Reluctant readers are often reluctant because they associate reading with schoolwork, studying, parental pressure, and other less-than-awesome activities. And as the leisure options for children continues to increase multifold with portable video games and smart phone apps abounding, the number of kids reading for pleasure has been on a steady decline. Having fun, no matter the material, is the first step toward a life of book-loving. To get your reluctant reader to have more fun reading, try interactive books that place a premium on laughs and entertainment. Here are some directions to head for great reading ideas!
Mad Libs
Good for most any occasion from family road trips to overnight slumber parties, Mad Libs have been cracking kids up for decades. From the classic to the seasonal, or from the political to the pedagogical, there’s only one thing to say about Mad Libs: These plural noun are a can’t-miss superlative noun that will active verb your whole family to have fun reading. (For more on the creator of Mad Libs, check out our interview of wizard-of-wordplay Leonard Stern.)
I SPY
Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick’s extraordinarily popular seek-and-find books, the I SPY series will inspire reluctant readers of all ages to engage with books and have fun reading. Each book contains magnificent photographs with rhyming text that instructs the reader to search for specific objects or words inside the picture. For younger readers, check out our I SPY Board Book list. For older readers, there are I SPY books covering a multitude of interests, from fantasy and mystery to dinosaurs. Explore them all!
Joke Books
Funny reading is awesome reading! Maybe your child is a class clown who wants to memorize every joke in the book to try out during lunchtime routines, or she just enjoys chuckling quietly in the comfort of your home. Joke books are a perfect way to turn reluctant reading into hilarious hobby. Here are a few to get started:
- The Everything Kids’ Gross Jokes Book: Complete with new — and grossly appropriate — cover art, zany illustrations, and puzzles on the inside, this fun volume will have boys and girls squirming with delight.
- 101 Pet Jokes: Here are hundreds of hilarious jokes offering wacky animal humor for all readers!
- The Mighty Big Book of School Jokes: School kids will find hundreds of zany, off-the-wall jokes to help them laugh their way through every subject — from math and science to gym and art class.
