PARENT TO PARENT

Q: My daughter never really like to read, but has read all the Harry Potter books. She keeps asking for more books like that. I really want her to keep reading, so I would like to find some high quality books that she will enjoy. Do you know of any?

A: The Harry Potter books are fantastic, aren't they? Many of my students have read them. Luckily, there are a couple of wonderful authors whose top quality children's stories are in the same genre.

I don't know what grade level your daughter is comfortable with, but the following suggestions are at, or slightly above, the level of the Harry Potter books.

C. S. Lewis' books, The Chronicles of Narnia, are quite popular. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is the best known, possibly because it was made into a movie. The series has seven books, all of which are equally charming, and they can be read in any order. Some people are uncomfortable with books about witchcraft, so I would like to mention that C. S. Lewis was a Christian writer. Although his children's series is pure fantasy, it presents good, strong morals and excellent character lessons in the Judeo-Christian tradition.

Another wonderful author is Madeline L. Engle. Her best known work is A Wrinkle In Time, but she has written several other books. Many Waters is fascinating, as it combines fantasy (time travel) with Biblical references (the characters meet Noah and learn about angels). Although all her books are gender neutral and can easily be enjoyed by both boys and girls, I strongly recommend her books for young ladies, since the main character in several of the books is a girl (Meg) with strong, well developed traits.

I know we are all very busy and it is difficult to find time for reading, but I would like to suggest taking the time to read at least some of the books your child is interested in. Now, I'm not going to suggest you read the books and quiz your daughter on what she has read -- yuck! I have always been a voracious reader, and loved books as a young girl. I also remember thinking that the quickest way to ruin an excellent story was to be tested on it. However, sharing part of your child's reading experience offers many opportunities to share quality time and, without any formal lessons, improve important reading skills. Additionally, reading with your daughter is an excellent way to help her expand her background and learn to enjoy a larger variety of books.

When I am working with a student at my tutor center, whether a beginning reader or a high school student, we always read out loud. Younger children read to me, while I follow along. I help them with rules for sounding out new or difficult words, using punctuation in their speech, definitions for vocabulary building, and more. I often take turns with the older students, each of us reading a section. This gives me an opportunity to demonstrate the inflections needed to give meaning to the story, making it more enjoyable and pertinent. I also help with sounding through difficult words, definitions, and often discuss literary terms and the subtleties of an author's techniques to add emotion, action, meaning, etc. It takes longer to get through a book, but it does no good to fly through a story and, in the end, miss most of what it has to say. I think this is why many people don't read -- they never learned how to enjoy a book. Another difficulty is lack of background knowledge. It is boring, even difficult, to get through a story if you have no previous knowledge of the subject matter. This is true even with simple fiction. I frequently stop my students and discuss various aspects of the story, especially if it takes place or was written in the past. For example, I have been helping a student read the classic novel, Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson. We have spent a good bit of time discussing the Great London Fog, the late Victorian Age and the middle class, even the Gin Age. All of this is mentioned in the book, and understanding the lifestyle of London at the time the book was written adds tremendous meaning. It may surprise some adults to know that many of our high school students have never heard of Scotland Yard, also mentioned in the book, and an important bit of background information if one is reading any of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries.

Don't forget to take time to listen to your daughter's comments on the book. Children have wonderful insights, and often will look for more good stories if it leads to an opportunity to share thoughts with someone special. If you've read the book, either before your daughter or with her, you will find it easier to respond to any questions or comments she may have, again offering an opportunity to share quality time.

If you have any specific questions about a particular story, please feel free to email me again. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading with your daughter.

I hope this helps,
Michele