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Books, Gifts, Culture

How I Turned My Kid Into a Reader

By January 20, 2016April 5th, 201746 Comments


My friend and author, Andrea Montalbano texted me this photo of her son a few weeks ago from school pick-up, which, naturally, warmed my heart. A few days earlier, she told me she’d discovered the secret to getting him excited about reading — like voracious reading — and I asked her to share it with you all. Take it away, Andy!

Until recently, my 9 year-old son, William was what I would call an eh reader. Sure, he knew how to read, and he absolutely loved it when I read to him, but his enthusiasm was lukewarm, and getting him to sit with a book on his own was a struggle.

When it came to his nightly assigned reading from school, the struggle became a battle.

His reading level was fine, but his interest level was so low that he ended up with books that were really too basic – like My Weird School – which made him drag out the 30-minute requirement with fifteen trips to the bathroom or fiddling with his timer. He was bored. Then it got worse. I allowed him to start picking books that interested him. Naturally, we immediately ended up in the world of Minecraft. I rationalized his crappy choices by saying to myself As long as he is excited about reading something does it really matter what it is?

Yes, it does.

We reached an all-time low when he tackled some version of Diary of a Wimpy Zombie Named Steve from Minecraft. I might have that title wrong. I’ve tried to block it out.

It was time for action.

Several years ago at a used book sale, I found a pile of white, hard-back books with hokey pictures on their covers. They were part of a series called Great Illustrated Classics that had been published in the 70s and 80s. The titles were impressive — Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm , 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Moby Dick, Tom Sawyer — but the shelf appeal was zero.I bought five or six for my daughter and they had sat in her room untouched, ever since. Until now.

I flipped through a few pages. There were lots of illustrations. I remembered the stories from my high school English classes. They were classics!

It was worth a shot.

Which book to start with? I chose 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne and invited William to sit with me on the couch so I could read to him. This is always a home run — I’ve read to him nearly every night of his life, until ironically, he learned to do it himself. (That’s a whole ‘nother post!)

We started with the “About the Author” section, and he was interested, but skeptical. But then we were were captured. We went overboard. We met Captain Nemo! (No, not named after the darn Disney fish!) After about three chapters, he stopped me and said, “Mom, just give me the book.”

He was hooked. He plowed through 20,000 Leagues in one day. Next, he dove into Robinson Crusoe. Then we called him Ishmael. We moved on shore to White Fang, Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Frankenstein and.honestly? I’ve lost count. He started trading with his friends. He brought them to school. He made his teacher happy. He made his mother very happy.

Some of the beauty of the books (for me, at least) is that while the language has been abridged, none of the plots have been sugar-coated. When White Fang goes after another dog for revenge, he kills the dog. The dog dies. Robinson Crusoe runs into quite a few cannibals. In Frankenstein, the monster Edward kills his wife on his wedding night, not to mention his brother, his father, his sisters.

So there’s that.

But, that’s how the stories were written. And, one of the many reasons they are considered classics.

We took a little breather after Frankenstein, but I have to admit, I appreciated a little step away from the participation-trophy mentality. The good guys don’t always win, and that’s an important lesson.


An added benefit? Connecting with older generations. When William told his aunts, uncles or great uncles what he was reading, they would say, “Oh I remember falling in love with those stories when I was a kid!” Plus, cannibalism can certainly get a conversation going.

To me, the classics are classics for a reason. The stories are timeless and exciting, and yes, sometimes harsh. I love the fact that my son adores books written hundreds of years ago — and I know there aren’t too many kids who walk around yelling “Call me Ishmael!” But there should be.

William is still making his way through the series — I think there are about 99 of them — but he’s on to other books as well. The 30-minute requirement is a breeze, and often completed three times on any given day.

Last week, he was out of breath when he got to the car after school. “Sorry I’m late Mom, I was in the library getting a book.”

No problem, William. No problem at all.


Thanks Andrea! Thanks William!

Andrea Montalbano is the author Breakaway and the three-part tween series Soccer Sisters, to be released this year by Jabberwocky Press. You can follow her on Twitter or Facebook.

Related:
Graphic Novel Classics for Kids
Guys Read, Jon Scieszka’s website devoted to getting boys excited about books
George Saunders’  favorite kids’ books, and why he, too, appreciates a little darkness in childrens’ literature (see “Dear Mili”)

46 Comments

  • Avatar Heather says:

    Love this! It totally worked with our 7 yr old. Something else I’ve done is leave a flashlight and a book under his pillow so he could “secretly” stay up and read..our guy is now reading books like “peter and the starcatchers” and “a christmas carol” Every kid is different but it’s fun watching them get it 🙂

  • Avatar Barbara says:

    My nephew is 4 years old. I’ve started reading Paddington to him and he loves it. Apparently, he’s been telling everyone that he and I are reading grown-up, adult books. We talk about how naughty Paddington is and we discuss how we imagine each scene looks. And I enjoy as much as he does…

  • Avatar Danielle says:

    I legitimately read those exact books as a kid, I’m 32 now and still remember them fondly

  • Avatar Kirsten Larson says:

    I could have written this post! We found an illustrated version of MOBY DICK at a garage sale, and my 9-year-old declared it one of his favorites. We started on this series in earnest a few months ago, also with 20,000 LEAGUES because I had just finished reading ALL THE LIGHT. Right now he’s loving SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON.

  • Avatar Georgia says:

    I grew up on these books- White Fang was the first one I picked up and I’ve been a reading addict ever since. If only there was an equivalent for mathematics…

  • Avatar Emily says:

    I loved reading those books! We had a few, and they were so fun to read. The Time Machine was a favorite, also spooky one. I remember reading a lot of Nancy Drew/Hardy boys back then too, and a lot of books by Gary Paulsen and Robin McKinley. I’m so glad he’s found some good books to read, I’ll keep them in mind for when my kids are at that stage!

  • Avatar Lisa says:

    The first book my less than excited third grade reader finished was one of these – The Wizard of Oz. She was wowed to learn (and share with everyone) that Dorothy’s slippers were actually silver and not red! They really are hidden treasures. I remember reading Great Expectations in a day 30 years ago.

    Another great series is the “Who Was…” for kids. Great primers of historical biographies. http://www.amazon.com/Who-Was-Anne-Frank-Abramson/dp/0448444828/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453729771&sr=8-1&keywords=who+was+anne+frank

  • Avatar Katy says:

    I read a few of those when I was younger. Some of them do a better job than others of making the story as interesting as the original work. I will say that it did encourage me to go out and find the source novels and read them.

  • Avatar Janie says:

    Thank you for this! I ordered 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea for my 7-year-old right after reading your post and he’s hooked! I would love to hear recommendations of other books your son enjoys.

    • Avatar Andrea says:

      He also loved Moby Dick, White Fang, and Robinson Crusoe. He was captivated by Frankenstein, but as I mentioned, it was a little more violent than I recalled. Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn (“this kid is a troublemaker!”), Swiss Family Robinson. The only one that he didn’t love was Last of the Mohicans, but that was a slightly tougher read, I think. Some of the books are harder than others, which is why I generally read the first chapter with him. So glad to read that your 7-year-old enjoyed! Right now … he’s looking for the Headless Horseman. We’re waiting on Dracula. He also has started some graphic novels (thank you Phoebe) and adores them, too. Best of luck!

  • Avatar Abby says:

    As a voracious childhood reader, I read the Illustrated Classics even into junior high and early high school. My reading level wasn’t low, I was using them as previews to choose which “grown-up-actual-classics” I wanted to spend my time on. Some of the unabridged versions were challenging reads, but had far more detail and intricacy that I enjoyed if I liked the basic plot. That series was my bridge to reading Ivanhoe, The Count of Monte Cristo, and many other classics.

  • Jenny Jenny says:

    haha. all fixed. thx!

  • Avatar Becky says:

    in my 30’s am still a poor reader. i don’t like reading. sad

  • Avatar Kristy says:

    Wow, seeing that Monte Cristo cover throws me straight back to first grade. That and Great Expectations were some of the first Illustrated Classics I encountered. I remember my mom reading them to me and while I didn’t understand the full scope of human nature enraptured in the stories, the draw of criminals and revenge and mysterious old ladies drew me in.

  • Avatar Cindy W says:

    Just wanted to say that my Granddaughter will be getting some Great Illustrated classics for CHristmas…she is similar to your son was, mediocre about reading…Her father (my son)is and was a voracious reader and these books started him on the journey of reading for pleasure. Thanks for your insights as i am hoping my granddaughter likes these as much as your son and mine. ITs nice to know other people struggle with similar issues 🙂
    C

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