A Book Your Son Will Read
 
Harry Potter doesn’t do it for my nine-year old son.¬† While he did not start out as a reluctant reader, I’m beginning to think he’s headed in that direction.¬† Only a year ago, he would hop off the school bus with a chapter book in hand, touting that he’d read halfway through it during the ride.¬† Boy, it made me proud.¬† My son, the literary whiz.¬†
Things have changed.
I’m beginning to realize it’s not so much that my son has changed, but rather the books.¬† He likes to complete an entire novel within an hour… Maybe two.¬† Any book that requires focused reading for more than that is “boring.”¬† Of course, now that he’s entered grade four, the books in his age group (officially middle-grade fare) are longer and harder.¬† Now, when he walks in the door reading¬†The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby, I’m not impressed.¬† “You’ve got to move on,” I beg him.
Every once in a while I manage to bring home a book that he can’t put down.¬† Of course, Diary of a Wimpy Kid¬†was an instant classic in our house¬†(he introduced that one to me.)¬† The formula?¬†
- Can be read within an hour and a half,
- Is very witty, and
- Has cartoon drawings. 
There is another, lesser known, series out there that I stumbled upon while researching for my own book’s market.¬† Star Jumper: Journal of a Cardboard Genius is the first in a series of three books written by Frank Asch.¬† They follow a formula similar to Diary of a Wimpy Kid (the names sound kinda’ similar, too – don’t ya’ think?)¬†
My nine-year-old read them back to back in one weekend.¬† Now he’s¬†returned to perusing the Guinness Book of World Records and re-reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid.¬† I’m¬†looking for another book with that perfect formula.
