How to Raise a Reader

Do you remember your first visit to where the wild things are? Or curling up for hours on end to discover the secret of the Sorcerer's Stone, or the fate of the "one ring to rule them all?" So now, as parents, how do you instill in your kids that timeless, time-stopping, and extremely valuable joy of reading? Written by Pamela Paul, who oversees all book coverage at The New York Times, and Maria Russo, the children's book editor at the Times - and inspired by their 2018 article that went viral instantly, reaching hundreds of thousands of Times readers - How to Raise a Reader combines clear practical advice, wisdom, inspiration, tips, lists, and insider know-how to give parents all the tools they need to instill a love of reading in their children. Divided into four sections that correspond to the child's age and reading level, from baby to teenager - and whimsically illustrated by a different children's book artist per section - each page of the book offers something useful: how to develop rituals around reading, best ways to make reading a family activity, how to engage a reluctant reader, why not to push Harry Potter too early, building a library. There are "Pro Tips for Reading Out Loud," "What to Look for in Middle Grade Graphic Novels," "When Teenagers Take Reading Time-Outs," and so much more. Including an extensive final chapter listing "Books to Love by Theme and Reading Level," an invaluable reference for parents, grandparents, and even kids looking for their next book. School is where children learn they have to read. Home is where children can learn to love to read - and become readers. And reading, as experts now know, is essential to developing those life skills, like self-regulation and executive function, that make us all-around happier and better adjusted.