Parents and educators - there are a lot of discussions in publishing about how to improve reading for pleasure. Is there anything you wish publishing would do more of? Or just understand about kids and reading? Any insights from teaching/parenting of what gets kids reading? #KidLitUK #Edusky #KidLit
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Getting nowhere with it but when I read MG, even the successful stuff it's sooooooo dull.
Get kids to pick books to publish. Worked for H Potter.
Sadly this reviewer is now in YA category.
Apologies for thread bombing.
I think we need to stop writing like kids are made of cotton and start writing like these are actual tiny humans
Every book has a lower age limit recommendation with a list of content tags on the back of the book like TV and films often do.
Bookshops should have very knowledgeable staff and/or searchable database to help find books.
Publishers should look at the David Fickling model of a weekly comic being a gateway to books.
For younger readers, the more mature comics stretch them and for the older readers the easier to read comics are nice no pressure reading but still fun.
As a parent the most ridiculously involved thing I would find helpful would be to completely recategorise books in book shops.
Reading for pleasure doesn't need to follow a linear route from picture book to densely worded novel.
The only age recommendation should be for content warning.
At least getting rid of the upper age limit would help though.
The books in our teen collection sit there.
They are all 'girly' romantasy. Our real life issues.
Boys don't go near it. They want adventure, without romance and teen stuff.
Those that do read, move into adult collection.
Otherwise, yes to more funny! Post Wimpy Kid, DogMan, et al - what is there?
And nonfiction for fun.
Middle children = 8 to 10 year olds.
I have so many lists!
I build my readers advisory lists out of these.
https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/library-list/list/146e1e19-9e27-4850-92de-06f8bc792bb4
https://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/pages/my-librarian.aspx?LibrarianID=29
Also, there are boys who do want romance but not what’s being served. There isn’t much from a male perspective. Nicola Yoon used to bridge a bit for this but not enough.
As an ECE, I can’t tell you how many picture books completely go over kids’ heads because they weren’t written for 3yo minds!
It's a lesson learned though, those types of comics I have plenty in my classroom but I think I'll avoid them for class reading!
📢 Proper funding for school libraries!
The graphic novels in our state school library were treasured artifacts, handled with reverence. I think there was even a rule about only reading them in the library rather than taking them out. They were read and re-read.
2) Variety needs a boost.
3) do some research on i) late to reading readers ii) consumer behaviour in the way other industries do. I got an ass ton of it just hanging out with
Thankfully the I’d rather die ones can be converted. iii) the PR around reading needs work. Kendrick Lamar doesn’t read
iiii) more narrative non fiction and stuff kids are attracted to online. It’s not the
i) Librarians are like excellent double glazing salesman, you are leaving with something you will love but the profession has been gutted so have library budgets.
ii) certain brands control how their stuff is sold because
We need to stop analyzing text when they're younger. It did for my oldest at 12. Was given Romeo and Juliet and whoosh! All joy was gone. Stopped reading. Still hates Shakespeare.
Only began reading again years later.
Look at their faces when they see the print, the number of pages, the blurb.
Children don't read the blurb btw.
Do you mind me asking, if her school has the latest books and if you know if they have a budget for new books or some sort of commitment to add a minimum?
Thanks
I will say our kids have Kindles and it's been really helpful getting my son to read. He's more willing to try things digitally.
I'm picturing stuff like this:
Thing I hear so often as a bookseller is "oh no, they read to themselves"
How are they to learn more and feel more confident about words if they're not hearing them?
I reckon aim for 12 yrs old.
And start from first days of life.
But I love them discussing with me, now, the books that they’re reading, & encouraging me to read them sometimes.
Means we have worlds we know of together, as a family group
I am so glad to have had this with them!
📚📖📚
Books are magical!
It was so lovely—unforgettable
As a primary teacher, the correlation between reading aloud to children and their increased love of reading (or at least loving stories) is clear.
But I'm still scratching my head why my own 3 kids don't read to themselves, after we stopped reading together around 13yo
My very nearly 13yo daughter has books on the go, but she doesn't devour them. Fingers crossed, hey? 🤞
Another trick
When my daughter was kind of done with reading for a bit, she was ok with reading my book to me out loud while I cooked. She enjoyed not reading 😂.
I love that my eldest, a good reader from an early age, has developed some great analytical skills and loves to discuss storytelling in TV series and film with me. So there's at least that. 🤣
Those middle grade transitioning to YA feel a bit lost and either hop to adult material or just…stop.
*yes, ideally-
Yes, some boys do fine with YA, but it’s so narrow.
Also schools need to lean into the fact that some kids read non fiction for fun.
I think we should be thinking about the tools we use to engage 6-8 and bringing them into 9-12. This is what Wimpy Kid did very successfully.
My only gripe would be a bit too much misogyny and violence in some. I can oddly live with the violence over the misogyny 😂 Most lads don’t notice it though, they are too busy getting to the next bit in the plot.
Also the Phineas & Ferb graphic novels got him over his reading issues in primary school.
unless you have an decent librarian. Like where are the parents of ‘my kids are book addicts’ in this country?
How do they and their kids find what to read?
If you'd told 9yo me about people queuing outside bookshops for new releases, I'd have been ASTONISHED.
Also donated Attenborough books and a few books on artists, inc Banksy.
(Plenty of other SF&F authors that would fit this too - Tom Holt for example - but Pratchett is king)
(Possibly other examples in the series but it's been a few years since I read them - I remember @ewacat.bsky.social is a big fan and may have views on this)
I think YA is best understood as a middle place between MG and adult. My YA novels are read by adults and by kids in primary school.
But I rediscovered reading as a broken older man, and the kid in me felt seen. Sheesh, I am little sad I did that to him, but I'm also glad I am happy to read now.
We have to keep that alive.
And when telling stories, I let them help:
“The bear opens the box and finds… guess what?”
“Yeah — a butterfly!”
And i weave their idea as part of the story.
I know Auzou published some in french. Maybe there is some in english too?
(it's probably been done already, and I just haven't seen an example...)
https://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/browse-by-age
Excellent storytelling is infectious.
Also violence lol.
https://www.thebookseller.com/comment/pulling-back-from-the-edge
- daily being read to - Barrington Stoke - Gill Lewis and Tom Palmer especially popular
- stylised non-fiction goes untouched
- many fiction covers look younger than subject matter - go untouched
- students want escapism
I’m finding an anecdotal trend with some SEND that we do non fiction better. I find this with boys too.
It’s hard to establish but there is a need for more variation on themes and subject matter. Also, I’d like to see an audio physical format combo.It’s a pet project for me
Small chunks of info - DK can be quite dense in typeface.
We would love to find non-fiction about canal fishing, military planes and boxing!
Also first read sifters at agents. A book may not be my cup of tea but I know exactly which kid a book will appeal to. But you have to know kids and lots of different types.
Outside of London btw too.
We still read to our boys too, younger is 11, elder is 15 though it's much harder to get time from him as he is a proper teen now!
I’ve def noticed that my elder son doesn’t not read as much in secondary.
Even though no one here is dyslexic, we've invested in Kobos so the kids can change the font of books to OpenDyslexic because they find it easier and more chill to read. I'll definitely look these books up!
I haven't tried any kind of parental control yet because I also have a Kobo and anything the kids borrow pops up on mine (and one-anothers') so everyone knows what everyone else is reading and my kids love to snitch. 😅🫠
Not sure what publishers can do to help though.
*Keeping* them reading for pleasure is tougher than getting them reading them for pleasure.
- Acclerated reader quiz scheme via school.
- Letting her stay up later, but to read.
- Funny books with larger print (she loves Pamela Butchart at the moment)
Also please make all books standard size so we can cover the books easily! 🙏
Then 2-3 wks ago he started a new book in Y8 English that he realised he had on his shelf, he's now read the entire thing at home to get ahead of his class and has read 2 more books since.
Also, humor - including fart jokes for boys.
🙏🏻
Although as a teacher, there is something to be said for being enthusiastic about a book and seeing that rub off on the class.
Every time I taught Holes or Skellig (books I love), you can see the children fall in love with it too…and I wonder how much of that is due to my enthusiasm?
Publishing can’t thrive by looking back - needs a format for C21 teen cohorts.
Every other demographic just needs earlier bedtimes I reckon!
The note said they had ‘religious commitments’. The church of books and reading is my faith. 😏
would buy a couple for my reluctant reader based on her personality and likes. This was her graphic novel phase. They were perfect for that era. Too busy, too stressed looking for
snack bite escapism.
Where do parents hang out these days to find out anything about kids?
When I started Ada Lovelace Day in 2009, basically no one outside of computer science grads had heard of her, and most the grads hadn't either. Her name recognition has increased a lot over the last 16 years, but despite what you might think, is still nowhere...
Sadly little push back from those who should
There are indeed a lot more women in STEM whose stories aren't as widely known as they should be, I agree. But Lovelace is still a largely unknown...
The top 5 menu items under "Blog" will take you to dozens and dozens of them. https://findingada.com/blog/
The issue here isn't that Lovelace is hogging the spotlight, but that there are so few spotlights for women that it seems as if she's getting more attention that she 'should'. ...
More comics!
More pictures! Just because a child has an advanced reading age, doesn't mean they don't want pictures. Mini Bookseller often says she wants pictures. Normalise pictures in middle grade fiction please! You could also have gorgeous spreads in YA...
If given the choice, I'd pick an illustrated novel every time.
I’m similar to you I think, Louie, & simply skipped to pure adult horror/sci fi at that age.
The sad truth is they’re skipping to full on adult material online anyway, far beyond what ‘we’ deem suitable.
But publishers & parents should DEFINITELY consider not gatekeeping & patronising kids. They’ll go find adult stuff anyway if they want it. 🤔
But my eldest son fell off books, started snogging & didn’t care for exams.
I gently pushed Salems Lot his way & my graphic novels.
He’s back reading now. 🙌
My youngest has abandoned books for snogging & exams entirely.
He’s not coming back I think.
But seriously, your kids are lucky to have you to gently push different books at them. Lots of kids don’t have that, so we’re back to school librarians & time in the Library.
There IS a stigma, and that’s WAY too young.
Closet nerd.
No one should be ‘made’ to read that book. 😴
I do half wonder what secondary will hold for mini-G. (TBF, primary has been good with books.)
The (negative) impact of schooling on many kids' reading is rarely acknowledged.
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/84835-ya-nonfiction-takes-teen-readers-seriously.html
Parent: it's a bookshop. They're magical, but rare.
Child: why?
Parent: A company named after a South American river...
Child: Orinoco?
Parent: Good guess, but no. So, they took book selling online, and now you don't see real bookshops much.
Child: Let's buy some magic...
Also worth mentioning that it was only through seeing the physical size of the Rabbit and Bear books in a proper bookshop that I realised how well they’d work as bridges.
If I’d relied purely on online retailers, I’d have missed them.
Also representation! More rep! LGBTQIA+ rep! Neurodivergent rep! POC rep! Disability rep!
Rep that doesn't focus on the 'challenges' but shows the joy!
Let kids see themselves in books and let them see themselves shine!
Reading TO children is different—
Don’t underestimate the level of fiction children can enjoy: the biggest hit of any book I have read to my two has been The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, my littlest was 11 when I read All Systems Red
1/
They both thought hearing their mother say “fuck” was hysterical! (I swear very very little in real life)
The books are funny and clever and heart breaking and thought provoking and gay and woke and just awesome
Oh, and FUNNY—did I mention that?
2/
We have laughed & cried together over them
We also loved Becky Chambers Long Way series & OMG do we ADORE Ancillary Justice and Sword
Ann Leckie FTW!
So if you’re reading TO them, your OWN children be a little wild—they may love it?
Older also loves The Locked Tomb
Uh, nope—not going to happen
They really love good illustrations—ones that don’t condescend
I am so utterly behind the push for more graphic novels/comic books aimed at children BUT make them clever! Don’t underestimate your little readers…they love a bit of clever humour
Be a bit rude
I literally considered buying it from the display alone, but we were distracted by meeting a friend…
Hah!
I only picked up reading again the last couple of years, and it's because I've allowed myself to *not read* things I'm not enjoying rather than forcing myself through.
Got him to do his EPQ on Maus which meant he read more stuff on the topic.
Now studying History at uni still has DWM for fun but is reading more too.
(Re-reading the books that thrilled me as a child to my girls has led to becoming REALLY judgmental about some fictional parenting decisions)
Well adjusted heroine, intact family, magical solutions to “family lock”.
To quote Milhouse: "if gas is what they eat then why do they have teeth?"
Where are all the people? We created these monsters and they devoured us.
Also, the art of the short story needs to be celebrated more. I swear it's easier to write a load of fluff, it's harder to write succinctly and engagingly.
I have been amazed how going into a class with a box or two of books can get children interested.
Each one, I show the class, give a quick description ( as I have read them all), then on to the next, keeping their interest.
We’ve tried to do this with our recommends rather than have people who also bought or trending or best sellers, we hand pick. Or rather I do 😂😅🤣 what would be a good follow on book.
I think it needs community input of what people would like and what would make their lives easier.
We are still in building mode with so many plans. But you know what they say about plans..🐁🤦♂️
Glad to hear you’re working on it! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
May daughter has been read all the Tiffany Aching books, and i wonder if she'll circle back to DW as a teen.
As a parent, I was astonished at the difference the physical form of the book makes, to a child who isn’t necessarily a natural reader. There are physical components to reading that I’d never considered.
Good text spacing/easily legible font makes a huge difference.
Holding a book steady (particularly in bed), trying to turn flimsy pages, keeping the eye line straight along a crowded page of text - these were all barriers before they even got to the story.
Absolutely eye-opening to me.
(Great to hear they love stories though - my 12yo still loves being read to, but only reads graphic novels himself.)