Books are powerful and magical. They can enlighten, educate, and amuse, and the very best of the best accomplish all three at once. Most parents know this, and I think it’s safe to say that every parent hopes to raise a child who is a good reader, and many hope that their little ones become book lovers. Scholastic\u2019s \u201cKids & Family Reading Report<\/a>\u201d looked at the research and determined that there are 3 big factors that can predict whether a child (from ages 6-17) will be a frequent reader:<\/p>\n

* Children\u2019s level of reading enjoyment<\/p>\n

* Parents who are frequent readers<\/p>\n

* A child\u2019s belief that reading for fun is important<\/p>\n

The level of reading enjoyment is tied to picking the right books, the ones that suck them in and interest, entertain, and educate. Children value what they enjoy, and if they find books that they find funny or magical or at all fabulous, reading them will be both fun and important.\u00a0 That said, finding the book that’s the right fit for a child is not always an easy task.<\/p>\n

I know that libraries and bookstores, while magical places, sometimes overwhelm me, especially when I’m hoping to find the perfect book for someone else. The infographic below can help you figure out just what kids want in books, and offers some wonderful suggestions for four different age groups.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

For helping kids find fun books:<\/p>\n

* Ask a librarian for help. Don’t be shy, they are more than happy to help, and may know just the book for your kid. Once you know what your kids want in books, it can give them some direction<\/p>\n

* Talk to their teacher to see if anything has captured their interest at school this year.<\/p>\n

* Get your kiddo’s input. At the end of a book, talk about what they liked and didn’t like. Not only is this helping them learn to analyze the book, it’s a good lead on for finding books that are great fits in the future.<\/p>\n

I have to say that these recommendations from Scholastic are spot on. My daughter loved Dr. Seuss and we really enjoyed the Magic Tree House books. I love historical fiction and these were right up my alley. Junie B. Jones was not always my favorite, but she thought they were fun, and that was what mattered. We once did a book club party with her first grade friends that was luau-themed to go with the “Junie B. Jones, First Grader: Aloha-ha-ha!<\/a>”<\/p>\n

We moved on to Diary of Wimpy Kid<\/a> and my husband and I enjoyed reading these aloud at bedtime as much as our daughter. Best of all, like many of the suggestions, it’s part of a series, meaning lots of reading fun.\u00a0 In fact, we enjoyed the later Wimpy Kid books even more than the first couple.<\/p>\n

Harry Potter: ’nuff said.\u00a0 Really.<\/p>\n

And I will take the opportunity to admit that I was not excited at the idea the Hunger Games trilogy<\/a> and the Divergent trilogy<\/a>, but I was wrong. Those books have been reading gold when it comes to my kid, who was a reluctant reader. I think I was worried because many of her friends were reading them at age 9 or 10, and I think that’s a little young. She picked them up when she was ready, about age 12, just as suggested above, and she has devoured them. When she opened Insurgent at Christmas and hugged it, my heart just about burst from happiness.<\/p>\n

My hope is that all kids find a book to hug like that, to make them gleeful and happy and to experience the joy of reading for fun, a joy that can last a lifetime. I hope that this info helps! For more info on kids, reading, and what parents can do, check out the full Scholastic Kids & Reading Report here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a (very) small payment if you make a purchase using this link. I put it towards chocolate, so I can say that I write for chocolate.<\/em><\/p>\n

You may also like: <\/strong>Preparing for preschool means reading aloud, early and often<\/a><\/p>\n

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