I've been maintaining this for years ...

... Assigned Books Often Are a Few Sizes Too Big. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

I remember slogging my way through The Return of the Native when I was in high school. Didn't make a lot of sense to me then. When I read it in college, though, I thought it was fabulous. Boys in particular are likely to be turned off by books that lack action and excitement. They're more likely to want to read science fiction. Let them. And let them find it on their own.