Got a nephew obsessed with guitar? Get him a biography of his favorite rock star. Is your daughter in love with horses, or unicorns? Get her a book on horses or a fantasy title. “Yes,” you say, “but what if”—and here perhaps you lower your voice—“what if they don’t like to read?”

It’s enough to make any book lover cringe, but the truth is that most kids don’t enjoy reading, at least not as much as they love to do other things. In fact, a 2006 Scholastic Books survey showed only 29% of 7-11 year olds in the United States read for pleasure daily. So what do you do if your child is a member of that other 71% who shows little interest in books? Is it due to lack of interest? Struggles with comprehension? Too much pushing at home or at school? No matter what the reason, finding the right book for your child can go a long way toward sparking his interest in the written word. So can finding ways to make reading fun.

I spoke with Nancy Pearl, librarian and author of "Book Crush: For Kids and Teens - Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment and Interest" (Sasquatch Books, 2007). She had these tips to help your reluctant reader:

Follow your child's interests
Adults often think "reading" is something done with a heavy, musty fiction book written fifty years ago. Instead, mine your child's interests for topics they’ll want to read about, whether basketball, horses, a favorite celebrity or alien abductions. "One of the big changes in publishing is that nonfiction is as exciting as fiction," says Pearl. Dorling Kindersley Books produce full-color titles exploring kid-friendly topics from pirates to pets. Children will work hard to get information they really want.

Model reading
According to the Scholastic study, children with parents who read daily are more than twice as likely to have children who enjoy reading. Talk about the newspaper's latest article over dinner or discuss the novel you've been reading. "Parents who read, or who make a point of validating their children's reading," says Pearl, "are more likely to have readers as children."

Listen to audiobooks
Turn off the television in the evenings and hear Harry Potter's troubles. Dramatic storytelling enlivens long car trips, and helps children relax into an imaginative world rather than worrying about decoding text. Try Roald Dahl's The Twits on the family MP3 player, downloadable through iTunes. You may find that you enjoy being read to as much as your child.

Tickle your child's funny bone
Go for giggles with the Jokelopedia, or make up your own jokes to put in her lunchbox. Taking the seriousness out of reading can help change a child's attitude. The punchline at the end of a sentence is a built-in reward for reading.

Check out popular series
These are popular for a reason. Series authors know how to bait and draw a young reader in on kid-friendly topics such as Star Wars, robots and ponies. In this case, getting hooked is a good thing. Nancy Pearl says to not look down on "less-literary" titles. "To arbitrarily divide the world into books we shouldn't read versus should read, or what constitutes good reading versus bad reading, does children a disservice." After all, parents enjoy relaxing with a good romance or mystery book (or maybe this week's People magazine). Why not let kids indulge in some light reading too?

Go back to basics
Lushly illustrated picture books aren't just for the preschool set. Gory Greek myths and modern-day fables aimed at mature elementary-aged readers abound in bookstores and libraries. Creepy picture books too scary for preschoolers perfectly fit elementary aged children enthralled with the supernatural, and provide reading skill confidence.

Visit the library
Go once a week and encourage your child to choose any material: book, comic, magazine, DVD, audiobook. Don't criticize or push harder material by comparing her choices to a classmate's choices ("Madison's reading Joyce– Are you sure you don't want to try a little Proust?"). Help her find high-interest books, even if it means being seen with Captain Underpants during checkout.

Try a comic book or graphic novel
Comics have come a long way from the Sunday funnies. Whether a graphic-novel form of Charles Dickens, or the latest Get Fuzzy collection, illustrated books often introduce children to new vocabulary and greater fluency, particularly if they struggle with the overwhelming wall of text found in chapter books. "To read a graphic novel is harder than to read a regular book," says Pearl, "because it demands much more of the reader – you have to take into account both the picture and the text."

Expand your definition of reading
Print is everywhere in our society, and reading enjoyment can be found in many of the same places. Children can help read maps, nutrition labels, driving directions and websites. Boys in particular tend to get into game guides, sports magazines and other non-typical print sources.

Read together
Many parents stop reading aloud to their children when children start reading independently. But all kids enjoy hearing a good story and having their parents' attention, no matter what their age. Bring out a favorite chapter book from your childhood and make it a nightly ritual to read before bedtime. The comforting reassurance from a parent will ensure your child falls in love with reading–for a lifetime.

Reading is Fun When You Find the Right Book
These books make great gifts for kids who love books and reluctant readers too:

Junie B. Jones series
by Barbara Park (Random House, various dates)
Ages 6-9

The Wolves in the Walls
by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins, 2003)
Ages 6-9

Rotten Ralph Rotten Readers series
by Jack Gantos, (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004)
Ages 6-9

Greek Myths for Young Children
by Heather Amery (Usborne Books, 2000)
Ages 6-9

Adventures of Captain Underpants
by Dav Pilkey. (Scholastic Paperbacks, 1997)
Ages 7-10

Charles Dickens and Friends: Five Lively Retellings by Marcia Williams
by Marcia Williams (Candlewick, 2002)
Ages 7-10

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Audio CD
by J.K. Rowling (Listening Library, 1999)
Ages 8 and up

Pirate: DK Eyewitness Books
by Richard Platt (DK Children, 2007)
Ages 8-12

Grossology: The Science of Really Gross Things
by Sylvia Branzei (Price Stern Sloan, 2002)
Ages 8-12

Jokelopedia: The Biggest, Best, Silliest, Dumbest Joke Book Ever
by Ilana Weitzman, Eva Blank, Rosanne Green, Mike Wright, Alison Benjamin
(Workman Publishing Company, 2006)
Ages 8-12

The Twits
by Roald Dahl (Puffin, 2007)
Ages 8-12

Ripley's Special Edition 2007: Ripley's Believe It Or Not Special Edition
by M. Packard (Scholastic Inc, 2006)
Ages 9-12