wot 2 get

You could look at a beginners level Fender Pack that comes with bag and tuner and bits and pieces.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Fender-DG-8S-Acoustic-Guitar-Value-Pack-102464146-i1146547.gc

My pick would be for an entry level Yamaha, they are usually great to play.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Yamaha-FG700S-Folk-Acoustic-Guitar-103114252-i1149962.gc

Thanks. I'm guessing the others are just cheap and nasty!!

what's your price range?

I don't really have one!! Not sure whether to get one or give him a voucher to get his own.

you can get a lot of guitar these days without spending a lot of money.
that said, the better the guitar, the easier it is to play, and that goes a long way towards a beginner sticking with it.

a good starter guitar usually needs a professional setup to play well, so look to spend around $50 more.
some shops include a setup reguardless of what you spend, so check with your shop.

without knowing a ballpark figure, it's difficult to suggest something that would fit both your budget and give your son the best he can get for the money.
i did a little searching myself and i found some info on jixing guitars but the name skylark is a bit harder to nail down.
the jixing look like pretty much the bottom of the line starter type at $100?. if you were to put another $40 into a set up and probably some new strings, a tuner, etc you can see that we are talking around $170 or so.

if he sticks with it and improves quickly i pretty much guarentee he'll outgrow this one within a year and a half if not sooner.
i would instead go with a better known brand like one suggested above or one of these 3.
they all come with everything you'll need.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigation/value-package-acoustic-electric-guitars?N=100001+330618

edit--------
sorry i just noticed that these are all on backorder, but you get the idea.

So with the information you have here is what I'd do.

if you live in an area with a few music stores around I'd tell my son, "Saturday (whatever) we're going Shopping" and take my son around to all of stores I can. Let him look at as many as he wants. Talk with one of the sales guys and tell him your situation... He's a beginner, First Guitar, Mom doesn't know what to buy and set a budget limit, yet it doesn't have to be exact. "Tell your son we're not going to buy anything today we're just "SHOPPING". :) Most of the Mom and Pop stores are fine with that and since its for Christmas they'll understand that you won't buy today... :)

I'd try and visit all the stores that I could and see what kind of deal you can get for yourself, and yes they will deal with you even the big box stores, like Guitar Center or Sam Ash. He may find a guitar that's affordable but not in a Starter Pack so you can negotiate some of the other bits, like tuners, picks, books or lessons, and a setup. (a string change and adjustment and yes new guitars should have a 'setup' done to them).

Make a note of the one's he liked and which store they were at. Let HIM pick his guitar...or better yet have his guitar pick him.

One of the key things in keeping a young/new player playing is having a guitar they WANT to play.
Another good thing to think about, if he is a beginner, at the very least is a good starter book or two with a CD. These can run you from $15 to $25 depending. Same with a song book. There are a ton available so ask the sales person. Also think about getting him some lessons. Lessons seems to be the number one piece of advice up in our beginners section of the forum.

Have fun, be patient and enjoy the experience. Music is a lifelong love and he's just starting...... :)