Reading quality literature expands our minds and hearts. Reading educates and enlightens us and makes us better humans at every age, better able to understand and appreciate life and the world around us.

Have you noticed when kids aren’t reading books that resonate with them, they can lose interest in reading altogether? This is unsurprising because of the many other options they have in their free time, like sports, video games, friends, and phones. Who can blame them?

However, regular reading is an important life skill, an intellectual and savory sport.

“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.” 


― Maya Angelou

Parents can be the best life coaches. If you want your kids to be readers, there are things you can do to inspire them:

1. Be a reader yourself. This is the most meaningful and quickest way to get your kids to read. When they see you reading, they will want to read too. Our kids learn from us every day, so lead by example here.
2.  Take regular trips to the library and your local bookstore together. I might say “no” to toys, sweets, unnecessary clothes, etc., but I will always say “yes” whenever my kids ask for a book. No exceptions.
3.  Books or Bookstore gift cards as a reward. If your kiddo gets a good grade in math or masters a soccer move or wins a school award, show them how proud you are, and surprise them with a new book by their favorite author.
4.  Reward your child or teen when they finish a book! Make a big honking deal out of it. My 17-year-old son finished a book on Physics the other day, so I surprised him with pancakes and maple syrup in the middle of our school day. Notice when they finish a book and ask them about it. This recovery method cements learning and makes for a pretty interesting conversation, which is a whole OTHER life skill.
5.  At dinner, go around the table and have everyone describe the book they are reading and what it is about. We did this often when the kids were little, and it was so fun. But now that our kids are older, they read books we have never heard of, and our conversations are fascinating!
6.  Expand your genres to include graphic novels, poetry, short stories, and even YA or children’s books. Listen to audiobooks regularly while driving or walking. Be open to all types and ways of reading.
7. Start small. Set the clock for 10 minutes of reading each day and gradually increase the minutes over time. Finishing a book is a great feeling, and your kids will love the accomplishment.
8. Create cozy, well-lit areas for reading in your house. Design a reading corner, complete with bean bags, pillows, and soft blankets.
9. Strewing! Select a small variety of books from the library and leave them on tables and sofas around the house. Switch them out every week, offering new ideas and authors for the family to “discover.”
10.  Give books as gifts. Be a book giver; it changes people.

“I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.” 


― Anna Quindlen

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Consistency is key. But what about magazines, graphic novels, or banned books? Yes, yes, and yes.

Magazines: If your child wants to read comics or National Geographic, Highlights, or Vogue, let them. If the magazine is age and content-appropriate, then at least they are reading. And any reading leads to understanding, which encourages curiosity, which leads to more reading.

Graphic Novels: Reluctant readers might gravitate towards graphic novels, thinking they will be an “easy” read, but why not let your teen read something easy in between other, more dense academic reading? Also, graphic novels combine concise text and illustrations, which add a layer of emotional learning that kids might not pick up on otherwise. I used graphic novels to enhance understanding, foster empathy, and inspire thoughtful questions when my kids and I read Don Quixote, The Alchemist, and The Odyssey. Children and teens who read graphic novels benefit from inference-making skills, improved memory, and sequential order. Remember, the ability to understand and write lean language is also necessary when writing poetry.

Banned Books: It is genuinely baffling to me that in 2023, any educated person would propose to ban a book – an archaic idea that started in the 1630s, alongside the infamous Witch Trials. There are endless beautiful, insightful books on that list, and regardless of their banned status, I would encourage reading them without hesitation. Some currently banned books are: A Separate Peace by John Knowles; Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen; The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini; Dear Martin by Nic Stone; The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald; To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; Lord of the Flies by William Golding; Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury; The Giver by Lois Lowry; Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck; Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling; The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls; The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank; Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (really??); I Know Why the Cagebird Sings by Maya Angelou… and many, many more. I have read and loved all of these, and by the way, my kids have read almost all of these books, too.

Pro Tip: If you have teenagers, keep a running log of the books they read. It is an impressive list to have on hand when applying to colleges and also provides insight when making suggestions or buying book gifts.

Note: Barnes and Noble has dedicated a page of their website to challenged and banned books that are listed and available for sale. Please support these authors and their work.

Are you looking for book ideas? I got you. Check out our reading lists, separated by age and grade level for the kids. I keep track of my reading, too, organized by year. Click here and start scrolling ~

Happy reading! ~

©2023 Lynne Rey
Blog Published by GoTimbalero Press
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