Last week I shared a letter to parents of young readers who dislike reading. If you missed it, you can find it here. This week, I wanted to expand on a few more ideas to encourage reading using a few activities your young reader might already enjoy.

Comics and Graphic Novels

I’m always surprised when I hear people poo-poo this genre of literature. Not only do comics and graphic novels showcase some of the most incredible artists of our time, they offers a little something for every interest imaginable.

Super heroes? Check. Fairy tales? Check. Lions, Tigers, and Bears? Check. Check. And double check.

Growing up, we’d anxiously await Grandma’s monthly package. The cardboard and packing-tape wrapped envelope was always filled to its bursting point with coupons for mom and Sunday funnies for the family. We’d spread the colorful pages across the living room floor and read through each comic together one by one, (even the “Far Side” which dad found funny, but we didn’t usually get).

My Grammie (not to be confused with Grandma) also kept a pile of my mom’s love-worn comic books. Some of my most vivid Christmas and summer break memories are of reading and re-reading some of mom’s favorite childhood adventures. 

Now that I’m grown, I still love this artistic medium. My morning ritual includes opening up my GoComics app and reading through my favorite “newspaper” comics. Prior to moving to Washington State I had a comic shop I visited on a weekly basis. I eventually got to know the owners well enough that they left me in charge of the shop for a couple of days here and there while they were out of town. I loved getting to chat with the other regulars and newbies who came into the shop.

One of the best things about comics and graphic novels is the colorful action on the page and the quick back-and-forth banter in the bubbles.

This combination makes it easy for any reader to enter strange new worlds and discover new civilizations. Plus, with as popular as superhero and certain sci-fi film franchises have become, comic books and graphic novels are a great way to expand on your young reader’s existing love of heroes and villains. (Just watch the rating on the cover. Not all comics are suitable for all readers.)

Video Games

In another lifetime, my dad worked with and for Atari Corp. One of the perks was getting to review new games and map out solutions guides for their computer, Lynx, and Jaguar titles (many of which I still think would have kicked Nintendo’s tush if they’d been marketed better, but that’s a different matter).

After Atari’s demise in the early 90s, we moved over to the PlayStation. The best games on both platforms were the ones that included readable dialog. We’d take turns making up voices for the characters and reading the conversations out loud while playing as a family.

Maybe you’re thinking gaming can’t possibly encourage reading. Everything is video these days. There isn’t any reading to be done!

That’s not exactly true.

I play Elder Scrolls Online with my family (it’s one of many ways we stay in touch with each other) and I love that the world is filled with books that actually have short stories to read. And yes, while you can hear most of the talking, you do have to read in order to interact with certain game characters.

There’s also the option of picking up (or dusting off) older game consoles and sharing the games of your youth with the younglings. Bonus points for the chance to revisit your childhood favorites!

In closing

I may be a booklover, but I’m an also an advocate for family gaming for a number of reasons: online safety is number one, bonding time is another, and—if you choose a game with a reading component—it’s even better.

As with movies, a number of popular games also have their own book series, which will further encourage reading for your gamer/young reader.

As I said before: If you want to capture a reader’s heart, you first have to capture their attention. What better way than through a media medium they already love?

Wishing you and your family joy in reading!

(and Jen)