What to say when your kids ask why they should read!

Why Should I Read?

Excellent question! Why should you? Why should anyone? You could be doing hundreds of other things instead – watching a movie, preparing dinner, going for a run, or spending time with your family. But when your kids ask you the same question, you’d better have an answer prepared. “Because I told you to” probably won’t cut it. “Because it’s good for you” isn’t going to work either. At least not if you don’t have some solid evidence to back it up.

"Because it’s fun"

Let’s face it, most kids don’t love school. But they spend most of the week there. So when they’re not at school, they’re probably pretty reluctant to do something that seems like schoolwork. They need to realise that there are plenty of books that are nothing like schoolwork. That not only is reading fun, but it can be funny. (The added bonus for you of course, is that encouraging recreational reading will help with schoolwork and other necessary reading, but we don’t need to broadcast that!) Books that are funny are way to prove that reading is a good leisure activity. If your child isn’t a strong reader, there are also funny books that incorporate graphic novel elements, which break up the text and make the reading easier.

"Because it’s exciting"

What is the biggest contender for free time in your house? I’m sure that for a lot of people film, tv or video games would be up there. For kids who don’t read, it’s probably pretty hard to imagine that books could be any where near as exciting. So much action can be fit into a three hour film, and it all happens right there in front of you! You can get all this and more in a good book. There has been such a push for action packed books in recent years (especially for boys) that there are enough exciting series out there to keep kids reading well into adulthood. The best thing is that the action in a film might be right there in front of you, but with a good imagination, the action in a book will be ten times more explosive than a film could ever be. If you want proof, just look at how many recent hit movies have been inspired by a good book. On that note, a good movie tie-in never hurt anyone. Sometimes getting kids reading is as easy as saying “Hey look at this book, you know it inspired that (insert film here) you loved!” Film tie-ins are a great way to tie in reading to a more social activity. Finally, for reluctant and/or struggling readers, the pace of action novels is often a great way to get them reading books that might appear daunting because of length.

"Because it’s stories about things you love"

We can’t spend all our time doing the thing we love the most, I mean, it’s pretty great to have a job that you love or a hobby outside of home. But there are always going to be rainy days, cancelled footy matches, family holidays, that take your kids away from the thing that they’d rather be doing. They could always read about it though. That sounds like a bit of a lame concept. “Read about football, it will be almost like you’re really there.” Most authors know that there’s nothing worse than reading a book that’s trying to be cool and failing miserably. So they do their research. And with the popularity of a lot of sport themed series in particular, it’s pretty clear that they’re doing it right. Maybe your kids love singing. Or dancing. Or building things. Guaranteed there’s a book about it. It will at least give them something to read in the car on the way to footy practice.

"Because the characters are like you"

The great thing about books is that they make people feel like you’re part of something bigger. Perhaps you’re not the only one who feels the way you do. Kids especially wonder where they fit in as they try to develop their own styles and personalities. Maybe they just moved to a new house, or started a new school. There’s nothing worse than someone telling you that they know how you feel. But reading about someone going through exactly the same thing? That’s different. There are so many character based stories, and you will find kids churning through entire books or series because there is a central character that they can relate to.

"Because it’s social"

Yes for a long time reading was a dirty word used to describe the kid who sat (alone) in the corner at lunch time. Now I could argue that you’re never alone with a book, but you might think I was crazy and also that’s not the point. The rise of social networking has added another dimension to the way we interact with each other, and everyone is trying to stay on top of it. There are obviously huge concerns about the dangers of online networking (internet bullying being one), but there are plenty of controlled websites that offer kids a place to connect with and respond to their favourite books, authors and other fans. There are freebies, competitions, discussion forums, blogs, book trailers and of course the heads up on new releases. The immediacy of the internet means that as soon as a new book is released kids are talking about it. It also means that instead of waiting for months for their favourite author to (maybe) respond to a handwritten letter kids can email them, or occasionally even participate in online discussions with them! Social networking has plenty of drawbacks, but it has brought books out of the corner and into pop culture.

Recommended books:

Funny

Siggy & Amber by Doug Macleod

A hilarious coming of age story about a boy called Siggy, the girl of his dreams, and a ghost. (Ages 13+)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (series) by Jeff Kinney

Brilliant for reluctant readers because the text is broken up by comic style illustrations. (Ages 9+)

The Undys (series) by Michael Wagner

This game filled action packed series follows the exploits of the Undys, a father/ son duo who love to play games with embarrassing (and hilarious) results! (Ages 9+)

Exciting

Extreme Adventures (series) by Justin D'Ath

For kids who like some outdoor action. This series incorporates the wild outdoors, real life danger and excitement in books that are bite sized and easy to handle. (Ages 9+). Visit puffin.com.au/extreme for more.

Young Bond (series) by Charlie Higson

Fantastic for tv addicted kids. Charlie Higson is action packed, and “Young Bond” is a crossover action series that will lead to further reading. (Ages 9+)

TimeRiders (series) by Alex Scarrow

As a former television writer, Alex Scarrow knows from experience how to make a book pack a big screen punch. (Ages 12+)

Hobby/Sports

Specky Magee (series) by Felice Arena & Garry Lyon

Kids who think that reading doesn’t live up to the game itself will be torn between playing the game or reading the book. (Ages 10+)
Visit speckymagee.com.au for more.