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Hi Becky, what a wonderful gift to give your son.
There is a lot of good advice in this thread.
I have 2 kids (8 and 11), both of whom have little refractors on alt/az mounts. Everything they see blows them and their friends away, even at low magnification. My 11 year old also has a little 5 inch reflector, again on an alt/az mount. She does prefer this as it gives a higher useful magnification. My kids just love to go exploring rather than search for specific objects, unless I point them at a planet.
They also have, shared, (yes I have no self control) a 6 inch reflector on an equtorial mount. Although they enjoy the larger magnification possible with this one, they prefer to use the little ones on the alt/az mounts as they are easier for them to handle.
Also, be aware that the image you see in a reflector will be upsidedown, whereas a refractor will be right way up. Something to consider if you want to use the scope for daytime viewing. And just remember NEVER look at the sun through any telescope.
As already suggested on this thread a 6 inch dob is also an excellent starting point (it is essentially a reflector on a base - images upsidedown).
My advice is to keep it as simple as possible - my kids will always ask for help but prefer the autonomy of being in control of their own scopes with minimal frustration.
Perhaps take your son to one of the dealers suggested by others so he can get a feel for what suits him best.
Best of luck with your decision making, enjoy the time with your son!
Kerrie
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