Expert Q&A

Jen writes

Thanks for the support, Megan! It's nice to see a friendly face over here at PBS (in a virtual "seeing" sort of way). You raise an excellent question. Of course there are tons or amazing books for babies out there. What I suggest for a new baby is a mix of board books (which are teething friendly) and nice hardcover books to start the baby's library. The hardcovers should be things that will keep the parents entertained and willing to re-read aloud, and books that will grow with the baby. I tend to skip the most well-known titles (Dr. Seuss, Goodnight Moon, Where the Wild Things Are, etc), because I imagine that someone else will buy those, and go for things a bit more off the beaten track. Here are some ideas:

Board Books:
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See by Eric Carle
Good Dog Carl by Alexandra Day
Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathman
Gossie and Gertie by Olivier Dunrea
Hug by Jez Alborough
Miss Mary Mack by by Mary Ann Hoberman (Author) and Nadine Bernard Westcott (Illustrator)

Picture Books:
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin (Author) and Betsy Lewin (Illustrator) (This one is especially good for parents who work with computers)
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
Duck and Goose by Tad Hills
House Takes a Vacation by Jacqueline Davies (Author) and Lee White (Illustrator)
Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett
Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt

I have lots of other suggestions for kids, by age group, here. Thanks for asking!

Jen writes

Thanks for commenting, Nicole! I love to hear from people who not only read to their kids, but enjoy it. That's what will make the experience lasting. I agree - the Dinosaur series is wonderfully illustrated. And of course, compelling illustrations are a huge part of getting kids engaged, and keeping them reading. I haven't seen Violet's Music, but I will definitely check it out. Thanks for the recommendation!

If you want to see a book that has truly captivating illustrations (though it's more of a topic for slightly older kids than yours), check out Ziba Came on a Boat by Liz Lofthouse (Author), Robert Ingpen (Illustrator). It's like something that should be hanging in an art gallery. I reviewed it here. For a very different, more graphic design approach, you might also enjoy Mocking Birdies by Annette Simon (reviewed here). I also liked Kid Tea by Elizabeth Ficocelli (Author) and Glin Dibley (Illustrator), for a lovely use of color. Oh, and don't miss Hugo and Miles in I've Painted Everything, by Scott Magoon, which is actually about art (review here). Anyway, thanks for raising readers! It's been fun talking books with you.

Jen writes

Thanks, Stacy, for visiting me here and on my blog. I look forward to future discussion with you about books and inspiring kids to read them.

Jen writes

Thanks for visiting, Little Willow. I love that we share so many favorite books in common. My favorite Snyder books are all books that I first read as a child: The Velvet Room, The Changeling, and the Green Sky Trilogy (Below the Root, And All Between, Until the Celebration. I wrote about these books in detail here (Velvet Room and Changeling) and here (Green Sky). I also have a fondness for the books about the Stanley children. My favorite poem, one I've known by heart for some 20+ years, is from The Changeling:

"Know all the Questions, but not the Answers
Look for the Different, instead of the Same
Never Walk when there's room for Running
Don't do anything that can't be a Game."

My favorite Anne Shirley book is actually Anne of Windy Poplars. Thanks for asking me about books that I LOVE to talk about.

Jen writes

Thanks for stopping by to visit, Liz. I really need to go back re-read some A.A. Milne. I love the poetry, too, especially:

"They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace --
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
Alice is marrying one of the guard
"A soldier's life is terrible hard,""

... etc.

I also had a phase in which I was obsessed by The Tao of Pooh, but I haven't read that in a while either.

Jen writes

Hi Gabrielle. Yes, I am certainly passionate about kid's books. Which just goes to show that if you get your son hooked young, he might be passionate about them for his whole life, too. (Though I'm probably a bit of a statistical outlier in the degree of my passion in this area).

I don't think it's that boys inherently like to read less than girls - I think that there are other factors going on. The first is that boys often (and this is a huge generalization, but we'll go with it for the sake of discussion) prefer books about FACTS rather than stories. And the problem is that women, including their mothers and many of their teachers tend (another generalization) to prefer stories. So you get into a bad cycle where the women keep giving the boys books that aren't what they are interested in, and then shaking their heads that they boys don't like to read. I think giving your son as many books as he asks for about machines and airports and things, as you're doing, is absolutely the way to go.

The challenge is to not dismiss what your son's interests are in favor of what anyone else thinks that they should be. As he gets older, if he likes Captain Underpants, great. Let him read Captain Underpants. If he's obsessed with comic books, well, that's still reading. Eventually, if he continues to find reading entertaining, he'll branch out into other things. But if you teach him that reading = boring (by his definition), then he'll end up reading less.

The other thing is that boys do, biologically, tend to have a harder time sitting still and reading books. So one thing you might do, as he gets older, is try listening to audiobooks while you also kick a ball around, and things like that. Listen to books while you're in the car. Once he's able to read, have him read aloud to you. Make reading a fun part of a more active life. Taking your son to the library, as you're doing, is perfect, because you're again making the whole reading thing active. Also, librarians are an excellent resource, and can certainly recommend additional boy-friendly titles for you.

I would also recommend checking out Guys Read, a website dedicated to "motivat(ing) boys to read by connecting them with materials they will want to read, in ways they like to read." Site founder Jon Scieszka was just named the first National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. You can read more about that, including his suggestions for reaching reluctant readers, here. I think that Scieszka's nomination to this position is a very positive step towards a more concentrated focus on getting kids, and especially boys, reading.

I hope this helps, Gabrielle! I think that it's wonderful that you're actively working to counteract the prevailing wisdom about boy readers. You're giving your son a gift that will last his whole life. Thanks for asking this great question.

Jen writes

Thanks for commenting, Marie! I love talking with other people who are also passionate about books. I sometimes think that I missed my calling, not being in a profession where I could read to kids on a regular basis. I do read with my friends' children whenever I get the chance, and nothing pleases me more than seeing them enjoy a book that I've picked out for them, and hearing them laugh.

I read your post, and I think that the poem is great! It definitely makes one appreciate having grown up knowing English, instead of trying to learn it as an adult. I think it's also quite the statement about why it's important to read aloud, because guessing at the pronunciation of those words from purely seeing them written down would be quite difficult. I'm still occasionally surprised when I listen to audiobooks, and learn that I've been mis-pronouncing a word in my head all this time. (Like "quay"). I'm afraid that I wasn't able to open the PDF file that you linked to, for some reason, but I certainly love the idea of sharing reading tips in the form of a bookmark for parents.

I love the Jan Brett books, too, especially The Mitten and Trouble with Trolls. I haven't read the other ones that you mentioned. I think I need to start keeping a list of all of the titles mentioned in these comments, so that I can go and track them all down.

Thanks again!

Jen writes

Beth, I love hearing about young children who already enjoy books. I'm not sure if you've read Jim Trelease's book The Read-Aloud Handbook (which I highly recommend), but you're definitely experiencing the kind of success that he talks about. I think that for a 20 month old to sit through multiple readings of The Grinch is very impressive. And I'm thrilled that you're planning to find challenging books to keep reading together, even after he's old enough to read on his own. I think that's SO important. I truly believe that one of the reasons interest in reading drops off for many kids around fourth grade is that their parents aren't reading with them any more. Even if you do get past a point of reading aloud together one day, it's still helpful if you can read the same books that your child reads, so that you can talk about them together, etc. (I wrote about that idea in more detail here.)

Thanks for sharing recommendations of books that your son loves, and that you love (or loved as a kid). I think that the Laura Numeroff books are wonderful, too. And of course Sandra Boynton. The nice thing about the Boynton books, and Bill Martin's books, is that so many of them are available in board book format - perfect for toddlers. I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't read Is Your Mama A Llama (and the sequels), but I hear that they're a lot of fun.

As for your books, you clearly have a weakness for tear-jerkers. I do, too (at least sometimes). I adore Bridge to Terebithia and The Giver. If you want a wonderful new tear-jerker, I highly recommend Julia's Kitchen by Brenda Ferber, about a girl who copes with the loss of her mother and sister by finding joy in something that her mother loved. I first read Island of the Blue Dolphins as an adult, and was wowed by it. I'm on the fence about The Phantom Tollbooth. I remember loving it as a kid, but when I tried to re-read it as an adult, I had trouble getting into it. I never read Sign of the Beaver, but I read The Witch of Blackbird Pond by the same author, as an adult, and enjoyed that one. I do agree about the books that you added in your other comment, Amelia Bedelia, Trixie Belden, and Beverly Cleary. I'm amazed by how well Cleary's books hold up over time and growing up. As for Trixie, I wanted to be her. I loved mysteries. I enjoyed the Boxcar Children and Nancy Drew also (but I preferred Trixie to Nancy).

As I started branching out to adult books in junior high, I liked Agatha Christie, and the Gerogette Heyer regency romances (sort of a lighter Jane Austen), and eventually other mysteries. By high school I was just working my way through the adult section of the library, shelf by shelf. I read science fiction sporadically, only liking certain authors (Asimov and Bova). I didn't read much YA fiction (as it sounds like you didn't), but that's mostly because there wasn't much. I did have a fondness for Lois Duncan's books, though. Oh, and I will admit to having been briefly consumed by the V.C. Andrews books in junior high.

I do agree about movies, that the books are almost always better. But I can never resist giving the movie a chance, when I love the book, because it would be so nice to live in the world of a book for a couple of hours, by watching it on screen. I mostly enjoyed Bridge to Terebithia, but I didn't like the way they made the fantasy elements that the kids were seeing explicit. I can see why it made sense for a movie, but I preferred them as imaginary.

Anyway, that's more than enough for one comment. But it's been great chatting with you. Thanks for sharing so many bookish thoughts.

Jen writes

What a surprising set of suggestions, MotherReader (grin). For those not already in the know, MotherReader is the world's biggest Mo Willems fan. I do like his books, too, but my favorite is Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She was Extinct. So funny! As a general rule, though, in selecting books for preschoolers, you can't go wrong with anything by Willems. His early readers are supposed to be fabulous, too, though I haven't read them. Thanks for stopping by, MR.

Jen writes

Thanks for sharing your love of books, Tracy, and some of your son's favorites. The Skippyjon Jones books look like a lot of fun. I hope your son can continue to find plenty of silly and gross books. Whatever keeps his interest, and makes reading fun. I suspect that Jon Scieszka's Stinky Cheese Man would be a hit, too, and that the Captain Underpants books are probably in your future. Thanks so much for commenting!

Jen writes

Thanks for visiting me over here, Anamaria. And thanks for asking me such a challenging question. I was a bit slower than usual to answer this one, because I had to think about it. I do think it's great for you to be able to have family reading time with both kids together, and of course that will get easier as the kids get a little bit older. I know families that have had good success with listening to audiobooks as a family when they're on long-ish car trips.

I think that there are still picture books out there that are interesting enough to hold Leo's attention, and hopefully some chapter books that Milly is getting ready for. Kids can definitely understand books that are at a much higher level than they could read themselves. I would think that the trick is to find some early chapter books that are about subjects that resonate with Milly, and then appeal to Leo's grown-up-ness by showing him that he can read these books. Like, if Milly is into cats, you might try Patches and Scratches by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

For other chapter books, a couple that I've had pretty good success with for young boys, and that have pictures to amuse a younger sibling, are Star Jumper and Gravity Buster, by Frank Asch. For a more classic approach, try The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden or the Ralph Mouse books by Beverly Cleary. And of course there are the Frog and Toad books, by Arnold Lobel and the Amelia Bedelia books by Peggy Parish. A more current funny early chapter book that might work for a younger child is A Girl, A Boy, and a Monster Cat by Gail Gauthier.

For a few picture books that I think will hold the attention of older kids, you might try:

Author Day for Room 3T, by Robin Pulver (ill. Chuck Richards)
Crazy Cars, by Mark David
Diary of a Spider and Diary of a Worm, by Doreen Cronin (ill. Harry Bliss)
Hugo and Miles in I've Painted Everything by Scott Magoon
The House Takes a Vacation, Jacqueline Davies (ill. Lee White)
Kali and the Rat Snake, by Zai Whitaker (ill. Srividya Natarajan)
The Pink Refrigerator, by Tim Egan

You might also try nonfiction that has great pictures, like An Egg is Quiet and A Seed is Sleepy, both by Dianna Hutts Aston (Author) and Sylvia Long (Illustrator). Milly can focus on the pictures, and Leo can get into more of the facts.

I hope something in here helps! And I'd welcome suggestions from other readers, who have first-hand experience in reading aloud with kids of different ages. Thanks!

Jen writes

Thanks for visiting me over here, Gregory K. I think I would also find it amazing that many people aren't familiar with a lot of Dr. Seuss. I deliberately don't give those books myself because I figure anyone can pick those out. I may have to re-think my strategy on that. Glad to hear that you're getting a good response to The Invention of Hugo Cabaret. I'll have to try that one as a gift book. As for Shel Silverstein, my Grandmother was actually a big fan, late in life, and i have some Silverstein books that were hers. Those are truly for all ages.

Overall, though, I agree with you. There are so many great choices that you can't really go wrong. I do find it sad to be in bookstores sometimes, though, after two years of reading blog book reviews, which often feature less well-known titles. I'm always disappointed when I can't find these titles in the bookstore, when I'm looking for a gift (a definite argument in favor of shopping the independents, though this isn't always possible). Anyway, thanks for commenting, and for the suggestions.

Jen writes

Thanks so much for stopping by, Jules! I think that you're absolutely making up for your missed childhood reading opportunities now. I think it must be kind of nice NOT having already read all of the great books, because it means that you still have their discovery ahead of you. For me, I read a lot as a kid, but definitely read fewer children's books during my late 20s and early 30 (still some, but not at the same pace), so I have some catching up to do there. And I'm ok with that. Thanks again for coming by and reading reading the post.

Jen writes

I've never read Roses Are Red, Violets are Blue?, Rachel, but I can tell you about a recent book about combining colors that is wonderful: Mocking Birdies by Annette Simon. I reviewed it here. I loved Narnia and Nancy Drew, too (though I preferred Trixie Belden, as I commented to someone else).

As for suggestions for starting out as a children's book author, I'm afraid that I don't have experience in that area myself. What I always do when I want to learn about something, though, is read a few books. Here are a couple of potential starting points:

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books, Second Edition by Harold Underdown (despite the "idiot" title, I've read this one, and I think an excellent getting started resource). See also the author's website for more up to date information.

The Only Writing Series You'll Ever Need: Writing Children's Books by Lesley Bolton (I haven't seen this one, but it's very recently published, by someone with previous titles on this topic).

A Sense of Wonder: On Reading and Writing Books for Children by Katherine Paterson. This one is a classic, but is out of print.

Other general advice that I've heard is that if you're serious about being a children's book author, you should join your local section of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. And of course, read lots and lots of children's books, especially in your target age range. But again, I'm not an expert. Perhaps someone else would care to comment.

Good luck, Rachel! I'll hope to read one of your books one day.

Jen writes

Glad I could help, Anamaria! Several of the titles that I mentioned are ones that I have reviewed (index here), if you want to know more about them. You are lucky that Leo will still listen to picture books - but of course it's not pure luck. It's because he's had such a positive experience with picture books for his whole life. They're lucky kids, to have a Mom who puts this kind of thought into finding the right books to read with them. I hope that some of those recommendations are hits.

Jen writes

Thanks for stopping by, Susan! I'll have to see what I can do about getting Elmo's autograph.... Me, I'm a Cookie Monster fan. One of my earliest memories is of sitting in the back of my mother's car singing "C is for Cookie, that's good enough for me".

I'm not familiar with Patricia Polacco's work, but I'll definitely pass along the recommendation to Anamaria for her son. And for that matter, I'll just send her over to your blog (Chicken Spaghtetti) for more ideas. Thanks again!

Jen writes

Thanks for stopping by, Kelly! Here's a Little Poem sounds like a great addition to the basket. And a nice early introduction to Jane Yolen, who has so many other books for kids as they get older. Boyton, of course. I didn't list her initially because so many people are already familiar with the books. But they're all household favorites. And yes, I should clearly have included Stella Luna. Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse is one that I'd give slightly older kids. I'm ashamed to admit that I never did read Miss Rumphius, though I know that she's a favorite of several families that I know. I think I'm going to have to move that one to the top my acquisition list.

I adored The Borrowers and Stuart Little and Pippi Longstocking, too. Especially Pippi. I played Annika in my second grade class play, and my very Pippi-like friend was Pippi. It was perfect! My favorite of the books was Pippi in the South Seas. I didn't come upon The Lord of the Rings until I was a bit older, for some reason. Certainly I didn't have a Gandalf poster, but I love that you did!

Anyway, thanks for sharing these great suggestions! It's so nice to talk children's books with other people who clearly love them as much as I do.

Jen writes

Hi Holly! I'm glad that your daughter loves books already. It sounds like she's off to a great start. And how fun for both of you, to make trips to the children's section of the bookstore on a regular basis. Thanks for sharing some favorite reads from your household. I love The Itsy Bitsy Spider especially, and we've been missing Don Wood from our combined list so far. It's always helpful to hear about truly kid-tested books. And I like that you have a Daddy book on your list, too.

As for other suggestions as your daughter gets a little bit past the board books, as MotherReader already pointed out in a comment above, you really can't go wrong with anything by Mo Willems. A new book that I'm hearing great things about (from kids and parents) is Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty. Kids also seem to really like Not a Box by Antoinette Portis, and Flotsam by David Wiesner. Another new one that young friends of mine really liked was When Randolph Turned Rotten, by Charise Mericle Harper (it's about jealous). Oh, and The Zoo, by Suzy Lee. I could keep going all day. There are so many great titles. I reviewed some of the above-mentioned titles - you can find links here.

I'd also suggest checking out the recently announced short lists for the Cybils awards, a series of book awards selected by children's book bloggers. There are lists for fiction picture books and nonfiction picture books. The nominating committee sorted through many suggested titles to come up with these lists, and you can be sure that all of the listed books are winners. Last year's fiction picture book winner, Melanie Watt's Scaredy Squirrel, remains one of my all-time favorites, as does the sequel, Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend. This is my second year being involved with the Cybils awards, and I hope that lots of parents will find the short lists useful in selecting books. The other categories are middlge grade fiction, young adult fiction, science fiction and fantasy, graphic novels, poetry, and mg/ya nonfiction.

Jen writes

Thanks, Laurel! I can't believe that I forgot to mention Owl Babies. I love that one. And Roald Dahl, of course. Matilda is my favorite (she's a bookworm, after all). I like the movie, too. Mara Wilson is perfect as Matilda. I taught myself to type in middle school by copying Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, so that one remains a favorite, too. I didn't read much Thurber, for some reason, though I associate his books with Dahl's. I liked Edward Eager, too, but I preferred Elizabeth Enright (right near him on the shelf). I also read as an adult Lucy Boston's Green Knowe series, and wished that I had known about that one as a kid.

Oh, all of these comments make me want to stop reading new books altogether, and go back and visit Dahl and Enright and L'Engle and Streatfeild and all the rest. Thanks for coming by, Laurel.

Jen writes

Thanks for the positive feedback, Jill. I can't tell you gratifying it is to hear from so many other people who feel just as strongly as I do about the importance of reading and literacy. It gives me such hope for the future.

That was a great neighbor of yours, giving you the first 20 Trixie Belden books. What a treasure trove! I collected as many of those books as I could. I wanted to be Trixie, and have a cool group of friends, and go on adventures, and have a rich best friend like Honey Wheeler. My favorite, for some reason, was They Mystery in Arizona, the cover of which I can totally picture.

Even when I was a child I was picky about editions. I would accept the newer paperback editions, but I really wanted the old hardcovers with the colored covers. Some of the copies I had were originally my Mom's, which made them even more special (and made her more than happy to buy new titles for me). I still have them all in boxes, and will occasionally liberate them if I see them in used bookstores. I also have Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drew books that were my Mom's, though I also added to both collections myself. I really should have a daughter to pass these along to, shouldn't I? Your daughter is very lucky - I know that you'll enjoy reading the books together one day.

Jen writes

Oh, Julie, I know exactly what you mean, about the books you read as a child having such a profound effect on the person you've become. I really think that my core values have been influenced by Anne Shirley, Sara Crewe, Jo March, and Meg Murry, and all the rest. Not to mention my imagination and sense of story, and my vocabulary, and sometimes my knowledge of the world. I can't even fathom who I would have been if I hadn't been a reader.

As for your specific comments about why you like reading children's books now, I wrote an article on my blog about Why You Should Read Children's Books as an Adult, and included some of the same things that you mentioned. I especially love being able to get all genres in one location, and sometimes in one book. And reading with your son is great. I have a friend who has been reading with her now 13-year-old for the daughter's whole life, and they have great discussions, and have shared many books. Is it any wonder at all that the daughter is a reader? Or course not. I think that encouraging your son to write reviews is neat, too. I'm pretty sure if I'd had the opportunity to write online book reviews when I was a kid, I would have ended up doing something with writing as a career (not that your son has to, of course, but one thing that you're doing is making writing and critiquing a normal part of his life).

I hope you enjoy The Book Thief. It's not so upbeat, but the writing is phenomenal. One of the most unique voices I've ever seen in any literature. In my review I called Zusak "a genius at language."

Thanks for your comments. You so make me feel like I'm not alone in being a slightly outside of the mainstream adult who reads primarily children's and young adult books.

Jen writes

Thanks for visiting, Laini! I haven't read Max Makes A Million, but I'm clearly going to have to check it out, if it got you back into children's books as an adult. And it does sound like one to add to Anamaria's list.

I know what you mean about having to catch up from the time you only read "grownup" books, I have some holes in my children's and YA book experience, too. I never stopped reading them, but I definitely had a long period where I didn't read them nearly as much as I do now. But having great books to catch up on is a pretty good problem to have. Although, it's amazing, because I read almost 200 children's and YA books last year, and I still feel like I barely scratched the surface. There's so much great stuff out there (like your own book, which I loved). Anyway, thanks for stopping by to visit. Happy reading!

Jen writes

Absolutely, Cheryl! I'm glad that you had books to turn to during your childhood. And I certainly agree about books letting people explore new ideas in a safe environment. By reading about people of other races and cultures and preferences, children and adults can learn to empathize with people who are different from themselves. And that's very valuable.

I posted this quote on my blog the other day (via the Kane/Miller newsletter):

"Good children's literature appeals not only to the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child." - Anonymous

I think that's in line with what you were saying. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this essential topic.

Jen writes

Thanks for visiting over here, Marcie! And for posting about this Expert Q&A on your blog, too. Charlotte's Web and Anne of Green Gables! Two excellent choices. I still cry when Matthew dies, even after all these years.

I think I would have put A Little Princess on my "read over and over until it falls apart" list, too. I can still recite chapter titles from it, and I really feel Sara inside myself sometimes. I really wish I had more time, so that I could re-read all of my old favorites every couple of years, but still have time to add new ones. Oh well, at least we'll never run out of things that we want to read. Thanks for visiting!

Jen writes

An excellent point, Gail! My seven-year-old niece, who likes writing and illustrating her own books, actually pointed out to me recently that she thinks reading helps with her writing, because she gets new ideas that way. I tried to explain that it would help her writing in other ways, as you describe above, but that was a little abstract for her. But of course it's true. And of course I turn cartwheels to encourage her working on her stories.

With all the fiction I've read in my life, I have a very strong sense of story and dramatic climax. Even though I haven't applied that sense to writing fiction, it's still there, flowing strong, as I evaluate any story (from anecdote to book to television show).

I actually give books credit for the fact that I got into the college that I wanted, because the reading made the SATs go easily for me (this was before they included essays). I like your idea of seeking out good essays to give your kids models for essay writing.

So yes, I'm right with you about the advantages of reading going on and on.

Jen writes

Thanks, Kelly! I don't know "A Beasty Story" or "Dinosaur Rex" - I'll have to check those out. Glad that your son will listen to audiobooks of non-boy stuff (because while I completely support letting kids read Captain Underpants, I don't think that they would be your first choice for family group listening). Cheers!

Jen writes

You are very fortunate in your choice of career, Stacy. I'm convinced that I should have been a children's librarian. Somehow I thought that being an engineer would be more practical (which it probably was, but I didn't factor in the part about adoring books). Ah well, the blog helps a lot.

I had forgotten about No Jumping on the Bed and Jamberry, but both are a lot of fun. I'm not familiar with When I Was Five. Isn't it amazing how we can read so many books, and still have so many gaps? It's comforting, though, this never having a chance of running out of things to read. And Chris Van Allsburg, of course. I adored Jumanji before it was a movie.

I wasn't too much of a poetry reading person myself as a kid, though I did have a phase of writing it around middle school. I had an English teacher in 7th and 8th grade who assign poetry-writing all the time. My favorite prompt was "The universe is a box of toys for the enchanted child". I also wrote some dreck about rainbows that I still remember, but am not brave enough to share. I think that funny poetry really resonates with a lot of kids, though, and that there's no limit to the need for more. I actually personally think that more facts should be taught to young children in the form of song (shades of Schoolhouse Rocks), because boy those lyrics stick in one's head.

I hope you still have some of the poetry books that you made as a kid. If so, treasure it. Thanks for visiting!

Jen writes

Hi Libby, thanks for visiting. I'm sorry that you missed out on the Zilpha Keatley Snyder books as a kid. They are wonderful, and absolutely shaped my childhood, and the way that I played even when I wasn't reading. I'm sure that you would have liked them. Pullman and Rowling helped pull me in as an adult, too. I was an early convert to both series. I actually had to order the second or third Harry Potter book from the UK, because I couldn't wait until it was published here (the early books had different US and UK publication dates).

I love the contemporary YA authors that you mentioned, too. Well, I haven't read Sherman Alexie, but I just this afternoon picked up Diary of a Part-Time Indian from my library. And I'm looking forward to reading Mitali's new president's daughter book soon (though my favorite of hers is still Monsoon Summer). I'm a judge for the Cybils book awards for young adult fiction this year, so I'll be reading, or re-reading, seven excellent titles. But don't get me started - I could talk about young adult fiction all day.

Another contemporary author that I recommend to all and sundry, but especially people looking to keep boys reading, is Rick Riordan, with his Percy Jackson books. He's a bit advocate of helping kids find books that will keep them reading, which I think is very important. I interviewed him here. You are very lucky to have a son who likes to read so much. Though I'm sure that part of the key to that is hidden in your statement about how you read "fact" books with him when that was what interested him. You let him know that his interests were valid, and lo and behold, he kept reading. No coincidence there. If he hasn't read The Mysterious Benedict Society yet, you should definitely pick that one up. The Name of this Book is Secret is fun, too, for kids who like puzzles. And of course The Puzzling World of Winston Breen. There's also an interesting discussion going on about boys and reading over at Sara Lewis Holmes's blog, in the comments of this post. You might want to check that one out.

Thanks again for visiting, and for generally supporting my PBS Parents discussion.

Jen writes

Hi Ari, thanks for stopping by, and for asking such an important question. I'm not an expert on the learning to read part of this (vs the loving to read part), but my opinion (and maybe other commenters will have things to add here) is that if you want to make reading fun for your son, and he's struggling with the mechanics of it, you should concentrate on reading aloud to him. That way he has the positive experience of spending reading time with you, and reading the books that he's picked out, and he doesn't have to focus, say at bedtime, on the parts that he has trouble with.

Let him pause to look at the pictures, and just talk to him about that. What does he think the pictures mean? What story do the pictures tell without the words? Can he guess what's going to happen next from the pictures? Things like that. You want the whole reading experience to be pleasurable, especially when he's at home. All kids learn to read at different rates, and only his teacher can say if he's truly having trouble relative to his classmates, or whether he's just not quite there yet. But I say, keep reading aloud yourself for as long as he'll let you, and that the reading will come naturally with time, and with help from his teacher. I'll also add that having a Dad read aloud can be especially helpful with boys, because then they associate reading with something that men enjoy doing.

You might also want to check out The Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease, which is a book for parents about raising kids who love books. It's a truly excellent book, one that I've given to many parents as a gift, and it's now in it's sixth edition. I was fortunate enough to hear Jim speak last year, and I wrote about some of his suggestions here. I highly recommend giving that a look.

Jen writes

Hi Sara! I am thrilled with the vibrancy of this discussion about books and reading. It's so wonderful to be talking children's books with people who care about them so much. I could do this all day, if time would allow.

I must confess that I never read The Prydain Chronicles. I know, I know. They're on my mental list - I have the first book - I just ... never cared much for high fantasy. I've always preferred my fantasy in the form of books where the magic is off in a corner of our world, or ordinary children travel to a place where there's magic. Things like that. So, Narnia or Harry Potter over The Lord of the Rings, for instance. I like Dystopian, futuristic, and post-apocalyptic fiction best, out of the fantasy/science fiction genre. Kind of projecting current situations forward, instead of stepping into a completely created world.

Anyway, I love that your dad read aloud to you when you were in middle school. That's great! And I completely agree, all you parents out there. The longer you can keep reading aloud to and with your kids, the better off they'll be. Read this in The Read-Aloud Handbook (discussed in the previous comment) if you don't believe Sara and me - Jim Trelease can cite studies. Your husband must have strong vocal cords, though, Sara, because those are some serious series to read aloud. Also as I mentioned above, it's especially powerful when dads read aloud, because otherwise kids tend to pick up a subtle message that reading is girl stuff (which of course it isn't - reading is for everyone).

Thanks for validating and augmenting my answer to the would-be writer, Rachel, above. Readers, Sara had her first middle grade novel published in 2007 (and it is wonderful), so she knows from which she speaks.

Jen writes

Hi Nicole,

I'm sorry that your son is having a hard time with his reading. My best advice is what I said to Ari above: if you can read aloud to your son, or even listen to audiobooks together (the important part being that you both listen), you help him to see that books and reading are pleasurable things, not work. And by doing this together, you show him that you think that his reading is important - enjoyable, but also important.

The other thing is to let him read what he does enjoy, and feel comfortable reading, if there's anything like that (even comic books). This helps with confidence. I think kids have trouble when they feel pressured, by school or whatever, to read above what they're ready for. But if you let them read what they are comfortable with, they'll get practice through that, and this will help them to be ready for more challenging material.

I'm going to ask a couple of my teacher friends, to see if they have any other suggestions to add, and will be back with more. Thanks for bringing up this question - I'm sure that there are a lot of parents struggling with similar issues.

Jen writes

Just a quick note to Nicole and Ari, and anyone else interested in this topic of helping struggling readers. I put the question to some of my teacher and blog friends, and they have responded with some GREAT suggestions. It's going to take me a bit of time to compile them (that's how strongly they responded!), but if you check back tomorrow, I'll have some useful suggestions for you. Thanks!

Jean (PBS Parents) writes

Thanks so much Jen for all your great advice and book suggestions. Thanks, too, for going to the trouble of soliciting advice from your teacher and blog friends. I am eager to read what they say. In the meantime, I wanted to let Nicole, Ari and others know about the following resources on the PBS Parents site that they might find useful:
A Primer on Dyslexia
Understanding and Recognizing Reading Disabilities
And you'll find some tips for encouraging first graders to read here.

Jen writes

Thanks for sharing those links, Jean! I'm still working on putting together the recommendations that I've received, but they are coming together nicely. Thank YOU for putting me into this environment, where I have the opportunity to respond to important questions like these. I am SO enjoying these discussions.

Jen writes

I wasn't satisfied that I had given you enough help, Nicola and Ari, with your questions about helping reluctant readers. So, I turned for assistance to my friends from the Kidlitosphere Yahoo Group (a discussion group for those who read, write, and blog about children's and young adult literature). This is an amazing group. Within 24 hours, I had heard back from about fifteen people, including teachers, parents and authors, with useful, concrete, and creative solutions for helping children learn to enjoy reading. In this article, I compile their suggestions, along with my own thoughts, in the hope of providing some helpful ideas for parents. There is no quick-fix, of course, no pill that your child can take to suddenly become a reader. But there are straightforward things that parents can do.

First and Foremost: Make Reading an Enjoyable Experience

The most important thing that a parent can do to help a child who is struggling with reading is make reading an enjoyable experience. If the child feels like reading is work or punishment, he or she will end up being a resistant reader instead of a joyful reader. Sixth-grade teacher Sarah (who blogs at The Reading Zone) says: "As a teacher with a whole lot of reluctant 6th grade boy readers, I can't stress enough - LET READING BE FUN! Too many parents use reading as a punishment. If I had to read any time I was in trouble, I would probably hate it, too!" Another contributor, Jill T. (who blogs at The Well-Read Child), points out that "parents must be patient and supportive. If parents get frustrated, it will only make the child more reluctant to read."

Read Aloud

The number one thing that parents can do to make reading enjoyable is to read aloud to and with their children. Well-known reading advocate Jim Trelease wrote an entire book on this subject (reference below). Reading together should be a fun, comforting, shared experience, not work, definitely not a test. By reading aloud to your child, you can read more advanced stories than the child is ready for on his own. You can stop and discuss the ideas in the books, together. You show your child that you value reading, and that you value your time together. The benefits of reading aloud to your child are vast, and will endure for a lifetime.

For parents who have difficulty reading aloud, try reading wordless picture books and telling your child a story based on the illustrations. Or try graphic novels such as the Owly books by Andy Runton (suggested by multiple contributors). Another idea is for parents and children to listen to audiobooks together. Just make sure you have a way to pause easily, so that you can stop and discuss things. Also consider listening to an audiobook at home, and following along with the printed book. The site Just One More Book! features picture book reviews via podcast (audio file), which can also be helpful for parents.

Parent Charlotte (who blogs at Charlotte's Library) says: "My own son is not taking to reading like a duck to water. So to make it fun for him, we will read books together. I will do the bulk of the reading, but he will be responsible for some of the dialog. When it's his turn, I wait a breathe to see if he's been able to keep up with his eyes; mostly he hasn't, so I point, and he reads. Sometimes he'll read it again, with dramatic expression. This way we can read more interesting books without frustration. Shared reading also works well with graphic novels--we've read many Tintin books this way. Ricky Ricotta and Captain Underpants work well also. So do the Magic School Bus books--on every page there is something even tentative readers can read."

Writer and volunteer librarian Gregory K. (who blogs at Gotta Book) echoes the importance of reading aloud, and adds "read EVERYTHING you can, from cereal boxes to store signs to books."

Let Your Child Read the Kinds of Books that He or She Wants to Read

One of the biggest reasons why kids, especially boys, end up resistant to reading is that they are often encouraged to read books that aren't interesting to them, and they are discouraged from reading the things that they most enjoy. One of the best things that you can do if you want your child to read for pleasure is support your child's selection of reading material. If your child only likes FACTS, get him an almanac. Get sports fans biographies of sports figures. Have a kid who is fascinated by war? Find some accessible nonfiction books. Try comics, joke books, computer game manuals, books of baseball statistics, movie novelizations, sport and car magazines, quizzes and puzzles. Whatever works. Whatever your child finds interesting is worthwhile. Yes, even Captain Underpants and Gossip Girl novels. Teacher Mary Lee Hahn (who blogs at A Year of Reading) adds that home should be a "safe place for reading books that are at an appropriate or easy level (especially when/if school is a place of stress and struggle)." Liz Garton Scanlon (who blogs at Liz in Ink) adds: "About reluctant boy readers -- or girls, for that matter: the Zack Proton books seem to work some sort of intergalactic miracle."

This topic is also addressed, in the context of reluctant teen readers, in a recent Horn Book magazine article by Philip Charles Crawford. A high-school librarian, Crawford discusses kids who are not just reluctant, but actually resist reading, and says: "To help these resistant readers, I avoid stigmatizing value judgments about reading materials. I try to change the negative experience that occurs when resistant readers encounter books--the immediate revulsion they feel when presented with something they view as academic or boring. This often means putting into their hands books that many librarians, teachers, and children's book expert snub... these books have the power to engage and excite teens who would otherwise read nothing."

There are two important sub-points here: 1) fiction is not all that there is. Women (who still make up the bulk of primary caregivers, librarians, and teachers) tend to enjoy stories. But anything that gets your child reading is valid, and the child should not be made to feel that his or her reading is less valuable because it doesn't fall into a traditional fiction-sized box. Reading of any sort, if it's enjoyable, will lead to more reading. That's our purpose here.

2) Suggested reading levels are guidelines, and may not apply to all kids. Kids shouldn't be pushed (especially at home, when reading for pleasure) to read at higher levels than they are ready for. There are kids who happily read dozens of Magic Treehouse books, to the frustration of parents who would like their children to advance faster. But if the child is enjoying those Magic Treehouse books, great. They'll move past the series eventually. But if you push them to read things they find difficult, you might turn them off of reading forever.

Teacher Marcie Atkins (who blogs at World of Words) suggests: "I always tell parents of 4th grade boys that it's not as much a concern of WHAT they are reading as long as they ARE reading. I tell them get them a copy of Sports Illustrated for Kids--anything that they LIKE to read about. Parents often really want their kids to read novels, but that's not always what boys want to read. My brother was a reluctant reader, but he would cut articles out of the newspaper about the Gulf War (the first one) because he was fascinated with tanks. He hated to read, but he read knew more facts about tanks than anyone I knew.

For a struggling reader (not one who is just reluctant, but really struggling with the mechanics) I would recommend the HI-LO readers. There are many good books out there with topics that are interesting to kids that are written on a lower reading level. Sometimes kids get frustrated with the "baby books" because they are not interested in the content but they have difficulty reading anything harder."

Former reading tutor Jill T. weighs in on the topic of age-appropriateness: "I used to tutor students (children, teens, and adults who had difficultly reading), and I can't begin to tell you how this impacted their self-esteem and how often they just wanted to give up because reading was so difficult. The only other advice I can give is to try to find age-appropriate material that is also aligned with their reading and interest levels. This can be quite a challenge because a lot of the beginning reader stuff is full of bunnies and bears and themes that will turn off older kids and even embarrass them if their peers see what they're reading. When I was teaching ESL to high school students, I had a hard time finding books that were simple enough for a beginning English learner to comprehend but also age appropriate. I was able to find a lot of nonfiction books and biographies that helped me and that also interested my students, and I tried to steer clear of the ones that had "Grade 2," or "Ages 4-8" stamped on them."

Several responders pointed especially to comic books and graphic novels as a tool for making reading more fun, and a bit easier, for struggling readers.

Kelly Herold (who blogs at Big A little a) reminded me about this recent New York Times article: Superman Finds New Fans Among Reading Instructors. The gist of the article is that "a growing cadre of educators is looking to comics as part of the solution" to literacy problems. The article notes that "Proponents of comics in the classroom say that they can lure struggling readers who may be intimidated by pages crammed with text. They also say that comics, with their visual cues and panel-by-panel sequencing, are uniquely situated to reinforce key elements of literacy, like story structure and tone." There are people who question the appropriateness of comics in the classroom, but it seems clear that comics and graphic novels can be used at home to help struggling readers find stories that they enjoy, and can read a bit more easily than more dense novels.

Parent and school librarian Anna W. also recommends Sports Illustrated for Kids, and adds: "Comic books, comic books, comic books! My fourth grade son loves the new Alex Rider graphic novels, and a series called Tashi (1st or 2nd grade reading, but good enough stories for a 4th grader), and now he's working through Diary of a Wimpy Kid (also 2nd grade-ish level). He also worked his way through some leveled non-fiction (step 2 & step 3) because he was captivated by the topic... If a child is significantly below grade level, have him/her listen to grade-level books on CD. It will help develop the vocabulary and narrative skills they're not getting with reading, and it also helps some with self-esteem, being able to discuss the same books that the stronger readers have read. The trick is to find easy (easier than ability = success, speed and practice) AND interesting. And don't make it a battle -- as long as a child likes the idea of reading, he hasn't given up yet.

And, if you are stuck for book recommendations for boys, Gregory K. reminds us that Guys Read, created by new National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jon Scieszka, is a must-visit site.

Model Reading Behavior

Another important point about encouraging kids to read is that parents should, if possible, model reading behavior. Parent Libby (who blogs at Lessons from the Tortoise) suggests: "Talk about your reading at the dinner table, go to libraries and bookstores together, let your kids see that you are happy to read, that you get pleasure from it, that it is important to you. Just saying that reading is important won't cut it; kids do what we do, not what we say. And then, maybe, let up a bit. I think some kids freeze up when they sense they're not doing well at something their parents value."

This modeling of reading behavior is especially important for fathers. If the only people boys ever see reading are their mothers and their female teachers, it's very easy for those boys to absorb the message that reading is a feminine activity. But if even some of the time your son sees his father reading instead of watching television, that message goes a long way. Author Barbara Haworth-Attard says that her son "had a special time with Dad which was the half hour before bedtime when he and Dad (and only Dad unless Dad was away) would read together. He did this until he was twelve years old because it was one on one time with Dad, plus Dad did all the voices and they snorted with laughter and it was such a fun time together. I think fun is the key. Make popcorn, get a drink, be consistent in that you do it every night and make it so special kids can hardly wait to read. It also helped that my husband liked reading, too."

Other Concrete Suggestions

Tricia Stohr-Hunt from The Miss Rumphius Effect contributed three suggestions that she likes, all from an article at Reading Rockets:

"* Encourage activities that require reading - Cooking (reading a recipe), constructing a kite (reading directions), or identifying a bird's nest or a shell at the beach (reading a reference book) are some examples.

* Write short notes for your child to read - Write down his/her weekly household responsibilities for him/her to keep track of or put a note in his/her lunch bag.

* Give your child writing materials - Reading and writing go hand in hand. Children want to learn to write and to practice writing. If you make pencils, crayons, and paper available at all times, your child will be more inclined to initiate writing activities on his/her own.

Scroll down to the section on Helping your School Age Child (in the above article) for more ideas."

Make Words into a Game: Charlotte says: "We have a box of words written on pieces of paper, and every so often my son gets them out and makes stories with them. He ends up practicing reading as a result, with the added bonus of writing when he needs new words (and it's good grammar practice too, because of having to choose the right verb form and punctuation marks."

Try Reader's Theater: Author Barbara Bietz suggests: "Reader's theatre can be a fun way for parents to help kids with reading comprehension. After reading together, they can act out portions of the story or a short summary. It can be fun, even silly - and no pressure like a book report."

Visit Your Local Library: Mary Lee Hahn reminds us that regular visits to the library help reinforce the importance of reading.

Make Real-World Connections to Books: Jill T. points out: "It's always helpful if parents can find a way to use books to make real-world connections with things that their children are interested in... If I found that one of my students had a particular interest, I tried to find books about it and then point them to a place where they could actually GO to learn more and experience it first hand. For example, one student loved tigers, and the tiger at the National Zoo gave birth to tiger cubs. I found a fact book about tigers that she was able to read and also pointed her to the website where there was information about the tiger and the cubs."

Be Aware of Possible Learning Differences

If your child is having trouble reading, it may be time to have some tests done, to see if your child needs help.

Gregory K., inventor of the poetic form "the Fib", notes: "it's also a good idea to make sure that there isn't some other issue going on besides just not liking books. By this I mean things simple like a need for glasses or things like dyslexia or other developmental issues. Imagine the frustration for a child who cannot seem to make sense of the words, not knowing that it isn't a lack of intelligence or desire, but rather a slightly different mental wiring!

Most public schools have a reading specialist (in the district, perhaps) or a program where they can test and see if there is an issue. Talking to the teacher (or principal or someone!) is the best first step, in my opinion. (And that'd be true in private schools, too). I'd note that sometimes kids are clever enough that they can mask reading difficulties from the teacher, so you might be doing both teacher and student a HUGE favor if you mention concerns."

Anastasia Suen writes: "I am a former elementary school teacher, a children's book author, and the mother of a child who had a VERY hard time learning how to read. He loved books, that wasn't the problem! It was reading words that was hard. My son has dyslexia. Dyslexia is very common, 1 in 10 people have it. My son is grown up now and runs his own business (something that is also common for dyslexics!) PBS has a GREAT series about kids who find it hard to learn called Misunderstood Minds. The webpage has info about how kids learn and how to find help for kids who have trouble learning. One of the topics is Learning to Read. The Reading Responses page has lots of practical advice!"

Librarian Jenny Schwartzberg adds: "There's a wonderful new book by Maryanne Wolf, Proust and the Squid: the Story and Science of the Reading Brain, which specifically discusses dyslexia. I recommend it for anyone who is interested in how reading developed and why. It's absolutely fascinating reading."

Conclusions

The challenge of helping kids learn to enjoy reading is one that the members of the Kidlitosphere (the community of people who write and blog about children's books) take seriously. While I can't guarantee that this article is exhaustive (in particular, parents may need to find out more about the last topic, learning differences), I can say that these ideas all have the potential to help. In summary, to help your child learn to read and enjoy reading:

• Make reading fun, not work.
• Read aloud to and with your child.
• Let your child read the kinds of books that he or she wants, even if they are non-fiction, and even they aren't officially at your child's grade level. Explore a broad range of genres, including graphic novels.
• Model reading behavior yourself.
• Look for other activities, like going to the library, and performing reader's theater, that make reading enjoyable and relevant.
• Be aware of possible learning differences and vision difficulties that may be compounding the problem.

If you do these things, consistently and patiently, I truly think that they'll help, and that reading will become more enjoyable to your child. And you'll be able to share wonderful experiences along the way. I welcome your feedback.

Contributors:
Anastasia Suen
Anna W., school librarian and parent
Barbara Bietz
Barbara Haworth-Attard
Charlotte: Charlotte's Library
Gregory K: Gotta Book
Jenny Schwartzberg, librarian (read an in