Somewhere in those tweens and early teens, our children pull all kinds of surprises on us. Suddenly, they want to hang out with different friends, wear a different style of clothes, or speak a completely (to parents, anyway) foreign language. Case in point, here’s my 10-year-old’s latest adventure in expressing herself:

 You’ll find plenty of articles about how to handle these things with patience and understanding, about when to draw the line and when to give them rope. But there isn’t much advice on what to do when your child, who has previously been an avid (or at least average) reader suddenly shows a complete disinterest or disdain for books.

There’s a lot of competition for kids’ attention – from sports, electronic devices and games, movies, and the increased freedoms that come with age. Something’s got to give to make room for the new. Often, reading is one of those…