I am very lucky that my children love books. They all have a huge appetite for words, for poems, storues and information books. They love to share and try to read for themselves. Our house is filled with books suitable for readers of all ages and abilities. I buy new books all the time and I never ever throw books away. We have a lot of books!
I am not sure what I would do if one of my children did not share my enjoyment of literature, perhaps try one of the books in the list below
Many children love to read but some just need a little bit more encouragement than others. This might be because they don’t feel confident reading alone or out loud, or because they haven’t found a genre of books that really pique their interest. With companies like www.hope-education.co.uk offering a fantastic range of educational material (including story books for kids), however, there’s sure to be something out there your little one will love.
With this in mind, here are ten of the best fictional books – or series – for reluctant readers. There’s surely something here to suit all tastes…
1. Classic Fairy Tales
What would a childhood be without a good old fairy tale at the end of a long school day or before bedtime? Classics include Little Red Riding Hood, The Ugly Duckling, Rapunzel and Thumbelina. What’s more, many fairy tale books even come with puppets and CDs to make learning more fun and to keep kids entertained for longer.2. Modern Fairy Tales
More modern revisions of classic stories including The True Story of the Three Little Pigs – an exculpatory memoir by the wolf who claims he’s not so big and bad at all – also introduce readers to the notion of duelling perspectives and are sure to go down well with youngsters.3. Nursery Rhyme Books
Nursery rhyme books are usually beautifully illustrated and are ideal for pre-schoolers with short attention spans who perhaps want to read but don’t have the patience for a long story just yet. Many have sound effects and accompanying CDs too which are sure to put a smile on your little one’s face as they sing/read along to Humpty Dumpy, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Old McDonald and many more.4. Puppet Pop-ups
Puppet pop-up books like Calm Down Boris and Turn it up Doris have enjoyed great acclaim since their launch and help bring stories to life for both reading fanatics and those who need a little extra persuasion to pick up a book. Beautifully illustrated, they’re not only funny but educational too, making them an all-round hit.5. Roald Dahl Classics
It’s just about impossible to nominate a single Roald Dahl book, such is the brilliant range from this legendary and much-loved author. Older children will love Roald Dahl classics such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda and The Twits. Named best children’s author by kids and adults alike, Dahl’s fascinating and often witty tales are sure to inspire even the most reluctant of readers.6. The Cat in the Hat/Dr Seuss
Dr Seuss has captivated generation after generation of readers thanks to his vivid imagination and larger than life tales. The Cat in the Hat is probably his best known book. When a big cat surprises Dick and Sally, transforming their dreary day at home into a wild adventure, no one can quite believe their eyes. The Cat in the Hat is a real treat from Dr. Seuss and a must read for all children.7. Winnie the Pooh
No childhood would be complete without Winnie the Pooh, right? A.A. Milne’s tales are so wonderfully charming that kids of all ages fall in love not only with the sweet, simple-minded bear with a love of honey but his Hundred Acre Wood friends too.8. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
A beautiful illustrated children’s book designed, illustrated and written by Eric Carle, The Very Hungry Caterpillar should take pride of place on any child’s bookshelf.9. The Gruffalo
One of the most popular children’s books of all time, The Gruffalo tells the story of a young mouse who invents a fearsome creature to protect himself in the jungle – but is the Gruffalo really imaginary?10. Mr Men and Little Miss
The Mr Men and Little Miss collections are great as they teach children a lot of essential adjectives while giving them the pleasure of reading a host of funny, witty and thoughtful short stories.
This is a collaborative post
Some great ideas there. Our house also looks like a library, my son loves books as much as I do. My challenge with him though, is to get him to try reading them for himself. He refuses to try to read anything at home. I’m sure it will come and I don’t want to push it and turn him off books totally, but I wish he’d realise how much more wonderful books are when you can read them yourself!
I had this problem with only one of my five children and I could never work out why. She would look at books about gumnut fairies or books about real things with photographs. We went to the library often and even asked for help from the librarian – eventually when she was older, around 12 I think, she started reading Harry Potter and read every one and then all the Twilight books at high school. She was always ok at English but her vocabulary was not that good in primary school. She writes stories now and turns them into film! Oh by the way she hated the Mr Men series but we always had all of Roald Dahl’s books. One of he favourite films is Matilda – an adaption of his book.