This week, I asked some kids to tell me about books they think are “really, really good.” I’m sharing them here to highlight the power of choice as a motivator for reading. Choice can’t be emphasized enough. Let them choose … even if the book isn’t “at their reading level.” Even if the book isn’t what you consider “high quality.” When kids choose their books, they read more. When they read more, they get better at it. This post feels especially relevant since many of us are out of our comfort zones as we facilitate at-home learning home due to COVID-19. Check out kids’ choices below. I threw in some links to fun stuff like audio excerpts, book trailers, etc. Scroll all the way down for some pro-tips for reading at home.
PRE-K-GRADE 2:
Elephant & Piggie I Like Slop! 
Preschooler Dean W. (5 years old; Gaithersburg, MD) recommends Elephant & Piggie I Like Slop by Mo Willems because, “It’s cool and I love reading it. I want to learn to read it by myself.” Here is a read aloud. Also check out this video that features Mo making slop!
The Book with No Pictures
Preschooler Lilah M. (3 years old; Asheville, NC) recommends The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak because, “It is funny for grown-ups to read it to you.” BJ Novak reads it (most of it) here.
Magic Tree House Series
2nd Grader Lucas M. (8 years old; Asheville, NC) recommends Magic Tree House series (any book) by Mary Pope Osborne because, “They teach you about real-life things.” Listen to Mary Pope Osborne read Dinosaurs Before Dark.
Esio Trot 
2nd Grader Taylor B. (8 years old; Greenville, NC) recommends Esio Trot by Roald Dahl because, “I like this book because a man named Mr. Hoppy plays a trick on his crush. It is really funny.” Listen to the first chapter on Soundcloud.
Owl Diaries
2nd Grader Leah T. (7 years old; Winterville, NC) recommends Owl Diaries by Rebecca Elliott because, “They are fun to read and I like the adventures they tell about.” Author Rebecca Elliott shares Eva and Baby Mo in this video.
GRADE 3-GRADE 5:
Amulet Series 
5th Grader Carter M. (11 years old; Gaithersburg, MD) recommends Amulet Series by Kazu Kibuishi because, “I enjoy graphic novels, and this series is really good.” Get a free excerpt here.
Marty Pants
4th Grader Caeden G. (10 years old; Grand Rapids, Michigan) recommends Marty Pants by Mark Parisi because, “It is funny and easy to read.”
Read a free sample here.
Supergifted and Ungifted 
5th Grader Lilith T. (11 years old; Winterville, NC) recommends Supergifted and Ungifted by Gordon Korman because, “I like it because it’s about a middle school student who accidentally gets put in the gifted program at his school.” See a free preview of the first couple chapters of Supergifted here.
Harry Potter
5th Grader Ivy B. (11 years old; Greenville, NC) recommends Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling because, “I like this book because there are really cool characters and they all know magic.” Get the first book free on audible right now: (Note that it is called Philosopher’s Stone because that’s the British version of the title). Also check out JK Rowling’s new website initiative for stay-at-home Harry Potter fans.
New Kid 
5th Grader Walker F. (11 years old; Milwaukee, WI) recommends New Kid by Jerry Craft because, “I liked that a kid learns how to make friends.” Author Jerry Craft talks about the book here. Click here for the book trailer.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
5th Grader Jackson W. (11 years old; Cookeville, TN) recommends The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger because, “This book is about a paper wad Yoda that Dwight (who is not so smart) carries on his finger. Origami Yoda is smart and answers kid’s questions. It’s funny.” Watch the author, Tom Angleberger, cook and share a book here.
Took 
5th Grader Annika W. (10 years old; Gaithersburg, MD) recommends Took by Mary Downing Hahn because, “I liked this book because it’s a mystery and it’s creepy. Also because it’s very detailed.” Here is a free digital book with trial.
MIDDLE SCHOOL:
Goddess Girls
6th Grader Addison P. (11 years old; Franklin, TN) recommends Goddess Girls by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams because, “I like goddess girls because it has relations to some teen’s life and is easy to understand.”
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Divergent 
6th Grader Maya S. (11 years old; Greenville, NC) recommends Divergent by Veronica Roth because, “I love this book and recommend it to others because it is an action-packed book that includes the struggles the main character, Tris, goes through and how she gets through them.” Here’s a free digital book version.
Boy 21
7th Grader Sam G. (12 years old; Grand Rapids, Michigan) recommends Boy 21 by Matthew Quick because, “I like it because it is about basketball, characters are likable, and it is realistic fiction.” Here’s a free digital book version.
Wings of Fire 
8th Grader Terrance R. (14 years old; Jacksonville, NC) recommends Wings of Fire: The Poison Jungle by Tui T. Sutherland because, “it displays adventures and characters in a creative way.” See the book trailer here. Read an excerpt here.
HIGH SCHOOL:
The Princess Curse
9th Grader Anna R. (14 years old; Greenville, NC) recommends The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell because “Right off the bat there’s action and mystery. And it only gets better from there. It keeps you engaged the entire time and gives you an unexpected twist at the end.” Read a free sample here.
Homegrown 
9th Grader Keller F. (15 years old; Greenville, NC) recommends Homegrown: How the Red Sox Built a Champion from the Ground Up because “This is a great book if you love baseball. It explains how a championship winning team is formed.” Read a free sample here. Listen to a free sample here.
PRO-TIPS:
1. Let them Choose Easy Books
Reading challenging texts sometimes is good, but when reading for pleasure we should all (young and old alike) be reading easy books that we choose. Kids get better at reading when they actually read, and they tend to read more when reading is easy and enjoyable. So even if it is really annoying you that your fourth grader wants to keep reading those Big Nate books, bite your tongue! Big Nate is funny and easy and comfortable – like putting on sweatpants and slippers. Let them read these easy books sometimes so they keep thinking that reading is fun and easy and comfortable and a thing they might want to do when given the CHOICE instead of a thing a grown-up is making them do. Give them space to read what they want, especially at this stay-at-home time.
2. Fix Your Talk About Reading
Try to position reading as a thing that is fun and enjoyable. This means stop saying “You HAVE to read today” and “You better get your reading done.” This positions reading as a chore … akin to sweeping the floor, emptying the dishwasher, taking out the trash. When we constantly talk about it this way, kids pick up on the idea that reading is a thing we have to do, a thing we have to get through, a thing to get checked off the list. Rather, try to think about how you can talk about reading in a positive way: “You get to read today.” “Have you gotten to read yet today?” “Can I read that book when you’re done?” “My book is so good, I can’t wait to read it later.”
3. Get Them Talking about Books
Figure out how to get kids talking about the books they are reading. Ask them open-ended questions like, “Tell me about that book,” “Who’s your favorite character and why?” “Which of your friends might like this book and why?” “Which character is most like/different from you and why?” Encourage your kids to talk to relatives and friends (phone, video) about the books they are reading. Encourage cousins to read the same book so they can talk about it or write emails or postcards to one another about it. Small children can draw and share pictures about their favorite books. The point is to help them go beyond the book to think and share and articulate their thinking. Reading comprehension is strengthened through talk.
Check out this list of ways to get free digital books and read alouds I put together.
And if they don’t want to read, even after you let them choose, try an audio book. Set it up, stick the ear buds in their ears, and shove them out the door to the front porch for a bit. Audible is offering free audio books right now.
Here’s a list of resources for at-home reading from ReadENC.
Elizabeth Swaggerty is an Associate Professor of Literacy Education at East Carolina University who can be reached at swaggertye@ecu.edu. Special thanks to Lenise Tillery for her assistance with this post.
