A book that grips the imagination

I would echo those who have said find a subject he is interested in and encourage him to read about that. If it is something which sparks his interest, it doesn't matter whether it is fiction or non-fiction, graphic novels or even magazines. I think boys do often struggle more with reading. My son wasn't much of a reader, but he'd always wanted to join the army so he found himself enjoying books about military history etc.

If he is taking GCSE in both Language and Literature, they must have read some books in class. I remember my DGD talking about Lord of the Flies, a novel that got her class talking. A teenage boy may well find echoes of school life in it. And there's a film which should also capture his interest. If he follows sport - usually football - biographies of sports people might also encourage him to read.

Our boys only read “factual books”, anything about dinosaurs, science, space, and comic books.

One of our daughters was a very reluctant reader, her teachers simply suggested we incorporated into other activities, such as cooking, ie reading from recipes and again comics and magazines, it doesn’t matter what is read, so long as it expands vocabulary and understanding.

I agree with Grandmabatty. Graphic novels are hugely popular. My local Foyles has a whole floor dedicated to them and it’s always buzzing with enthusiastic young people.

And while the Harry Potter novels are popular with children and adults alike, they are not for everyone. The best way to turn children off reading is to force them to read something that doesn’t capture their imagination.

Peer pressure is not always a positive experience. At school in the 1960s, it was the trendy thing to be reading and enthusing about Tolkien. I didn’t like his stories much then (or now) and feel the same about Rowling or anything in the fantasy genre. Give me realism any day of the week although I make an exception for something humorous e.g. Douglas Adams.

If this young lad tends towards STEM he might like Tim Harford’s books about numbers. He’s the presenter of More or Less on BBC Radio 4.

One son only ever read instruction and information books. He couldn’t see the point of fiction because “it isn’t real”.

It’s hard for those of us who can lose ourselves in a good story to realise just how boring fiction can be to other people.
Like sporty people always think you’d love it if only you’d play😬

When you say “his understanding” do you mean comprehension of what the words actually say or the nuances of the text - the characterisation, emotion, setting etc.?

Reading didn’t necessarily improve spelling though.

From experience of my S, many years ago now, I would also recommend the Adrian Mole books as they are funny and entertaining and relate to teenage angst.

Thinking some more about this, how about Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy which contains some very funny passages about BistroMathematics. There’s an excellent audio book version read by Stephen Fry to listen along with the paper book. BistroMathematics is around Chapter Seven of the Life, the Universe and Everything.

The Wimpy Kid series is IMO good for reluctant readers - it’s bee a hit with one fairly reluctant Gdc..

TBH I don’t think it matters much what they read, as long as it’s something they enjoy. Something a bit easier than their official reading age is probably best, too - and long pages of dense print can be very off-putting.

When I worked in a library it was not uncommon for a mother to drag a boy (especially) away from the junior non-fiction he was happily absorbed in (space, dinosaurs, creepy crawlies, etc.) and insist that he must read some ‘stories’. I always wanted to say, FGS, as long as he’s reading and enjoying something!

MR James is not an easy read for a non reader. He uses a Victorian writing style. A modern writer would be more accessible. Why are you not encouraging him to read non fiction? Travel writing or humorous writing sounds more his thing. Please don't be snobby about this. I was an English teacher for many years and a chartered librarian previously. You are trying to help, but not necessarily choosing the best material. Ask an actual book seller in person or librarian for advice, not some random from a website.

Actually Graphic novels are very popular with both boys and girls. They are fairly complex in structure but the use of pictures to tell a story helps reluctant readers. There is a publisher called Barrington Stoke who specifically publishes books for older children who struggle with reading. They aren't childlike and don't embarrass them. Harry Potter is a good recommendation, however from Book Four on, they are fairly hefty tomes. Not all children like fantasy and it could be a real turn off.
I'm inclined to agree with Everdene. Forced reading won't work. If he's reached this age and struggles with comprehension, that will have been reported to his parents.

Thank you all so much for your suggestions, it is good of you to take the time to reply.
My grandson actually asked for my help as he has only recently become aware (as indeed have I) that it is a national requirement for children to pass GCSE in both English Literature and Language (plus Maths) and that if they don't receive an adequate mark, they have to re-sit the exams.
I attended a good grammar school and achieved passes in both English O'levels but was horrified when reading the most recent GCSE papers. I had obtained them in order to help him but was amazed at how hard they appeared. I really struggled (maybe age or a different way of teaching?) and couldn't see how I was possibly going to be able to help. I have now managed to obtain the 'answers' to the questions and it has become a great deal clearer, plus I have discovered an online learning tool which should really help.
I have also ordered a book from the library (Mr James Ghost Stories) as I think short stories will allow him less time to give up! I quite take on board the Harry Potter recommendation, both his sister and his mum read all of them so maybe I will try that afterward.

11/12? Hmm, pity, because I would readily recommend Laurie Lee's 'Cider with Rosie', but I think maybe 15/16 is a more suitable age for that.

The Complete Adventures by Bear Grylls caught the imagination of my reluctant reader grandson when he was a similar age. Each book has the word Challenge in the title eg the Blizzard Challenge and has a Reading age of about 12.

Try factual books about subjects which interest him, for example, sailing. It is unlikely he will develop a passion for reading fiction at fourteen, but using reading for practical purposes often succeeds, and will help his comprehension skills and grammar.
There is an awful lot of trash on school bookshelves, poorly written, over illustrated and presented as 'easy reads' plus the contingent of 'grammar doesn't matter, it is communication that is important,' some of whom are teachers. This doesn't help develop readers.

Why does he need to read a book? Have his teachers said so? One of my DD’s is a voracious reader whilst the other never read books and will now occasionally read a non fiction book such as an autobiography of someone she is interested in in but will not touch fiction. She is mildly dyslexic so maybe your gs is too? Worth checking. Dh is the same but will read steam train books.

If you persist with books make sure there are lots of pictures so not too much writing on each page to make it look less daunting. Thanks to predictive texting and initial texting spelling will be pretty awful. Maybe he could write a real short letter to someone famous? But be careful about constantly correcting him. This lad needs lots of encouragement and praise.

My son has always been a scientist and the only books he would read were by Roald dahl

Harry Potter, the whole series.
I haven’t read any but have heard they got a whole generation of kids into reading.

We were all avid readers in my family except for my brother, who was not keen at all. He was into fishing, and so we got fishing magazines and he also liked going on his bike. Just cant remember the name , but we found a nonfiction book of someone going on a long journey, not round britian but that sort of thing. This was 50 years ago so not a lot of marathon things going on at the time. These worked well and did encourage him to go into the library and have a look round.

So I think a two pronged idea is to see if you can find some audio books that he would enjoy. He should feel very relaxed about them as he is not struggling to read them , as he sees it. But it will be broadening his vocabulary and this may also encourage him to get another book from a series as he will be familiar with the characters, which he could read himself. He will understand the overall scenario and therefore will be able to "guess" a word that he does not know from the context. Then hopefully he will feel confident when he has read that well and will be prepared to try something else, building on that success. I think it is world book day today so a great time to buy him a paperback as a treat. I think Adrian Mole might still be a possibility and definitely Wimpey Kid series are very popular. Perhaps you might also go in reverse, by have a DVD of astory or going to the cinema to watch something that is based on a book and then he could get the book from the library and with his knowledge of the basic story would probably be fine reading the book and having educated guesses at words he is not sure about. The success of getting through it is a good boost to his confidence. Making sure he has a library ticket and the opportunity to go there easily on his own, where you might have a quiet word beforehand with the librarian about helping him find the sort of books he could enjoy. Good Luck, I personally think encouraging someone to become a good and happy reader is a great gift for life. It has certainly been important all my life and still is one of my greatest pleasure, that is available to me at any time day or night, and gives me information, pleasure, solace and joy at very little cost. So a gift for life that was encouraged by my granny which I treasure.

Very good advice from grandamabatty something he’s interested in will make it easier for him to develop good reading skills.

Is your grandson a willing participant in this - has he asked for your help with the “work needed for his GCSEs” ?
My advice would be to first of all take guidance from his teachers rather than pursue an additional curriculum of old exam papers and enforced reading.

You could - through your very good intentions - demotivate him completely.

If he’s willing to engage with the need for extra work I suggest than you make it a collaborative activity rather than “extra lessons” . He doesn’t have to read fiction ( many 14 year old boys don’t ). Find some newspaper and magazine articles that interest you and discuss them together.

Please don’t make him do old GCSE papers now - if he’s struggles with them that will create or reinforce a sense of failure even before he has begun his GCSE courses. He will get plenty of relevant teaching and exam practice at school.

Happy World Book Day 7 March.

I will send you a private message Loobs.

The obvious thing would be to find some books that dovetail into his interests. Buy the paper book and audio book so that he can read and listen along simultaneously. Nothing too childish as that might embarass him.

Adventures in sailing might be a good place to start. Wavewalker by Suzanne Heywood springs to mind. Article here with a longish passage from the text to give you a gist of the level of the language:

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/mar/25/suzanne-heywood-round-the-world-sailing-trip-stolen-childhood

Anothers is One Upon a Prime by Sarah Hart.

A hugely entertaining and well-written tour of the links between maths and literature. Hart’s lightness of touch and passion for both subjects make this book a delight to read. Bookworms and number-lovers alike will discover much they didn’t know about the creative interplay between stories, structure and sums.

This was in the news recently, about how many young people enjoy listening to audio books and a suggestion to add them to the school curriculum. Listening alone won’t help with spelling but listening may lead to a desire to read from the page.

www.theguardian.com/education/2025/feb/25/audiobooks-england-new-schools-curriculum-reading-national-literacy-trust-poll

Stig of the Dump by Clive King might be a good choice although it is aimed at a younger age group.
The Harry Potter series would keep him going for ages if he liked the first one, as would the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.
You could take him to your local library, let him browse and see if anything takes his fancy.

Once he starts his GCSE course it might be helpful to look at the BBC Bitesize materials for English Language GCSE for the relevant exam board. Does he read material relevant to his interests online? That might be a good starting point.

Another suggestion - The Diaries of a Wimpy Kid. Recommended reading for 13 year olds at my local bookshop. Hilarious, laugh out loud with an amusing line drawing and arrows etc on every page. The store owner said loads of teens were buying the series!