Finding the Right Book

As a reading teacher, I saw many students struggle with picking a book that was just right; not too hard and not too easy.  Here are a few questions you can ask to help your child figure out if a book is a good fit.

• Do the cover & back look interesting?
• Can you read most of the words on the first page?
• Have you read a book like this before?  (If they haven't that doesn't mean they shouldn't try it.  They should just be aware if they're choosing a book that's 300 pages longer than they usually read.)
• What do you already know about the subject or setting of the book?

It's also not a bad idea to check in after the first few pages or chapters.  You can ask:

• Can you tell what you've read in your own words?
• Is it interesting?

When they've finished the book and are ready to choose another, you might want to ask:

• Did you like it?
• Can you tell what it was about in your own words?
• Would you read another book like this one?

As a teacher, I encouraged my reluctant readers to try a series.  If they liked one book, they were sure to like the others and they already had background knowledge about characters and storyline.  Good Reads also has a great list of book suggestions.