I’ve said it time and time again, I have the hardest time getting Matthew to read.  I just don’t know what it is.  I don’t understand why my children don’t like to read.  It bothers me.  I thought that perhaps canceling the cable would help push him to read, and while he read more than I thought he would after the cable was gone (read: once) he still doesn’t read like I want him to.

Apparently, I’m not the only one who feels this way.

A few months ago, I did a review on a book by James Patterson called “The Dangerous Days of Daniel X” which was specifically written by Patterson for boys around the age of 10.  He has a son Matthew’s age and so he knows, as a parent, what it’s like to deal with kids who say there aren’t any good books out there.  That’s what they say.

According to the 2008 Kids and Family Reading Report by Yankelovich and Scholastic, despite 80% of parents wanting their kids to read for fun, most kids claim there aren’t enough really good books for their age group.

I think it’s more of a case of kids thinking that they know it all.  There are tons of books out there and NONE of them are really good for their age group?

Ok. Fine. Whatever.

But Patterson wasn’t ready to roll over and play dead.  (Which, let me interject for a moment.  I can only imagine what Mr. Patterson feels like.  I’m just a book worm who wants her son to read occassionally…he’s an AUTHOR and his son doesn’t want to read?  I think I would have an issue with that.)

Anywho, James Patterson has taken this issue to heart. He knows that one of the main obstacles for young readers is a lack of books kids can truly connect with,  those rare stories that draw you in and keep you reading until the very last word. We  can all remember the joy of a great book from our own childhood; begging to stay up ten more minutes to finish a chapter, then hiding under the covers with a flashlight to read “just one more.” Shoot, there were times that my mother would tell me to go take a shower and I would start the water and then sit and read.  When she would come around and ask me if I was almost done and that I was using up all the hot water, I would quick hop in the shower, get wet and get out, only to take my book up to my room and continue reading.  Patterson has made it his mission to give this experience to children everywhere and instill in them a love of reading.

He’s recently launched a website called ReadKiddoRead.com.  He’s serious about this!  The website lists books by age group and genre for children whether you’re still reading to them or they are reading on their own as well as provides resources for finding book discounts and promotions, features interviews and contributions from authors and celebrities, and even allows members to connect with each other via a Ning community. Providing kids with a love of and appreciation for books gives them something that will remain with them throughout their lives, and this resource helps make that possible. Plus, if anyone can get even the most reluctant readers interested in great stories, it’s James Patterson.

If you have a love for books or a child who does not, it’s definately a site that you should check out and pass along to all of your friends.  Matthew thoroughly enjoyed Dangerous Days of Daniel X that Mother Talk sent us to review, so perhaps when I tell them that James Patterson is behind this site, he’ll want to check it out and have a little faith in it.

Until next time…

Filed under books, books for kids, books for teens, websites |