Supporting Kids’ Interests with Books

“Young readers … deserve books that illuminate and support their learning. Books should be relevant to their lives”

Hartsfield, D. E., & Kimmel, S. C. (2021). Supporting the Right to Read: Principles for Selecting Children’s Books. The Reading teacher, 74(4), 419-427. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1954

It has optimistically been plastered over the internet that everyone is a reader, some just haven’t found their favourite book yet. I question the provenance of the idea, but part of me also hopes it’s true. It is a lovely thought that each of us can find that one magical book that will flick the switch and turn on the reading habit.

Anecdotally I have heard of instances of children who were reluctant readers and then they read a book (or often a series) that changed their outlook on books. Perhaps they had never been introduced to that one genre or format, or category before and latched onto it. I have seen it somewhat with my children. Tobin, my youngest, will have me read and re-read anything by Dav Pilkey. The other day I asked who wanted to come with me to the library, he didn’t want to go but told me to “get any Dogmans” they had.

Jude reads almost exclusively novels, but very rarely fantasy. Freya is firmly in a phase of graphic novels that portray social situations. I taught Odette to use the reservation function on the public library website and for a month I had to cart home and back the entire Ella and Olivia series.

It can be great when kids get into to reading phases. It helps you know what to select for them. But what if your kid hasn’t yet found their reading preferences? Perhaps they are reluctant to try things, perhaps they can’t even articulate what they do like to read and what they don’t.

Pay attention to what your kid likes to do in their free time, and get books that supplement, augment, or are related to their interests.

Sports and Games

Whatever leisure activity your kid enjoys there will be books to match. Perhaps they’re into basketball, cricket, netball, tennis, Minecraft, gymnastics, football or soccer. Whatever it is there is usually a fiction book for them. Lots of sports stars have ‘written’ series aimed at young readers. These have been specifically designed by publishers to attract reluctant readers by appealing to their interests. Think series like Specky Magee, Netball Gems, The Kaboom Kid, Tiny Timmy, and Ash Barty’s new series Little Ash. These series serve a purpose, to try to hook in new readers. But there are also plenty of picture books and other novels that feature sports and games. Search your library catalogue.

TV Shows and Movies

There are so many TV shows or movies that are based on a book. Some we’ve tried are The Last Kids on Earth, Harry Potter, Tintin, The Babysitters Club, Thomas the Tank Engine, Winnie the Pooh, Ada Twist: Scientist, How to Train Your Dragon, and Captain Underpants. Plus lots of Roald Dahl books and Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s books have screen adaptations.

There are also plenty of movies and TV shows that have had book versions created. Creators are not silly, and if there is a market for kids to watch something, there is often a market for parents, teachers and librarians to have them read those stories. Some we’ve read are Bluey, Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom, and Peppa Pig, plus quite a few Disney/Pixar movies.

To be honest, almost any children’s TV show or movie will have a book version released. There are Play School, Sesame Street, Disney, Star Wars, and Marvel books. If your kid is super into a franchise or show try getting them into reading with those related books. Usually if kids are already familiar with storylines and characters then they should have less trouble comprehending what they read. Fair warning though, while many say the book is better than the movie, I don’t think that applies when the movie comes first.

Family Trips and Outings

If you’re planning a family holiday you can use books to help build the excitement and anticipation, and you can use the excitement and anticipation to engage kids in reading.

Last year I planned a week-long trip for me and the kids to Canberra. The idea was to hit the national landmarks like Parliament House, the War Memorial, and the Mint etc. A month before we left I reserved books with lots of pictures that related to our planned trip. did they all get read? No, but the kids had the opportunity to think about our trip beforehand and get excited. Next month we’re off to Bali and I’ve done the same thing.

With little ones, if it’s their first time on a plane, get some books about planes, such as The Airport Book, by Lisa Brown, or Playtown Airport, from Priddy Books. If you’re going on a road trip there is Are We There Yet?, by Dan Santat. Or if you’re going right around Australia, Are We There Yet?, by Alison Lester.

Even if you’re only going on a day trip, if you know in advance, get reading material that supports that activity. We’re going to the new Museum of Play and Art and I’ve reserved some books that might support that experience. Going to the zoo? Get some zoo or animal books.

Life Events

As I have blogged about, we had a huge success with Michelle Mitchell’s puberty books. Using books to address and prepare kids for that important life event really worked well. There are other important life events for which there will be books to help educate, demystify or relieve pain. I’m thinking about situations such as the death of a pet, family member or friend, starting school, moving house, parent’s divorcing, and sickness.

In these situations, fiction books can be really helpful. There are great truths in well-told stories.

Hobbies and Phases

I have never been – will never be – interested in Pokemon. I don’t care to understand the characters, I have no idea of the terminology or rules. But guess who is, Tobin’s best friend – and now Tobin. He has borrowed a few Pokemon books from the public and school library and I’ve had to read them aloud to him. (Even more motivation to practice his reading every night, as once he can read, I’ll never have to read them again.) But if that is what gets Tobin excited about reading, then that’s what I’ll read.

In January we went to the State Library Victoria where we saw Ned Kelly’s armour. Freya got super interested and so we borrowed every book our public library had on Ned Kelly. She didn’t read all of them, but we had them there until her interest itch was scratched.

Some of my kids have been going through a chess phase, and just the other day I collected 7 or 8 chess-flavoured books that Jude had reserved at the public library. The first thing the next morning I see him and Tobin bookending the dining table with stacks of chess books to peruse over breakfast.

Whatever hobby or phase your kid is into, get some books on the subject, let it be known that those books are there, and see how things go. It might be paper planes, magic, knitting, bikes, kites, rollerskating, music, engineering, money, Lego, cooking, trains, art, time travel, actual travel, fashion, or any number of other pursuits. There will usually be fiction and non-fiction options.

YouTube

Perhaps you’ve got a kid who just loves watching YouTube, guess what? There are books for them too. Some YouTubers have gotten so popular that they have released their own books. For example, my kids love Dude Perfect and they have a tips and tricks book. Or you could try James Rallinson’s series The Odd 1s Out.

There are also fiction books about YouTubers such as My Life as a YouTuber by Janet Tashjian.

Still Stuck?

If you are ever stuck with what books are suitable for a child, go see a librarian or bookseller. Most books in a library or a bookstore will have been reviewed or otherwise vetted and are more likely to be of high quality. You can also join the wonderful Facebook group, Your Kids’ Next Read, and post your question to get a reliable response from the brain trust there, no matter how specific your kids’ needs are. Or hit me up for some suggestions.