There's a book out there for everyone. You just have to seek out topics and authors which capture your interest. My son has proven that time and time again.
If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that GreenGuy's favorite sport is football. So, it makes sense that any such related book would be of interest.
His favorite author of football fiction is Tim Green, but he recently found a book by Mike Lupica that he couldn't put down until he had finished it. Really, before I even realized he had gone up to his room to read it, he was done!
He's tried other Mike Lupica books before, and a lot of children enjoy them, but for some reason the ones he tried didn't click with GreenGuy. It could have been that many of them were basketball related. He also has some baseball related books, though. I don't know why GreenGuy isn't so fast to pick those up. I think some of them have some rather serious themes, so maybe that has to do with it. I haven't read them myself, though, so I can't say for sure.
Anyway, the Mike Lupica book that GreenGuy got lost in this time is called Million-Dollar Throw
Sometimes, we seem to like every book an author writes, and sometimes we relate more to a certain topic written about. When you find an author you love, it makes reading selections easy - until you get through all of the books. Sometimes, it's really exciting to wait for the next book by an author, though, whether it's a series or not.
So, if your child has run out of books by a certain author, seek out another book about a similar topic! You might just discover another favorite author - or even genre - of books. GreenGuy certainly loves nonfiction photographic sports-related books, and even historical fiction.
By the way, GreenGuy actually found this book at the public library while he was looking for another book by David Lubar to read. Since Lupica is right near Lubar, there you go!
The goal is not only to keep our children reading, but to teach them how to seek out great reading materials on their own as well. Parents won't always be there to provide guidance, after all.
When children learn how to seek out enjoyable books in a variety of ways (through friends, online resources, and actual library/bookstore visits), they're learning valuable research skills. In this age of information, it's so important to be able to sort it all out!
I'd also like to call your attention to a couple of related links, which @JensBookPage tweeted through Twitter this week:
- TheHappyNappyBookseller blog's The Baseball Lineup And How It Came To Be
- Chasing Ray's What a Girl Wants #13: Because we are all daughters of Wilma Rudolph (Jen actually found link via @KateMessner)
Thank you, Jen Robinson, for these great links!
I haven't given you an update about StrawberryGirl's reading materials in a while, but I'll try to do so within the next few weeks. In the meantime, what types of books, subjects, and authors does your tween or teen enjoy most? What resource(s) does she or he use to seek them out?
Have a great weekend!
