Trisha asks....

Trisha asks:  "Would love to get my grandson to read more. I read to him all the time as he was growing up and then at around 7 he didn't want me to read to him anymore. He is 10 now and a great reader but doesn't like to sit and read and just chill out. He loves to visit the library and look at books but if we bring any home he won't read them. I was wondering if you had any suggestions as to how I can get him really interested in a good book and actually take the time to read just a chapter or two a night or suggestions on a good book that after reading the first chapter he is hooked and can't put the book down? Thank You!"

A few thoughts.... 

Hi Trisha - Does he have any favorite subjects? One thing to remember about boys is that they LOVE Non-Fiction. Fiction? Not so much. It's that analytical/practical brain that God gave them. =D 

1) It sounds like you have already tried having him pick out a book or two at the bookstore. And that hasn't worked so well. So, I have a few thoughts for you to try this summer:

a) Make it a "date" each week to take a trip to the library or your local book store. Bring one of his friends with you and have them pick out a book that they would like to read and then discuss with you the next week during your "date". Have hot chocolate (yes, I know it's summer), ice tea, a smoothie - what ever and then talk about what they think is happening on the cover of the book and what do they think is going to happen in the book? If you have time have the boys take turns reading the first chapter - maybe they can alternate with the paragraphs (you read too). Then plan on getting together the next week to discuss the book - or if they haven't finished it read another chapter together and so on. (Between Two Ends would be a great book to read this summer - it's a cross of The Arabian Nights and a great Action story - read my review here)

2) Is he into True Stories about Heroes, Firefighters, War Heroes? Or maybe really into science, astronomy/outer space? How about Extreme Sports - the Olympics are coming up too.You might check into books like:

Discovery Adventure Books: Age 8+, ap 80 pages each. This series is visually exciting, highly informative and complete with photographs, illustrated diagrams & comic strips. FULL of information such as: a fascinating selection of recommended websites with stats and details for kids who are fanatics about fighter planes, motorcycles, helicopters, race cars, submarines, warships and tanks. $8.99 each/avail as a series too (click here)

War Stories: 12+, 432 pages. This great book contains stories based on actual life events. Many of the stories are about people who had to make tough decisions based on what they knew to be the right thing to do. Thrilling adventures that will make you feel as if you were actually there. Ideal for reluctant readers & adults. Note: This one is a BIG book but can be read as a chapter a night - ideal for a Grandpa/Grandson read along. It would give them something to talk about and lots of stories to share - and is a great way to encourage kids to make the right choice even tho the consequences to themselves might not be ideal.

Is there a male figure in his life that could start reading with him? Guys like to read "facts and figures" and make weird noises - Little Men need to see Big Men reading now & as he becomes a man. It's a good opportunity for him to converse with others and share what he's learning.

Extreme Adventures: Age 8+, 144 pages.  Action has a new hero - Sam Fox! With a talent for attracting danger, Sam Fox is an expert at getting himself into (and out of) the most extreme situations. This series has a strong appeal with a courageous young hero and exotic settings and has non-stop action and short chapters which will engage reluctant readers. 

**My nephew Brett LOVES this series. He started reading them at around age 7 1/2 and we were a little worried they would be too scary but he asked to read book two and then three... we think he LIKED getting scared! Read an excerpt from Bk 1 Crocodile Attack $5.99 each/avail as a series too 

Other books he might be interested in:  I'd like to encourage you to keep illustrated encyclopedia's around your house. These are great - leave them on the coffee table, in the bathroom (captive audience there), by his bed and in the car! 

Usborne Books has great ones with small amounts of information and BIG pictures for kids to study and examine. The illustrated encyclopedia's are great for kids that have a hard time reading big passages of text. They are internet linked and your grandson can use these links to find more information on things he's interested in (whales, machines, outer space, etc), experiments and animated learning tools online.  What is an Internet-Linked book?

You might also consider a few books like these (click the picture):

    

Here is an example of some activities/experiments from the Science Encyclopedia that you can find with the Internet Links:

1. Hot-air balloon experiment to try at home. 
2. Make marbled paper based on the principle that oil and water do not mix. (Click on "Marvelous Marbling".) 

Lastly, I have a few questions since I don't know your Grandson. These are things you might consider as you help him become a life long reader.

a) Is he in between stages of reading? What kind of books is he drawn to? Are they more difficult or more advanced than he needs? Are they to advanced for him emotionally or mentally? 

b) Is your grandson feeling overwhelmed by the size of the books (too many pages/print is small/no pictures) and not sure what he'll like? Is he still wishing to be read to some? (If you catch him pulling the book closer to his face perhaps he is having trouble reading smaller print. You may want to consider getting his eyes checked)

Kids in the middle elementary grades still enjoy pictures. Remember pictures are used by kids to help them "read" the book, guess what's happening next and it helps them to "connect" with the story and the people in the book.

c) Is he starting to see and want to participate in activities like sports, camping, etc - are his interests changing? If so consider getting him a sports magazine or another kind of kid's magazine that matches his interest. Two that come to mind are: (click on the picture)

The reason I brought these up is that you will be encouraging him to read about what he is interested in. There are the "small" chunks of information, big action oriented pictures and he can read a couple of pages and share what he has learned. Also if he is a very active child and has a hard time sitting still these are ideal for him. (Comics fit this area also. See my review here). 

I'd like to make one last suggestion - if you end up doing a summer book club or even make it a goal to read together as a family for a 1/2 hour a day - get your child a journal and encourage them to write while you read aloud to them. They can write anything they want - it's private and only for them. Parents use your discretion if you feel you need to take a look at the journal - just remember that this is a place for your middle grade child to spill their guts or be as creative as they want so please don't use it to lecture or "teach" about proper sentence structure. =D Girl Journal Boy Journal

This is getting so long I'm going to stop here. I hope this gave you some good ideas. Please keep asking questions! 

Parents & teachers - do you have any great ideas on how to get kids to read in the summer? Please share your comment below:

                                                                              

Children and Comics

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Do you have children who....

• are reluctant readers? 
• refuse to pick up a book?
• have to be threatened, bribed or forced to read?

I was reading an interesting report about "The Decline of Reading in America" and they have a interesting section on the use of comics that I thought you might enjoy. Click Here to Read Some of the things that stood out to me:

1) Desmond Tutu suggests that if his parents had not allowed him to read comics that "I might not have developed this deep love for reading and for English " (Tutu 2004)
2) Evidence comes from the case histories mentioned (in the article) as well as the finding that readers gradually expand their reading interests as they read more (LaBrant 1958).
3) Middle school boys who read comic books read more in general than boys who did not read comics, read more books, and enjoyed reading more (Ujiie and Krashen, 1996)

I will admit I have heard that comics are great for reluntant readers and that kids who read them often have a better reading comprehension then kids don't read books or even those that do read - I can't help but wonder if that is because they are taking visual clues from the artwork in the book, reading "small chunks" of text and having to remember what happens from story to story instead of just reading one story and never revisiting it again?

What do you think?

Today I have 2 reviews for graphic novels that would fit within the Comic Books genre. They are for early to late teens and even adults will like them too. 

Lily Renee, Escape Artist: From Holocaust Survivor to Comic Book Pioneer

by Trina Robbins

Published by Graphic Universe, a division

of Lerner Publishing Group

Age: 13+ (mature themes)

Purchase on Amazon for $7.95

(ebook/library bound is also available)

About the book:

In 1938, Lily Renée Wilheim is a 14-year-old Jewish girl living in Vienna. Her days are filled with art and ballet. Then the Nazis march into Austria, and Lily's life is shattered overnight. Suddenly, her own country is no longer safe for her or her family. To survive, Lily leaves her parents behind and travels alone to England.

Escaping the Nazis is only the start of Lily's journey. She must escape many more times--from servitude, hardship, and danger. Will she find a way to have her own sort of revenge on the Nazis? Follow the story of a brave girl who becomes an artist of heroes and a true pioneer in comic books.

My thoughts:

Based on the true story of 14 year old Lily Renee who is from a wealthy Austrian family who also happen to be Jewish. When Hitler and the Nazi's invade Austria the Austrian's made plans to send their children from the country to England for safety and Lily is one of those children. The book starts with her experience of living in a city torn apart by hatred and the persecution of the Jews. She tells of being banned from school, the attack on the Jews during the "The Night of the Broken Glass" (Kristallnacht), the marking of the merchants stores, the Nazi's stealing their belongings and forcing them to house another couple because they "had plenty of room". 

After going to England you read about Lily's experience with her host family and the treatment she received from the government and her eventual reunion with her mother. This is a very fascinating first hand account of her life. Lily ends up as one of the first female comic book writers. She is respected by her peers and helped create many of The Fighting Femmes, a comic book line that showed women in strong roles fighting against crime and even the Nazi's.

I strongly encourage kids and adults to consider adding this book to your home library and schools. The value of the historical lessons and seeing it from the eyes of kid's your own kid's age is priceless and the history sections, glossary and the photo's in the back make World War II and the Nazi's real to your children.

About the author:

Trina Robbins has been writing comics and books for over thirty years. She lives in San Francisco, and loves cats and vintage clothing. If you would like to know more about her, read some of the interviews listed on her blog. Click here

The Crystal Prince

by Jeanette Clinger Hurley

Illustrated by BC Hailes

Age: 13+ (violence)

Purchase HERE for $16.95

About the book:

Escape into a world of spellbinding adventure, a world where kindness is king, a world where faith and imagination separate life from death, a world where love is the key that unlocks both mystery and magic… Escape into... 

My Thoughts:

Crystal Prince is the story of a boy kidnapped by troll like  creatures who are envious of the easy life they think that the citizens of Celestria have. The boy is Xabian, the much loved son of King Xarius and at his 12th Birthday Party the little prince is kidnapped and taken away leaving the citizens of the city to mourn his loss.

The moral of the story is to "Do Unto Others as You Would Have Them Do Unto You" and you see the little prince using that principal as he grows up around the trolls who treat him badly and you also see the consequences the trolls pay for being greedy, mean and cruel. The idea behind the story is an interesting one and I saw parallels to the bible story Cain and Abel. 

At only 70 pages, this is a very very quick read, perfect for kids 10+.. Some of the pages only have a paragraph or two and there are full size color drawings on each page spread. There is some violence and the pictures in the book are very detailed and beautiful. Depending on your kids (younger ones especially) you may want to pre-read the book if you think the pictures might be too scary. I don't know if I would label this a true comic book as it isn't split up into segments and it is a complete book - but the pictures are very similar to comics and much of the story is seen through the pictures too.

My only disappointments with this book is that there were several words that were misspelled and also the length of the book. I would of liked to see more in depth characterization of the characters but then that is also the charm of a good comic - using your imagination.

Learn more:

Website: The Crystal Prince

Facebook 

The author:

World class singer, songwriter and now story teller Jeanette Clinger Hurley today announced the release of her enchanted children’s book, The Crystal Prince, Love Is the Only Way, published by Outskirts Press. Through this charming fantasy Hurley brings children, parents and families the message that love is the way to everlasting happiness and that we all depend on each other to see that through. 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin