I am often asked about how to get children reading, particularly young boys who would rather be playing outside playing football!
One useful website for children of all ages is BookTrust – they have a Bookfinder feature, where you can enter the reading age and child’s interests and then select books from there – spend time looking through some of these books and then choose one that stand out together.
I have found success with the Fighting Fantasy series, especially for boys who are over-faced with the idea of reading a lengthy book, as they choose their own adventure and can stop at different points.
Tom Palmer’s books (www.tompalmer.co.uk) are also good for this – many are themed around football/rugby/running, and are really accessible. Tom visits schools regularly and was brilliant when he came in. As a parent, you can contact him and he will happily send signed certificate to children who read his books.
The main message is this: don’t worry too much about the level they are reading at to begin with – just get them reading by finding something they enjoy, and you can gradually increase the challenge once they’re hooked.
Recommending books for children is a particular joy, so please do get in touch if you would like any ideas!