If he already has the mechanics of reading down and just doesn't enjoy reading yet I would have him read at a level that he will run across new vocabulary on, either an old-fashioned book or poetry, or even a dictionary, and ask him to read it out loud to you and correct him on the words he gets wrong. Yes, a nine year old. My friend does this with her nine year old (just books, not the dictionary) and she says, why are you always correcting me? And she answers, because otherwise you'll always be saying the word wrong. jmo
Also another neighbor who has grown children said her daughter became an avid reader in the seventh grade and she is a smart girl, in AP classes and everything.
