sentences:  Through the works of Jules Verne he became interested in science fiction and a keen reader of pulp magazines like "Amazing Stories", which led to his early interest in rocketry.At age 12 Parsons began attending Washington Junior High School, where he performed poorly—which biographer George Pendle attributed to undiagnosed dyslexia—and was bullied for his upper-class status and perceived effeminacy.Although unpopular, he formed a strong friendship with Edward Forman, a boy from a poor working-class family who defended him from bullies and shared his interest in science fiction and rocketry, with the well-read Parsons enthralling Forman with his literary prowess.