Reading is not everyone’s favourite activity. Some children are more reluctant to read than others for a variety of reasons—children may struggle with their reading skills or have other fun activities competing for their attention. Below are some ways we can encourage children to read even if they do not usually focus during book reading or enjoy reading at home or school. Add these book genres to your library and it may make a difference!
Wordless Books (or Books with Limited Text)
Wordless books with vibrant colours and fun pictures encourage children to tell the story in their own words and build imagination.
Recommended titles:
- Hug by Jez Alborough
- Good Night, Sweet Butterflies: A Color Dreamland by Dawn Bentley
Find more titles here:
Interactive Books
Interactive books, such as books with flaps, sounds, or textures (touch-and-feel), help keep children engaged while reading.
Recommended titles:
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
- Dear Zoo by Rob Campbell
- Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
Find more titles here:
- https://www.readbrightly.com/best-baby-touch-and-feel-books/
- https://www.readbrightly.com/robust-lift-the-flap-books/
Books with Repetitive Text
Books with repetitive text allow children to anticipate what comes next, encouraging participation and confidence.
Recommended titles:
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.
- Five Little Monkeys by Eileen Christelow
- Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill
Find more titles here:
For School-Age Children
For children in school, try books with relatable characters and stories, as well as comic books or graphic novels.Comic books and graphic novels can help children with reading or attention difficulties because the pictures provide context and help them follow the story. Some well-known series include:
5–7 Years Old:
- Elephant and Piggie’s (Peggy and Gerald) Funny Adventures by Mo Williams
6–9 Years Old:
- Dog Man by Dave Pilkey
- Find more titles like Dog Man here:
6–10 Years Old:
- Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
7–10 Years Old:
- Geronimo Stilton by Elisabetta Dami
- Thea Stilton by Elisabetta Dami
- The Adventures of Captain Underpants: Captain Underpants by Dave Pilkey
8–12 Years Old:
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Additional Resources
To find themed book lists for children, try the following resources by Reading Rockets (books sorted by age, reading level, genre, format, and topic) and Scholastic (books sorted by age and topic). There is so much to explore!
