Thrilling spy stories may help solve reading crisis among boys

London, August 13 : Parents can help solve the reading crisis among boys by encouraging their families to read thrilling spy stories, say reports.

British Schools Minister Jim Knight is concerned that one in four boys is making no progress with reading at school.

He urged parents to sit down and read the same books as their teenage sons, to help solve the reading crisis.

His suggested shared reading included Robert Muchamore's Cherub books about orphans recruited to MI5, Holes by Louis Sachar, Noughts And Crosses by Malorie Blackman - even the work of former SAS hero Andy McNab.

"As a parent you can enjoy reading them and encouraging children to read them as well," the Mirror quoted him as saying.

Knight, who has a 17-year-old son and a 19-year-old daughter, also revealed that his family had been engrossed by Harry Potter.

"Everyone in the family read The Philosopher's Stone and also Lord Of The Rings. We enjoyed reading them together. If your teenage children see you doing it, that's great," he said.

His call came as shocking figures revealed that one in five 14-year-old boys is not even hitting the national reading standards for 11-year-olds.

Tory Shadow Schools Minister Nick Gibb called the drop in standards "very alarming".

ANI