On Reaching Reluctant Readers
Last month was all about talking to educators and librarians for me—and it’s my favorite thing to do. I talk about reaching reluctant readers, which is a topic close to my heart.
Because I’m a reluctant reader. If you show me a book with a chunky spine, I’m thinking that I probably won’t read it, or I may just skip over some parts. Maybe I’m impatient, or maybe I’m just like so many other readers like me.
Whatever the reason, it’s so very important to reach reluctant readers and keep them reading. I can throw a whole bunch of statistics your way (as a former accountant, I like numbers), but just one big one is this:
53% of 4th graders read recreationally “almost every day,” while only 20% of 8th graders. (source: dosomething.org)
So we’re losing more than half of those kids who read for fun in 4th grade by the time they reach high school. That’s bad, because reading is vital to success in just about everything, from math, to college, to plain graduating high school so you can get a job.
It’s why I love doing my talk for educators and librarians on reaching reluctant readers. Librarians and teachers are at the front line of making sure kids don’t end up on the wrong side of the statistics.
Here’s the best place to start: choice. As adults, we don’t always realize how little control kids have over what they do, wear, eat, see and read every day. And during these Covid-19 impacted years, choice has become even more scarce for kids and teens.
So here’s a simple thing you can do: take your reluctant reader to the bookstore or library (it’s free!). Then tell them: you can pick anything you want to read.
Because here’s the big secret: all reading counts. It doesn’t matter if it’s the back of a cereal box, a book with hideous pictures of the Guinness Book of World Records or Ripley’s Believe It or Not (my daughter’s favorite when she was young), or a magazine or whatever… All reading gets this magic stuff to happen in a kid’s brain that makes them better at EVERYTHING. Including math.
I know, it’s amazing. So start with choice. It’s fun too, to see wat your reluctant reader chooses. Maybe you can even read a book together.
Off my soapbox now, and on to what I’m doing in March…
Good News
There was more good news for Midnight at the Barclay Hotel this past week: the sales numbers are (much, much) better than expected—so thank you! Never in my wildest dream did I think my love for mystery wrapped in a fictional hotel would be such a success. I owe it to all of you who have been spreading the word and putting the book in classrooms and kids’ hands. Thank you.
Midnight at the Barclay Hotel also made the shortlist for the (Texas) Horned Toad Tale Award, which means lots more kids will be reading the book. I feel so fortunate for the support from teachers and librarians.
In short story news: my story set in the Stanley Hotel called Tag, You’re It was accepted for the Haunted States of America SCBWI anthology. More news on publication dates, etc. soon…
What I’m Writing
It’s editing time here in Fleur’s writing studio. Editing is hard work, so I’m setting up a nice corner (with snack bowl and seat for Luna the Floof) and playing some snappy music. I hope to finish edits on a YA mystery I’ve been working on, as well as a middle-grade spooky mystery. Wish me luck…
Daybreak on Raven Island
I’m also looking forward to the launch of Daybreak on Raven Island. I hope to do some in person signings; if you have a favorite bookstore you think I should visit, shoot me an email! And if you’re a reviewer on Edelweiss or NetGalley, I should have info on review copies in the next month or so.
In the meantime, I hope you’ll consider preordering Daybreak on Raven Island here, so you can get it hot off the press on August 23rd…
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