Thursday, April 15, 2010

Something magical has happened



Something has happened which I dreamed of for the last year and thought might never happen. Suddenly and passionately my son is reading. Reading so much that he has is finding it hard to stop. I know this blog is about my own reading experiences but what has happened with my son is one of the most satisfying things and I had to share it.

Up to now he has run away from books, found reading boring and seen attempts to make him read as something sinister. But things have now changed. The catalyst has been the Beast Quest book series which appeal to him in a way that other books that have been waved under his nose just never seemed to. he has raced through the first eight books and has already got the next 7 sitting on his shelf waiting to be read.

He cannot put them down for now and that is wonderful. He might tire of them but hopefully by the time that happens he will have been well and truly bitten by the reading bug.

if there is a piece of advice I can pass onto anyone with a child that has got halfway through year 3 without showing much interest in books it is to keep trying different authors.

What appeals about Beast Quest is the number of books in the series - 42 and counting - and the cards that you cut out in the back but also the stories. They are sold in series of six and are interlinked. Maybe they are not for your son but have a look and try out some of the series that have been created for children and don't give up hope. I nearly had but can't believe it now.