. He won't choose any book I show him and I think I need to back off. I have come to this conclusion having read that so many of you skim read - thank you mumsnet!

I think I am also going to make a lone trip to the library and get out 5 or 6 six of the books you've recommended, leave them by my son's bedside and just see what happens.

Aloha you did make me laugh about your view on book reviews. I agree it can be nasty check up device, and even when I am telling my son to do his review homework I am silently saying to my self 'you hypocrite'.

But I do harbour doubts about what my son is actually doing when he reads. Is he reading anything? I sometimes wonder. I know he can read enough of the words to follow the plot becuase I hear him read out loud from time to time. Yet, even a casual throwaway question leading on about a paragraph he's just read to me usually produces a blank from him. Yet if I show the slightest bit of interest in a Pokemon character, he will launch into a huge description and history.

Tigermoth - I obviously was not accusing you of any of those things - just the wretched school Realised after I'd written it it might sound rather rude.
I think you are right - you probably will do better backing off. You're doing all the right things, leading by example, showing an interest, surrounding him with books - as they say, you can lead a horse to water...
I just think it's hard for all of us who devoured books when young and loved it to realise that not everyone will experience this. Feel the same about my stepdaughter - though I did get her into PG Wodehouse this summer and was v proud.

for those who said the best readers are often the least enthusiatic about books: I think we sometimes go about getting kids to read the wrong way. When they can read a book at one level, we then give them a harder book to read. I know for myself, that although I love getting my teeth into an intellectual book sometimes, usually for relaxation I read something lighter. We need to encourage younger readers to read anything for pleasure, even if it is a bit young for them, or a bit easy to read. I used to be so delighted when a kid in my class got hooked on a book series, whether it was Enid Blighton, or the Babysitters, goosebumps or ANYthing, because it meant they read loads just for fun, and when you read loads, reading becomes easier, and faster and it becomes a habit.
Sorry, no real advice for your 9 year old, except my brother read very little fiction until he was an adult, except Roald Dahl's tales of the unexpected! He is probably the brightest one in the family, but found fiction too slow, and a waste of time. He majored on Guiness Book of Records I think.