Children's Books

Nephew Nick has been receiving books from his Aunt Beth since birth. In the last year, however, the book gifts have stopped because he scowls and tosses the gift aside, and then when we visit I find the book on the shelf, still fresh from the store. No opened pages (I can tell), no crinkles, no bent spines. Why continue to give a gift that isn't wanted? Right and wrong answers to the question, depending on where you stand and who you are. Nick is going to be 11 on New Year's Eve. He is more interested in football, cattle, any other type of sports, and being active all the time. He doesn't like to sit and read. He equates reading with homework, which he doesn't enjoy at all. One time when they were visiting his mom (my sister-in-law) was trying to encourage him to read a chapter of a book for an assignment he was working on. The deal was that he would read a paragraph or two, then she would, then he would, until they were finished. That worked for about two rotations, then while she was reading, his eyes wandered from the book to the tv screen where something infinitely more interesting was broadcast---a football game. No contest on the attention there! While she fussed at him to continue to read and focus on the words, his mind and his ears were on the game he was listening to at the time which was much more exciting. I know the tv could have been turned off, but you don't know my in-laws. When my father-in-law wants to watch something on tv, he will. The point is...the book gifts were going by the wayside since Nick equated reading with keeping him from watching football. Why do it for pleasure when there was no fun in it. On the other side.....maturity level plays a role in how children respond to books. If the subject matter is something of interest, the child may be more inclined to read. If the house is quiet and the child is bored, he may pick up a book and glance through it, hopefully focusing his attention on something that caught his eye. If a child has no books, however, there can be no reading. Modeled reading may help also. Nick's mom is a reader; his dad is not. With whom does he spend the most time? How is that person modeling reading habits and attitudes toward reading? The verdict? I will buy a book for Nick for Christmas. However...I will look for something relating to sports or farms or outdoor activities. Maybe I will see him actualy open it and look at it rather than toss it aside. There is always hope!