How To Raise Readers
My kids have read 1,000+ books. Here's everything I've learned.
I really believe reading is one of the most important things you can do with your kids. Not in a pressure-filled, stressing everyone out, kind of way but in a simple, consistent, this is simply part of our life way.
The truth is, kids don’t fall in love with reading because someone taught them to with a curriculum or drills. They fall in love with it because books become just as valued as toys. Because someone sat next to them and read out loud, even on the extremely tired parenting days. Because stories were how our family made sense of the world, and stories were just an integral part of our routine.
As someone who has raised tiny readers who have now read over 1,000 books, I think I’ve found some pretty valuable tips along the way…or just ways I’ve tried to create magic while reading. So here’s everything I’ve done to make it happen and ideas you can take and implement in your own home too.
Give Them Access
The best way to build a love of books is to SURROUND yourselves with a variety of them. We thrift for books constantly (basically at least 1-2 a month). My kids come with me, they pick out whatever sparks an interest, and for $1-$3 they walk away with a new book or 4. ThriftBooks online has also been a game changer for filling out series without spending a lot, and is where I get a ton of our homeschooling books from. Our shelves are full and it didn’t cost much, which means we can say yes a lot. And do not sleep on your local library, we constantly have 20-30 books checked out at a time and it’s the easiest way to discover a new series or a new topic of interest without investing too much money.
Make It an Experience
One of the cutest things we’ve done was start decorating our own library tote bags. We grabbed plain canvas totes, paint, and some patches and I just let the kids go. My son painted a race car on his, my daughter covered hers in unicorns. Now going to the library feels that much more special because everyone brings their own bag and they can fill it to their heart’s content.
We also do book picnics and honestly this one requires almost zero effort. Grab a blanket, tell everyone to bring whatever they’re currently reading, add snacks, and go outside. No agenda, no timer, no plan. Some of our best afternoons have happened this way and it pairs perfectly after a library trip.
Chapter Book Movie Nights
Our absolute favorite thing, the one my kids ask about before we even finish a book, is our chapter book movie nights. Here’s how it works: we pick a chapter book and read it together as a family for a month. I’ll read a few chapters before bed, maybe some at breakfast, whenever we can squeeze it in. And when we finish it, we celebrate with a movie night.
I make tickets on canva. We do a themed food spread. Sometimes we invite friends. It turns finishing a book into something worth looking forward to and it makes reading series or books feel like a huge celebration.
When we finished The One and Only Ivan we turned our kitchen into the Big Top Mall Food Court. Popcorn in red and white striped boxes, animal crackers with cannoli dip, elephant biscuits…honestly whatever screams circus I tried to recreate.
When we finished The Wild Robot we did a whole robot graveyard snack scene with pretzels and popcorn and ate chips in silver buckets I decorated to look like Roz. The ideas don’t have to be over the top at all, they just add a little bit of whimsy and they’re one of my favorite traditions.
Read Out Loud, All the Time
This one is the simplest and maybe the most important. Just read together. Before bed, at breakfast, in the car with an audiobook on. Let kids see you reading too!! Talk about what you’re reading at dinner. Make it normal, make it constant, make it something that just is a part of everyone’s daily routine. Heck, I even give my kids flashlights and fully encourage reading in bed (I’m a true 90s baby and that was my favorite thing to do).
Also don’t forget audiobooks play an important role as well! Some of our favorite series we’ve read also have yoto cards for them so I love to let my kids listen to audiobook versions of their favorite stories.
10 Chapter Books With Movies Worth Celebrating
These are our favorites books that are wonderful to read aloud AND have a movie adaptation worth watching after. Each one is a built-in celebration waiting to happen.
Charlotte’s Web- E.B. White → Charlotte’s Web (2006)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- Roald Dahl → Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) or the newer 2005 version, but I love the classic one better personally!
Matilda- Roald Dahl → Matilda (1996) or Matilda the Musical (2022)
The One and Only Ivan -Katherine Applegate → The One and Only Ivan (2020)
Mary Poppins- P.L. Travers → Mary Poppins (1964)
A Bear Called Paddington -Michael Bond → Paddington (2014)
The Wild Robot -Peter Brown → The Wild Robot (2024)
How to Train Your Dragon - Cressida Cowell → How to Train Your Dragon (2010) or the 2025 adaptation
The Tale of Despereaux - Kate DiCamillo → The Tale of Despereaux (2008)
Winnie-the-Pooh -A.A. Milne → Winnie the Pooh (2011)
For each of these 10 books I put together a themed food idea for you to take inspiration from. I’m also including a family reading tracker, and a fun book bingo challenge! All are available for paid subscribers below. 🎬📚
