KJS, When I was a kid/teen I never read. My mom had shelves and shelves of books: new books, bestsellers, classics, biographies, you name it. I just wasn't interested. At about 15 or so, I read The Catcher in the Rye, then I read it 3-4 more times over the next 3-4 years. It wasn't until I was about 25 or so that I became an avid reader. Now I go insane if I don't have at least 3-4 books on my bedside table. And multiple magazines. I can't read enough.
As children we read books with the girls all the time and they read those easy readers and some books for school. But neither of my girls were big readers on their own. There was always one author or type of book that interested each of them individually, for instance Richard Scarry's books were our faves. And difficult child was always an excellent reader and would often read to her older sister because easy child always had a hard time with deciphering the words. However, now I see easy child more interested in reading for pure pleasure - she really has no time to read, so she almost never finishes any one book. difficult child has read off and on over the past two years - and now that she has no boyfriend to occupy her every moment, she's reading again.
I don't push reading, I suggest it...and show by example just how captivating and enjoyable reading can be. I think that is key. If you push it too much, they will only run from it and it will only become another 'chore' that mom wants them to complete. Just my opinion.
When they were younger and I was able to dictate their free time a little more, we always joined the summer reading program at the library and they had fun with that. We made weekly trips to the library and just nosed around and rather than push the reading part of it, I mostly let them explore different types of books and that was enough. They never read enough to win any prize at the end of summer, but we would celebrate at home instead because any reading is better than no reading, Know what I mean??
Just my 2¢ on the reading thing with kiddos.
