Here on ParentDish I've tried to champion children's reading as much as possible. I have one child who is an avid reader, a real bookworm. And another child who has found reading more of a struggle to get to grips with, but who is finally developing a love of books.
I hope that some of the suggestions here have sparked off ideas for books your children might enjoy. First, we looked at books that might entice reluctant readers. Then there was a compilation of books that more confident readers might enjoy. Author Dan Freedman gave us his tips on how to get boys reading.
So here are some of the books my family has enjoyed in 2009. Some of them were published this year, most were not. Good books have timeless appeal, so I don't think that matters so much.
Please leave a comment and let us know which books your family enjoyed in 2009.
- The Mr Gum Books If you have children with a slightly wacky sense of humour, and you don't mind them shouting "The truth is a lemon meringue!" repeatedly, you will love these books by Andy Stanton.
- Diary of a Wimpy KidA great series for readers who are improving in confidence, these visually inventive books combine stick figure drawings and hand written notes. A movie is planned for 2010, so expect to see these books everywhere next year.
- History books
The Horrible Histories series on CBBC and the Terrible Trenches exhibition at the Science Museum in London gave a popularity boost to this series. The My Story novelisations also helped to make history come alive.
- Star Wars booksThe Star Wars franchise has been everywhere in 2009, and the reading books are great for any boys who need a bit of extra enticement to get reading.
- Harry PotterI think the cat is the only member of our family that hasn't read these, but as soon as they bring out a version in Meow we'll be sure to order a set. There's so much detail in the tales of the boy wizard that they lend themselves to re-reading.