Hook children on reading for pleasure by allowing them to read for pleasure. Permit them to choose the books that interest them, then let them read at their own pace. Don’t ask to analyze every single sentence for inner meaning. Imagine every child as a skilled, passionate, habitual, critical reader.
Books most appealing to children are comics, graphic novels and humor books, preferred by 37 % of children aged between 7 and 9 years. Children between 10 and 14 years tended to like science fiction and fantasy books (55 %).
12 reasons kids should read books of different genres:
1. It improves their memory
2. Builds vocabulary
3. Helps improve writing skills
4. Builds experiences
5. Boosts confidence and self-esteem
6. Improves focus and concentration
7. Stimulates the mind
8. Reduces stress levels
9. Is a free form of entertainment
10. Strengthens analytical thinking skills
11. Develops problem-solving skills
12. Stimulates their imagination and creativity skills
Books for age groups:
Picture books:
targeted at children ages 2 to 8 and use illustrations to tell the story, often sharing life lessons related to emotional intelligence (empathy, forgiveness, kindness), relationships, social connections, and morals. The books must be fun and interesting because they help children learn to read and navigate their world. These books usually have 50 to 1,000 words.
Chapter books:
for children ages 7 to 9 and they are 4,000-15,000 words in length. Here there is more content and more complex language and are broken into chapters to help the readers better comprehend the material.
Easy Reader books
also called Emerging Reader or Beginning Reader books, are for children who are just learning to read by themselves, usually from five to nine years old. Easy readers may look like picture books when written for the younger ages or like chapter books for the higher end of this age group. The books have characters, settings and themes relevant to this age group, such as challenges the child might face, like feeling left out or making friends. Words are simple, sentences are short, and there is plenty of action and dialog. Entire book has 200-1500 words and is 48-64 pages.
Juvenile books:
can be fiction or nonfiction. These books speak to the emotions and intellect of the reader. They are written on subjects that are very relevant to the reader’s life and that capture the attention of children a little older and younger than the target age. Popular subjects include sex, drugs, alcohol, and family life. For 7 to 9 year old, books are usually 2,000 – 10,000 words; for 9 to 12 year old books are 20,000-40,000 words. For 13-18 year old books are 40,000 – 80,000 words in length.
Middle grade books:
for 8-12 year old children. The age of reader is connected to the age of the main character. Plot lines include sibling rivalry, fitting in with friends, becoming attracted to others. Books in this genre usually include 20,000-40,000 words.
Young Adult books:
readers aged 12-18 and 16-25. These books can be nonfiction or fiction, educational and entertaining, and they must hold the attention of the target age group and speak to them emotionally and intellectually by being very relevant to their lives. YA books can be written in any genre (historical, crime, romance, etc.). Books in this genre are 40,000-80,000 words in length. Young adult includes a relatively new category of books (since 2009) called New Adult. This is for the 18-25 year old and the content focuses on topics like leaving home, going to school, deciding on a career, and exploring sexuality.
Favourites:
- make kids laugh
- encourage using imagination
- tell a made up story
- feature strong, brave or smart characters
- teach something new
- have a mystery or problem to solve
“Linda has published sixteen books. She blogs about the publishing world, posts useful tips on the challenges a writer faces, including marketing and promoting your work, how to build your online platform, how to get reviews and how to self-publish. She has mentored many authors and edited their work.”