Which book persuaded your reluctant reader to read to themselves?

[Cattenberg]

DD (7) is an able reader, but you wouldn't know it from the fuss she makes about reading to an adult, or reading silently to herself. At her age, I loved reading and I wish DD enjoyed it for her own sake.

I can't really predict which books she might like. I've introduced her to books I loved as a child and newer titles that her friends really enjoy. She liked some of these too, but didn't want to finish the majority, even if I read them to her. The Horrid Henry series was a favourite for a while, and an abridged version of Heidi turned out to be a big hit.

However, I wonder if we might have turned a corner, as after reading her a chapter of Stig of the Dump by Clive King, she pronounced it her favourite book and read much of the rest by herself (although she still wanted me to read a few parts, perhaps when she was more tired than usual).

She has since read to herself some more, albeit not consistently. I'd be interested in knowing other children's favourites.

My eldest goes through phases but she was really into Beast Quest at one point. She also enjoyed reading some Roald Dahl. She read the first Harry Potter but she didn’t really enjoy it.

Ny youngest liked the Pokémon and Beast Quest early readers and the Pokemon bigger books. He’ll only read the Ultimate football heroes books now (age 8).

Jacqueline wilson

It's partly because I feel that reading so much in my spare time enabled me to punch above my weight academically. I'm not super bright and was only mediocre at maths. But because I read so much, I had good general knowledge for my age and could also write convincing waffle in my essays and exams for English, history, RE etc. Also, I hear a lot about the importance of "cultural capital" these days.

But more importantly, I loved reading and the feeling of being able to experience different times and places without leaving the house. I'd like DD to have that too. If she doesn't want to read in her leisure time when she's 16, then that's fine.

The Walking Dead graphic novels, at 12yo. Nothing interested him earlier. He'd flown through all the Wimpy Kid books at 8, Horrible Histories. He likes reading about tanks and battles mostly, so books about war 🙄

He's 14 now, still Walking Dead and war (Anne Frank, Striped Pyjamas etc).

Actually, he's about halfway through War of the Worlds and says he's enjoying the old style of writing, although he started it in March!!

We have subtitles on while watching TV. DH and I both have degrees in EngLit and a heaving bookshelf that DS is welcome to plunder. But we're not bothered that he hasn't inherited our love of reading.