give kids books

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SECRETS TO GETTINGKIDS TO LOVE READING

Heres the key idea: Give kids the books they want to read. If the

books are good onescool ones, funny ones, fat ones, skinny onesour kids will thank us. Maybe for the rest of their lives.

So how do you avoid this thing were

call ing readicide? Here goes.

Te FisT TiP: The absolute

best way to get most kids

reading is to give them

books theyre going to love.

Honest, its that simple.

Heres a scary act: millions o kidsin America have never read a bookthey liked. Not one book. Thats sad.

Te secnd TiP: Itsour job to help parents and

teachers nd the books that

our children will love.

Te Tid TiP: Listen, really

listen when the kids talk to

you. They know what they

like and what they dont like.

Theyll tell you as long as

they believe you hear them.

Okay, so how do we go about

identiying these terrifc booksthat our kids are going to devour?

Thats a place where I can help. Ivestarted a website ReadKiddoRead. A couplehundred selections are listed at thesiteall books that will turn kids onto reading. The books are div idedup like this: illustrated books (orages up to six), transitional books(or ages six and up), pageturners

(or ages eight and up), and booksthat are more difcult, but worth theextra eort (or ages ten and up).

But we all know youre already theexperts. Problem is, you dont havethe time to create lists or every parentor teacher who needs suggestions.Think o my site as a place to reertheman answer or those whoneed some guidance in fnding theright books (because they do).

I remember where I had my

epiphany about getting k idsreadingand loving it. It was a booksigning in northern Michigan. Acouple came up to me with theireleven-year-old daughter andthanked me because my bookshad gotten her hooked on reading.Then the parents started to cry.

Right then I truly understoodhow emotional it is or parentswhen their kids arentreading.

And when my son, Jack, startedreading, I understood thisurgency in a whole new way.

Since then Ive had thousands osimilar conversations about reading

with kids and their parents. Youvehad them, too. It happens inbookstores and libraries, via lettersand e-mails, sometimes when Im

just walking along the street, blue-skying about new stories to write.

Jam Pattro

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78 Knowledge Quest | Reversing Readicide

All materials in this journal subject to copyright by the American Library Associa

may be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancgranted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Addresusage requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.


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Parents may fndencouragement in what mywie Sue and I did with our son,Jack. We went out and ounda dozen books we knew he

would probably love. The frst

summer, he groaned a little.The next summer, he startedpicking up books on his own.

And the ollowing summer, hewas absolutely addicted. Westarted this when Jack was eight.Hes thirteen now, loves books,and is a very strong reader.

Here are a ew more ideas tosuggest to parents and teachers.

One mom on ReadKiddoReadsaid she lets her kids keepthe light on at night, aslong as theyre reading.

A ather suggested that itsimportant that the wholeamily read together. Dierentbooks, dierent interests,but its important or kids tosee us reading. A lot o moviesare made rom booksso

why not read those bookstogether, either beore orater you see the movie.

One librarian told me thatshe puts just as much energyinto talking to kids abouttheir avorite new bestselleras she does their reportson the books in the literarycanon. Any passion orreading is rewarded.

Heres the key idea: Givekids the books they want toread. I the books are goodonescool ones, unny ones,at ones, skinny onesourkids will thank us. Maybeor the rest o their lives.

Here are someexcellent picks rom2010 (see sidebar).

grat va a

grat Pa Turr

Bink and Gollie

at dcamllo a

lo Mgh

These two girls are very

strange. Charming, but

strange (Candlewick Press).

Dark Days of

Hamburger Halpin

Joh brk

Will and Devon are both

geeky and unpopular.

Things change when

they dive into a murder

mystery (Knopf Books).

Justin Case: School,

Drool, And Other

Daily Disasters

ahl Val a

Matthw corll

Justins a worrier. His diary

of third grade is not to be

missed (Feiwel & Friends).

The Lost Hero

(The Heroes of

Olympus Book 1)

k ora

Uh oh. Percy Jackson

is back to steal my

sons heart again

(Hyperion Books).

The Ugly Truth (Diary

Of A Wimpy Kid

series) Jff

Jack and I love Wimpy

Kid, though Jack thought

they made Greg into too

much of a jerk in the movie

version (Amulet Books).

Incarceron

cathr Fhr

Describes a very cool but

terrifying prison that Finn, an

inmate, plans to break out

of, while Claudia, daughter

of the warden, plans to

break into (Firebird).

Mummies![]

chrtophr sloa

Boys really do love

nonction, and thisone has the gross

factor going for it too

(National Geographic

Children's Books).

The Strange Case

Of Origami Yoda

Tom lrr

Origami Yoda magic,

young Jed i do like.

Read this, you must!

(Amulet Books).

grat illutratbook

grat Tratoalbook

Interrupting Chicken

dav ezra st

This chicken wont

let his dad nish a

story. Turns out hes a

budding author himself

(Candlewick Press).

Miss Brooks Loves

Books (and I dont)

barara bottr

Missys school librarian reads

books to her class and dresses

up as book characters,

while Missy has a hard time

nding one she likes. Can

you relate? (Knopf Books).

School! Adventures a

the Harvey N. Troubl

Elementary School

at MMulla

Kids love the puns through

this book, and you will,

too (Feiwel & Friends).

7Volume 39, No. 4 | March/April 2011

aterials in this journal subject to copyright by the American Library Association

be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancemented by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Addresse requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.


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Knowledge Quest, PublicationNo. 483-860, is publishedive times per year by the

America n A ssociation o SchoolLibrarian, American Library

As soc iat ion, 50 E. HuronSt., Chicago, IL 60611-2795.

Annu al s ubs cript ion price,$50. Printed in U.S.A. withperiodical class postage paidat (Ohio). As a nonproitorganization authorized to mailat special rates (DMM Section424.12 only), the purpose,unction, and nonproitstatus o this organizationand the exempt status orederal income tax purposeshave not changed during thepreceding twelve months.

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(Average fgures denote theaverage number o copies printedeach issue during the precedingtwelve months; actual fguresdenote actual number o copies o

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James Patterson is the bestselling

author of the Maximum Ride novels, the

Witch & Wizard series, Med Head, and

detective series featuring Alex Cross and

the Womens Murder Club.

grat a byJam Pattro

Maximum Ride

(Manga).y Pr

Middle School. ttl,

brow book for

you ar

Maximum Ride.

ttl, brow book

for you ar

Witch & Wizard.

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80 Knowledge Quest | Reversing Readicide

American Associationo School Librarians(AASL) . . . . 2733, 55, 67

Bound to Stay BoundBooks, Inc. . . . . . . Cover 4

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INDEx TO ADVERTISERS

aterials in this journal subject to copyright by the American Library Association

be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancemented by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Addresse requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.

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