{"id":2414,"date":"2025-02-25T20:21:03","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T20:21:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.scholastic.ca\/scholasticblog\/?p=2414"},"modified":"2025-11-03T21:07:37","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T21:07:37","slug":"how-to-help-your-child-find-just-right-books","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.scholastic.ca\/scholasticblog\/2025\/02\/25\/how-to-help-your-child-find-just-right-books\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Help Your Child Find Just-Right Books"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:4px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It might be surprising to learn your child has trouble finding books they enjoy. More surprising: Research shows parents consistently underestimate this challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scholastic.ca\/readingreport\/what-parents-and-kids-want.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Scholastic Kids &amp; Family Reading Report<\/a>, 47% of readers ages 6 to 17 say they have difficulty finding books they like. Infrequent readers say it more, 69% having difficulty finding the right books for them. But only 36% of parents recognize their children face this challenge \u2014 illustrating a real disconnect between how parents think the reading is going and what kids are actually experiencing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are tips for finding that just-right book for your young reader.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:4px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Let kids follow their interests.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We know it\u2019s essential for parents to model strong reading behaviors when raising a reader. But it\u2019s also important that kids be allowed to navigate the wide world of books on their own. Kids enjoy the books they choose most. So, while you\u2019re committed to guiding their reading habits, it\u2019s best to let them pick their reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Letting kids choose their own books is a must for testing out what sticks and what doesn\u2019t as reader tastes develop.&nbsp; If your child chooses a book you feel is above or below their <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.scholastic.ca\/scholasticblog\/2024\/05\/22\/how-to-determine-the-reading-level-of-a-book\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reading level<\/a>, that\u2019s okay! You can offer to read it with them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Above all, you want to make sure you are providing steady access to books, as children will work out quickly what doesn\u2019t appeal to them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:4px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Encourage a variety of genres and formats.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Novels are the standard many parents have in mind when they think of reading progress. If novels aren\u2019t working for your child, don\u2019t push it. There\u2019s a whole universe of reading out there to explore before they find the book that\u2019s just right for them \u2014 and finding a place to start can be intimidating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important to remind your child that there are a variety of book genres and formats which might appeal to them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps your striving reader will enjoy <a href=\"https:\/\/bookclubs.scholastic.ca\/s\/cec-ca\/en\/search?cgid=root&amp;prefn1=coolGenre&amp;prefv1=Nonfiction%7CDocumentaire&amp;prefn2=itemType-cec-ca&amp;prefv2=N&amp;prefn3=languageCode-cec-ca&amp;prefv3=English%7CFrench%7CAnglais%7CFran%C3%A7ais&amp;prefn4=moreSupplies-cec-ca&amp;prefv4=Book%20Clubs%7CClub%20de%20lecture&amp;start=0&amp;sz=20&amp;navFilterId=coolGenre&amp;navFilterValue=Nonfiction%7CDocumentaire&amp;collid=Non-Fiction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">non-fiction<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/bookclubs.scholastic.ca\/s\/cec-ca\/en\/search?prefn1=bookType&amp;prefv1=Comics%2C%20Graphic%20Novels%20and%20Manga%7CBande%20dessin%C3%A9e%2C%20Roman%20graphique&amp;prefn2=itemType-cec-ca&amp;prefv2=N&amp;prefn3=languageCode-cec-ca&amp;prefv3=English%7CFrench%7CAnglais%7CFran%C3%A7ais&amp;collid=Graphic%20Novels\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">graphic novels<\/a>. Or if your child is big into gaming, there are tie-in <a href=\"https:\/\/bookclubs.scholastic.ca\/en\/search?cgid=root&amp;navFilterId=coolTheme&amp;navFilterValue=Video%20Games%20and%20Gaming\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">books about gaming<\/a> that bring those visual adventures to the page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Series are another way to initiate and maintain reader interest. Children who find characters they like in the first volume are likely to stay on and see how these characters\u2019 challenges unfold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What you want your child to experience with books is success \u2014 which could be often qualified as finishing a book. Once your child experiences success with a book, they\u2019ll want to read more. That\u2019s where series can be a powerful tool for propelling reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:4px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Check in with teachers to gauge current interests.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Teachers stress that communication with parents is key to tracking children\u2019s developing interests. Checking in with your child\u2019s teachers can help steer you toward books your child may enjoy \u2014 and prompt richer conversations about books at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By honoring your interests and your child\u2019s \u2014 and by grabbing a few extra titles for every one your child chooses when you\u2019re picking out books \u2014 your child will reap the rewards of reading widely and frequently. They\u2019ll also be sure to find something just right for them among the stacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:4px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shop best-sellers across genres below to find that just-right book for your child. You can find more books and activities at <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/bookclubs.scholastic.ca\/en\/home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Scholastic Book Clubs<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:4px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>Originally published by Scholastic Parents on August 12, 2022. Versioned for Scholastic Canada.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It might be surprising to learn your child has trouble finding books they enjoy. More surprising: Research shows parents consistently underestimate this challenge. According to the Scholastic Kids &amp; Family&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2415,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[5,6,84,53,7,38],"class_list":["post-2414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reading-tips","tag-book-clubs","tag-book-fairs","tag-families","tag-february","tag-parents","tag-reading"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Help Your Child Find Just-Right Books | Scholastic at School Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scholastic.com\/parents\/books-and-reading\/raise-a-reader-blog\/choosing-just-right-books-young-readers.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Help Your Child Find Just-Right Books | Scholastic at School Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It might be surprising to learn your child has trouble finding books they enjoy. 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