Reading doesn't come easy for 10-year-old Mancos boy Joshua Most.
Most has struggled with words for some time and immediately his mother, Jewel Most, knew something wasn't right as she homeschooled her son.
"I waited a while because I was hesitant to put a label on him," Jewel said.
But, once she figured it out, she was able to get help for Joshua through the Colorado Virtual Academy, the online school she sues to home school her son.
"But despite Joshua's dyslexia, which is an ongoing struggle, my son has always wanted to be an author," Jewel said. "When we had difficulty finding books with controlled text that he could read, I encouraged him to write his own using the words he was learning."
The result: "Mac the Fun Pup", a self-published book Joshua will sell for $5 a copy at the Mancos Public Library on April 10.
Joshua has already sold 50 copies and is happy to sign the book about a dog named Mac and his adventures.
"We would love to use our story to encourage others in the community who may be struggling with learning disabilities of their own or know someone who is. Dyslexia in particular is often misdiagnosed or simply undiagnosed resulting in a great deal of frustration," Jewel said.
Joshua has an older sister and two younger sisters and his family, including his father Phil, run the San Juan Bible Camp outside Mancos.
"I've always wanted to be an author," Joshua smiled Monday as he autographed his book for this reporter inside the Mancos Public Library.
Following Joshua's diagnosis, she has learned a lot about dyslexia and one surprising fact is that dyslexia affects 20 percent of the population.
"These studies confirm that dyslexia, or problems with reading and language, is the most commonly occurring learning disability," Jewel said.
Jewel said that not only does Joshua's book tell a great story, she hopes that it will make those in the community aware of the learning challenge that he and other's face and will help fulfill her son's dream.
"I want to be an author. I want to build things and I want to create lots of inventions," he said with a smile. "I also want to own a bookstore."
Jewel said dyslexia is something the family is learning to live with.
"I told him that his dyslexia is like when our family gets in the Jeep and goes on back road to get somewhere. It takes a long time to get there, but is fun and you see lots of things versus getting in our car and driving on the highway, you get there much faster, but it isn't the same kind of adventure," Jewel said.