Reluctant Readers
Are audio books cheating? Must every book our second-graders read feature Poopy Man and The Toilet King? Are reluctant readers doomed to fall behind their peers? Will Margaret or Amy ever read anything other than their Facebook feeds ever again?\n\xa0This episode is full of ideas to get everyone in your family reading\u2013 plus books your kids will drop everything to read.\n\xa0We love this \u201cbook traps\u201d idea from our listener Nicole:\n\xa0\n\xa0Find books in the library that seem like they might be irresistible to your child and place them strategically around the house so that your child stumbles upon them and feel like reading them was their own idea.\n\xa0\n\xa0What about audiobooks? Is it counterproductive to let kids who struggle with decoding listen to their books instead?\xa0Jamie Martin, assistive technology consultant for understood.org, says no:\xa0\n\nListening to audiobooks isn\u2019t \u201ccheating.\u201d The main purpose of reading is to get information. It doesn\u2019t matter what path that information takes to reach the brain.\n\nHere\u2019s some resources for parents that we recommend in this episode:\nCommon Sense Media\u2019s lists of books for reluctant readers\nAmy Mascott for PBS Parents: What To Do When Your Child Hates Reading\nSusan Dominus, NYT, Motherhood Screened Off\nLinda Flanagan\xa0for KQED: How Audiobooks Can Help Kids Who Struggle With Reading\nMary Ann Scheuer\u2019s Great Kid Books, a blog which recommendis books for kids from 4-14.\nHere\u2019s books and authors that Amy recommends in this episode:\nthe Amulet series (graphic novels for grade-school readers)\nanything by Raina Telgemaier (graphic novels with heroines for grade-school readers\nYou Wouldn\u2019t Want to Be\u2026 series (real history with a dose of gross-out humor)\nthe American Girl collection (the best you\u2019re-growing-up books out there)\nWhat If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions (a perfect coffee table book. Irresistible for all ages)\nand a few audiobook series recommended by Amy\u2019s 10-year-old daughter:\nA Series of Unfortunate Events\nThe Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place\nThe Mysterious Benedict Society\nand of course, Harry Potter, with hundreds of characters all voiced by Jim Dale.\nHere\u2019s the books that have gotten our listeners\u2019 kids reading. Thanks for everyone who joined in with ideas on our Facebook page!\nLauren: Pete the Cat, Wayside Stories from Wayside School\nMaureen: Mo Willems\nTracy: \u201cRight now (8 years old) we are loving Super Rabbit Boy.\u201d\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices