to think that school book boxes do a good job of putting kids off reading for life.

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Biff, Chip & Kipper
Daisy Meadows written by committee
One Roald Dahl box set for the whole school
Small mammals have adventures

None of DDs class mates read for pleasure and looking at the graded book choices I can see why.

The first book ds brought home this term was all about concrete and its many uses.

Riveting it was

I see it as the school's job to teach my children how to read and mine to teach them to love reading.

Have some interesting books at home for bedtime chapter reading.

Why don't dd and her class Mates go to the library and get books to read for pleasure

My ds pours over dorling Kindersley visual dictionaries in star wars vehicles & Harry potter Lego in the library

Nothing wrong with daisy meadows. Most 7-8 girls love them

"I see it as the school's job to teach my children how to read and mine to teach them to love reading."
Totally agree. And agree with others about encouraging library use etc. Schools do have limited resources.

That's like saying if the pencils are a bit blunt, it'll put them off writing for life.

School books are just a tiny part of learning to read

There is a world of other literature out there

Both dds LOVED the rainbow fairy books and their reading really took off.
I HATE Biff Chip and Kipper and teachers knew that so stopped giving them to dds. Till dds started complaining about NOT reading them.

All of my dc read for pleasure and unfortunately Daisy Meadows was one they all read with delight. Even ds, (age 4) although he reads them as a comedy and spends his time falling about laughing. He tells me the best bits are when the goblins come.

What do your school book boxes have in?
I looked the other day and my heart sank, they just seemed rather depressing in their uniformity.

We don't lack for books here at home - shelves is the problem.

We have a small local library where all the 5-teenage fiction is muddled up, I have no idea whether that Micheal Morpugo is for a 7 or a 12 year old. I think local usage noticably drops off once the kids are at the chapter book stage.

Some of the other parents see the reading boxes as sufficient and just another chore to get through.

DD has read dozens of Daisy Meadows so is now looking for something else - she is just not going to find it at her school. Would she find it at yours?

Adding my agreement to what soupdragon said. Although that doesn't mean that school libraries shouldn't get some better books. The kids that love reading are always the ones that have been read to at home.