Know A Reluctant Reader?

More often than not (unfortunately), kids will be reluctant to read. This is usually a result of them having to read something that they don't necessarily want to. Sure, Of Mice and Men is a classic but lets face it--it's not really all that interesting to a 13 year-old in a classroom. Nor a textbook is to a seven year old in a reading circle.

The problem with a lot of the reading courses in school, especially in the younger grades where they may not have the luxury to choose what they (the kids) read in the classroom, books are assigned based on what the boards of education feel the students should be reading. That's how some of those door stoppers and naval gazers end up in those piles. Of course the classics should be read in order to have a well-rounded literary background but for the love of god mix it up a bit! Kids can't get excited about reading if they're bored to narcolepsy by it.

Publisher's Weekly has a great article on a movement that author James Patterson started called ReadKiddoRead.com. With next to no marketing and publicizing, the site's become a pretty big hit in a rather short amount of time. Its purpose is to list, recommend and review books that they (the puppet masters of the site) feel kids would actually want to stop what they're doing and read, or have read to them. The people behind the reviews all work in the publishing industry and have their fingers on the pulse of what works and what doesn't with words on the shelves.

The site is really for parents, teachers and librarians to help them get a feel for what kids will want to read instead of what they think kids should read. Big difference. The site caters to books in age ranges starting at newborn through young adult and features a set number of books at any given time. Keep checking back and you'll be able to see even more book recommendations on a rotating cycle.

So next time you come across someone that might be a little reluctant to read and you're tapped out of ideas, had on over to ReadKiddoRead.com and see what they might like. I find this would work especially well for the younger kids as I know I'm completely lost as to what they might enjoy.