Five Tips for Raising a Reader

There are so many reasons to read. The number one reason is that there are millions of wonderful entertaining, fascinating, informative books. Besides having an enjoyable way to pass the time, being a good reader helps children do well in school, and opens up worlds of knowledge. Books provide low tech entertainment you can take anywhere, or you can go high tech with e-books, and have instant gratification when it's ten o'clock at night and you want to read a book right away! Library e-book downloads will come through for you when you can't make it to the library in person.

Here are five simple things you can do to encourage reading in your family:

1. The most important tip is to read to your children every day, even if they know how to read. 

Children can understand books that are several grades above their reading level. By reading to your children you build their vocabulary and help them enjoy stories that are more complex than what they can decode on their own. You also get the fun of the shared experience of reading a great book together; it provides warm family bonding time. You can read aloud when you are waiting at the dentist, on the bus, or eating breakfast. If you are too busy to sit down and read for a long time, you can read a picture book or a poem in just a few minutes. It is okay if your child needs to draw or play quietly with toys while they listen to you read aloud.

2. Keep books beside your child's bed.

Start this before they know how to read. They can look at the pictures, or tell  themselves the story of a book you have read to them many times. Place a bookcase or a basket of books within reach of their bed. As a bonus, this may buy you a few extra minutes of sleep in the mornings. Let your child enjoy communing with books even before they can read. Make sure books are easily available and visible.

3. Provide lots of options.

My policy as a parent is to bring home many books on a wide variety of topics and see what my daughter likes. For years she loved nonfiction science books and funny stories. Now that she is a teen it's science fiction, fantasy, and mysteries. Not every book I bring home will be read, but when I offer a selection there's usually something she will try. Sometimes I bring a book home "for me" that I think she will like, and let her pick it up. There is no pressure on her, and it doesn't have that "mom is trying to get me to read this" aura. Look for YA fiction, appealing adult titles, magazines, or even entertaining blog posts if you have a busy teen.

4. Bring your child to the library to choose books for themselves.

It's low pressure, because if your child doesn't love the book you can just return it and it didn't cost anything. Right now while libraries are closed, you can fall back on library e-books and Tumble Books.

5. Let your child see you reading.

If your child knows that you enjoy reading, they will absorb the idea that books are fun. If you feel enthusiastic about a book talk about it. My child knows that sometimes a book is so great that mom stays up past her bedtime reading, even though she will regret it the next day!

For some great reading suggestions look at the book lists that The New York Public Library creates for children and teens.

For more information about the benefits of reading, ways to promote reading at home, and suggestions of what to read, be inspired by these books:

The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction by  Meghan Cox Gurdon

Imagine an elixir so strong that a daily dose would make your family smarter, happier, healthier, more successful, and more closely attached. Now imagine that you could have it without spending  a dime. It all starts with a book, a voice, and a place to sit.

A Family of Readers: The Book Lover's Guide to Children's and Young Adult Literature by Roger Sutton & Martha Parravano

This guide will help you choose wonderful books for children from birth to the teen years. There is information on helping your child become a reader, and useful information on different genres of books. 

Give Your Child the World: Raising Globally Minded Kids One Book at a Time by Jamie C. Martin

Parents can introduce their children to the world from the comfort of home by simply opening a book together. Give Your Child the World is poised to become a bestselling family reading treasury that promotes literacy, develops a global perspective, and strengthens family bonds while increasing faith and compassion. 

Honey for a Child's Heart: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life by Gladys Hunt

Since its publication in 1969, this has been an essential guide for parents wanting to find the best books for their children. Now in its fourth edition, Honey for a Child's Heart discusses everything from the ways reading affects both children's view of the world and their imaginations to how to choose good books. It includes an indexed and updated list of the best new books on the market and the classics that you want your children to enjoy. Author Gladys Hunt's tastes are broad, and her advice is rooted in experience. Her suggestions will enrich the cultural and spiritual life of any home.

 How to Raise a Reader by Pamela Paul & Maria Russo

Do you remember your first visit to Where the Wild Things Are? How about curling up for hours on end to discover the secrets of The Philospher's Stone? Combining clear, practical advice with inspiration, wisdom, tips, and curated reading lists, How to Raise a Reader, from the authors of the original and viral New York Times Books feature, shows you how to instill the joy and time-stopping pleasure of reading.

The Poet's Corner: The One-and-Only Poetry Book for the Whole Family  by John Lithgow

From listening to his grandmother recite epic poems from memory to curling up in bed while his father read funny verses, award-winning actor John Lithgow grew up with poetry. Ever since, John has been an enthusiastic seeker of poetic experience, whether reading, reciting, or listening to great poems.

The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease 

The classic bestselling handbook on reading aloud to children, revised and updated. Reccomended by "Dear Abby" upon its first publication in 1982, millions of parents and educators have turned to Jim Trelease's beloved classic for more than three decades to help countless children become avid readers through awakening their imaginations and improving their language skills... The Read-Aloud Handbook offers proven techniques and strategies for helping children discover the pleasures of reading and setting them on the road to becoming lifelong readers.

Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories by Glory Edim

In this timely anthology Glory Edim brings together original essays by some of our best Black women writers to shine a light on how important it is that we all—regardless of gender, race, religion, or ability—have the opportunity to find ourselves in literature.

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Don't forget to "return" your e-books when you're done—the sooner you return them, the sooner someone else can use them.

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!

Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.