--- title: Her son with dyslexia didn’t like to read, so she wrote a book he loved description: How do you instill a love of reading in your child with dyslexia? Read about the unique approach of this mom, who has dyslexia herself. slug: her-son-with-dyslexia-didnt-like-to-read-so-she-wrote-a-book-he-loved author: Melissa A. Kay published: '2019-10-16T12:18:33.971Z' thumbnail: https://cdn-images.understood.org/p0qf7j048i0q/6254B8A28EEF4D5A88B1BC56376EA819/7b85a7b656e9a7c4416107010db1a4ae/120516_Blog-_Mom_Writes_a_Childrens_Book_to_Spark_Her_Dyslexic_Sons_Love_for_Reading.jpg source_url: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/her-son-with-dyslexia-didnt-like-to-read-so-she-wrote-a-book-he-loved lang: en --- # Her son with dyslexia didn’t like to read, so she wrote a book he loved When Rebecca Laffar-Smith’s son Joshua was in grade school, he would shut down at the mention of anything word- or book-related. He has [dyslexia](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-is-dyslexia), as well as [autism](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/is-autism-a-learning-disability), and he struggles to read. Because of his difficulties, his self-esteem plummeted. He hated school. A big part of the problem, says the Australia-based Laffar-Smith, was that Joshua couldn’t find books that matched his interests. “A 10-year-old struggling reader may have 6-year-old ability along with 12-year-old interests,” she explains. “There aren’t a lot of books that tackle ‘big kid’ topics with language Joshua could read.” When Joshua was in fourth grade, Laffar-Smith decided to start homeschooling him. Like her son, Laffar-Smith has dyslexia. But as a professional writer and editor, she’d found a way to love and embrace books, and she hoped she could do the same for her son. A ray of hope came from her son’s love of penguins. Laffar-Smith wondered if she could use his interest in penguins to get him reading. Eager to try, she and Joshua, along with his older sister Kaylie, began to create stories revolving around penguins. They started to brainstorm and plan a storybook as a homeschool project. They even hired an illustrator and designed the book to make it more pleasant to read, with a crisp [font](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/dyslexia-friendly-font), big images and lots of spacing for text. And that was how *P.I. Penguin* was born. It’s a children’s book featuring a private investigator penguin who solves crimes and mysteries for his animal friends. The process of thinking up stories and creating the book helped spark Joshua’s interest in reading. All of a sudden, he wanted to read about how P.I. Penguin would save the day. He wanted to follow P.I. Penguin’s adventures. The plan was to print just a single copy of *P.I. Penguin* for Joshua to enjoy. But then Laffar-Smith began to think other kids might also benefit from the book. After all, from her own experience, she knew there was a need for age- and interest-appropriate books for struggling readers. Laffar-Smith had also self-published other books, including a science fiction novel, so she understood the business. Children’s book publishing seemed to be a natural next step. To get her plan moving, she founded Aulexic, a small publishing company. The company focuses on books for early readers with language difficulties. The company’s name is a play on the word *dyslexic*, with the *dys* (or disadvantage) replaced by *au*, its opposite. After Aulexic was founded, Joshua was also diagnosed with autism, and the family embraced *au* as having a second meaning. And some local readers like to think the *au* stands for Australia. The first *P.I. Penguin* book sold a number of copies, which Laffar-Smith found encouraging. So the family — mom, Joshua and Kaylie — continued to write. There are now four *P.I. Penguin* books, with more in the works. The stories are written under the name “Bec J. Smith,” a combination of their names. “I needed to bring back Joshua’s love of stories and break down the barrier to embracing reading,” says Laffar-Smith. “*P.I. Penguin* was the answer for us. Reading, learning and writing have become a way of life in our home.” Today, Aulexic offers picture books and short chapter books. Each story is filled with rhyme and rhythm. To help kids connect with the stories, words are concrete and images are vibrant. And the text and formatting are simple and free of distractions. Many parents have told Laffar-Smith that their kids with dyslexia are learning to love to read thanks to *P.I. Penguin*. “Joshua is also so proud of the books,” she says. “His ideas and opinions help shape what we publish.” Now 12, Joshua *wants* to read and continue to create more books. Coming from a child who once hated reading, she says, this is a “true milestone.” The family is pleased to see the changes they’re making in the lives of those with reading issues. Laffar-Smith says, “We're hoping Aulexic will continue to grow and flourish in the years to come.” --- Check out [books for reluctant readers in preschool to grade 2](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/10-modern-classic-books-for-kids-with-learning-and-thinking-differences-in-preschool-grade-2) and [in grades 3 to 5](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/12-great-books-for-reluctant-readers-in-grades-3-5). You can also watch a video of children’s book author Andrea Davis Pinkney sharing tips for encouraging reluctant readers. *Any opinions, views, information and other content contained in blogs on Understood.org are the sole responsibility of the writer of the blog, and do not necessarily reflect the views, values, opinions or beliefs of, and are not endorsed by, Understood.* --- ## Explore related topics and articles - [My daughter’s dyslexia showed me I was doing parent-teacher conferences all wrong ](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/parent-teacher-conferences-asking-tough-questions) - Parent-teacher conferences used to leave Suzie feeling overwhelmed. So much so that she almost missed signs of her daughter’s trouble with reading. Here’s her story. - [What it took for a dyslexic kid like me to love books](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-it-took-for-a-dyslexic-kid-like-me-to-love-books) - For me and others with dyslexia, reading is like having a bad cell phone connection to whats on a printed page. Information drops out. I cant access the content. But when I listen to a book on tape or on a talking computer, its like having a landline. I connect just fine and most everything is clear - [Make dyslexia about strengths, not shame](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/make-dyslexia-about-strengths-not-shame) - Let me introduce myself: My name is Ben Foss, and I am dyslexic. When I was a kid, my mother read out loud to me. When I went to college, Id fax my term papers home to her in New Hampshire so she could read them to me over the phone and help me find spelling mistakes. 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