Let's Make Reading Fun Again!
About 1/5 of
children would find it embarrassing to be seen reading a book, according to a
study done by the National Literacy Trust in 2012. I think that study should
worry all of us.
Reading has
always been an important aspect of my life. As a child, I loved reading more
than anything. Reading captured my imagination unlike anything else. Hollywood
could never live up to what I pictured when I was reading (hence why the books
are always better than the movies!). In fact, my love of reading is probably
what made me into an author. I couldn’t get enough of books, so I wrote my own.
When I was
10 years old, I came up with a story idea that combined two of my favorite
things – animals and royalty. Two years later, when I was 12, I wrote the final
draft of that story. That story was The
Tiger Princess, a fantasy adventure novel about a 10-year-old tiger
Princess named Saderia who struggles to solve the mystery of how her royal
parents disappeared. The Tiger Princess
became the first book in a series geared toward children around ages 8-12 when
I published it at the age of 13.
Reading is
what made me into an author, so it worries me that so many kids seem to dislike
reading. They’re missing out on a great experience! So how can we make reading
cool again? Well, I can’t speak for all kids, but I can tell you what made me a
lifelong reader and what might get some kids to love reading, too.
1. Being read to.
My mom read
to me every day for as long as I can remember. For years, we picked out a book
and read together for about an hour each night. This was a big reason why I loved
reading.
2. Find books in genres they like.
This is a
no-brainer, but it’s important. When I was a kid, I wouldn’t touch realistic
fiction, but I adored fantasy books. Try giving kids books in a variety of genres
and see what they like.
3. Go to a library.
I loved
going to the library as a kid and browsing through the books. I think letting a
child pick books on their own encourages them to read by letting them choose
something they know they’re interested in.
Extra: Try an e-reader.
This one
might be controversial, but for some, it might encourage reading. E-readers
might encourage kids to read because: 1. It’s a new experience. 2. It makes it
easier to carry books everywhere. And 3. It’s cool. Kids are always on top of
new technology and might find it ‘cool’ to have an e-reader to show off,
instead of feeling embarrassed to be found reading. Also, e-books are usually
inexpensive (for instance, The Tiger
Princess is currently free for the Kindle!), so kids can read
more for less. It might not be for everyone, but I’ve found I read more now
with an e-reader, and some kids might feel the same way.
Thank you
for hosting me, Renee, and thanks to everyone for reading and checking out The Tiger Princess! If you were a
voracious reader as a kid, what started your love of books?
