Reluctant Readers

Do you have a child who just won’t open a book, or perhaps a child who finds reading too difficult for words? When they reach Key Stage Two at school, it’s all too easy for children to let the reading habit slip as other interests take over. Older boys and girls often don’t want to be seen reading picture books, but haven’t yet made the transition to full-length books.

Here are some books that are sure to become firm favourites with the most reluctant readers – and their parents!
Where’s Wally - not many words, but it’s a book! Anything to get them into the page-turning habit.
The stinky cheeseman and other fairly stupid tales by Jon Scieszca - fairy tales turned upside down, with quirky illustrations and an even quirkier text.
Beware of boys by Tony Blundell - a modern fairy tale with repetition, rhythm and a very stupid wolf.
Books by Paul Jennings - these short stories would be suitable for children who read fairly well but just can’t be bothered. The books are off-beat and unusual, with titles like “Unmentionable!”, “Unbelievable!” and “Uncanny!”.
The intergalactic kitchen by Frank Rogers - this book along with other titles in the series, is a mixture of comic strip and text, and is less daunting than a full-length story.
Dr Xargle books – appeal to both adults and children alike, because of their humour. Plenty of illustrations, and not too much text.
Books in the Jets series (eg. Ging gang goolie it’s an alien) are fun to read, in comic strip format with lots of visual jokes.
Books in the Usborne Puzzle Adventure series have the added attraction of a solve-it-yourself mystery to hold the child’s interest.
Asterix and Tintin comic strip books have quite a sophisticated vocabulary, but because the books are so much fun to look at children won’t realise they’re practicing their reading.
Poetry anthologies are fun to read: children today love poems! Try anything by Michael Rosen, Brian Patten, Roger McGough or Colin McNaughton.

If your child won’t read fiction, try a few information books. Perhaps they’d be happier to pick up a book on football, aliens, horses or hamster care. If all else fails, hearing a story on tape first will often encourage a child to try a story later.

Your aim is to build up the reading stamina of your child, so that they will eventually have the confidence to tackle full-length stories. It doesn’t matter what they read, as long as they are practicing reading something. Give them anything – comics, film and TV tie-ins, or the back of a cornflake packet!

If you visit a town centre library and speak to the Young People’s Librarian, you’ll be able to ask for even more ideas, geared specifically to your child. All of the items suggested in this article can be supplied through your local library – except the cornflakes, of course!

With kind thanks to staff at Sevenoaks Library for providing this article for us.