There are many good starter geckos and lizards but for a kid if he is at all "rough" i would recommend a Bearded Dragon. They aren't the most active of animals but that can be nice as well if you just want a laid back pet. They do need bugs though. If your interested in an animal that does not need bugs you could look into Rhacodactylus or Correlophus species, they can be fed solely a meal replacement powder. These geckos are a good bit more delicate to handling with regularity though.