Things for kids to read

10 Things For Kids to Read Besides Books

In today’s post Jodie of Growing Book by Book shares ten useful non-book resources for encouraging kids to read.

We want kids to read, read and read some more. There are so many wonderful books to read that it would be almost impossible to run out of choices. But, sometimes our kids don’t have access to books or might be resistant to picking up a book. Not to fret! There are lots of other things to read besides books to build literacy skills.

1. Letters or Postcards
Have family and friends send postcards to your child when they travel. A letter from a pen-pal or grandparent is a meaningful piece of reading that your child will treasure. Plus, he or she can write a letter back.

2. Magazines
There are many great magazine subscriptions available or you can pick up single copies at a local book store. Our favorites include Highlights, Zoo Books and National Geographic for Kids. Magazines are great for traveling. They are light weight and if it gets lost you are only out a few dollars.

3. Closed Captioning
Most televisions have a closed captioning setting. Kids can listen and read along with the program. Or, you can turn off the sound and your child can follow-along by reading.

4. Menus
Let your child order their dinner when you go out to eat. Or, make your own menus for dinner one night at home.

5. Comics
Your local newspaper will have daily and weekly comics. Let your child get hooked on following a particular strip. Everybody in the family can take a section of the paper and read together.

6. Bill Boards and Street Signs
Reading can take place in the car too. Use the signs along the road. Ask your child, “I need to make a right turn on Market Street. Let me know when we get to that street please.”

7. Seed Packs
A trip to a local nursery is full of reading material. Let your child pick a few seed packets that they would like to plant. Have him or her read the back of the packet to check the amount of light needed in order to grow. They can also check planting depths, growing heights and bloom time frames.

8. Cereal Boxes
Exploring the cereal box which is great way to encourage reading at breakfast!

9. Maps
We recently took a trip. My oldest son sat with the atlas in his lap for most of the trip following a path my husband had highlighted. He used the road signs to monitor our progress.

10. Toy Packaging
Did your child receive a new toy for a birthday or holiday? Save the packaging! Your child will have great interest in reading everything he or she can about that new toy they have been wanting. My son recently got a new Lego set and couldn’t put down the directions.

So, make a variety of reading resources available to your kids. The more practice they get from reading things that interest them, the more they will associate reading with pleasure!

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Jodie Rodriguez has a passion for helping caregivers nurture our youngest readers. As a former National Board Certified early-childhood, elementary teacher and administrator, she has worked with thousands of families and educators providing best literacy practices. She lives near St. Louis, Missouri and now stays home with home with her two young sons.

15 Cool Things for Kids to Read

Our award-winning magazines for kids deliver a monthly dose of encouragement, keeping kids of every age inspired and challenged. Help them learn and grow with kids magazines from Highlights!

There’s a mantra that literacy experts like to chant: “Honor all print.” That means the back of a cereal box and directions for a new game count when you’re encouraging your child to read more. “Reading anything promotes fluency and comprehension,” says Jamie Steiner, who teaches literacy at Mary McDowell Friends School in Brooklyn, NY. “The more you read, the more you want to read.” 

And home is where kids can—and should—have limitless choice about what to read.

1. Let kids read: Signs

Such as: Road signs, street signs, license plates, even directional arrows

Thumbs up because: Interpretive reading is still reading.

Try this: Play Road Trip or Travel Bingo.

Appeals to: Visual learners

Such as: Newspaper strips, classic comic books, graphic novels

Thumbs up because: They’re fun to read and easy to dip in and out of when time is short.

Try this: Leave favorites like “Garfield” and “Peanuts” in the car or around the house.

Appeals to: Kids reluctant to tackle novels

Such as: Grocery, school supplies and to-do lists

Thumbs up because: Mundane tasks are more fun when they’re interactive.

Try this: Have kids read lists out loud to you and cross off items and chores when completed.

Appeals to: Kids who blanch at long paragraphs

Such as: The wording on breakfast bars, yogurt cups, cereal boxes

Thumbs up because: There’s plenty of good info in all that print.

Try this: Search for words that begin with each letter of the alphabet.

Appeals to: Kids who would otherwise bring digital devices to the breakfast table

Such as: Wall, handheld or digital styles

Thumbs up because: It keeps kids in the loop and teaches a must-have organizing skill.

Try this: Let readers add playdates, lessons, quizzes, tests and more.

Appeals to: Kids who learn well through graphics

Such as: Maps, games, recipes, GPS

Thumbs up because: Reading directions aloud is a subtle way to give a child more literacy practice.

Try this: Ask your child to read directions to you while you’re cooking or driving.

Appeals to: Those with patience—or who need help with patience

Such as: Cootie Catchers

Thumbs up because: It is light reading mixed with origami and the fun of playing.

Try this: Check out videos on YouTube for how to make Cootie Catchers.

Appeals to: Crafty types

Such as: The iconic hard-copy pads or online printables

Thumbs up because: It’s a creative way to get a grammar workout.

Try This: Mad Libs App lets you play with friends.

Appeals to: Families who like humor

Such as: Twitter feeds like yours or @Highlights 

Thumbs up because: 280 characters max!

Try this: Follow a favorite author and share regular updates with your child.

Appeals to: Digital fans

Such as: Musicals like Hamilton or Dear Evan Hansen or songs of a favorite artist

Thumbs up because: They engage kids in the poetry of music.

Try this: Print out and read/sing along.

Appeals to: Aural learners; pop-culture fans

Such as: Boggle, Scrabble, crossword puzzles

Thumbs up because: Reading and fun in one sitting

Try this: Apps like Word Snack and digital versions of the old standbys

Appeals to: Kids who like to amass points, scores and levels

Such as: Animals, space exploration, soccer—there are quotes for everything.

Thumbs up because: Kids can search the Web and read you their finds.

Try this: Make a wall or door sign with a favorite saying.

Appeals to: People with passions

Such as: On TV, as a game

Thumbs up because: Reading meets knowledge.

Try this: Stage a Jeopardy night with pizza and TV.

Appeals to: Gamers, trivia fans

Such as: One person writes down a sentence or two, folds the paper and passes it to the next person who continues the story.

Thumbs up because: Funny to read aloud at the end, like Mad Libs, only more homegrown.

Try this: Play around a dining table with the entire family

Appeals to: Imaginative sorts

Such as: Pokémon, baseball, basketball, etc.

Thumbs up because: It combines literacy with math as kids sort and sequence and absorb stats.

Try this: Quiz your child on cards from their collection.

Appeals to: Budding collectors

30 books worth reading to children before they grow up

Books for preschoolers

1. "Tales", Korney Chukovsky

Grandfather Korney's favorite fairy tales seem to be straight from the childhood of today's mothers and fathers. Chukovsky believed that one should write for children only in a state of happiness, and conveyed this happiness in all available ways: rhythm, sounds, meanings and images. Moidodyr, Aibolit, Fedora - you must admit that such heroes could only be born in a good mood.

Buy the book

2. "Uncle Styopa", Sergei Mikhalkov

Strong, modest, fair uncle Styopa is an example for everyone in sports, in the service, and in the family. The exploits of this superhero are described in verses that are easy to memorize.

Buy the book

3. “Under the mushroom.

A colorful collection of favorite cartoon classic fairy tales. Kind, mischievous, instructive and understandable stories for kids will tell you that you should think about your actions, explain why you shouldn’t be capricious, and teach you to share.

Buy the book

4. "The Cat's House", Samuil Marshak

"Tili-bom, tili-bom, the cat's house caught fire!" Marshak's early play about a rich cat aunt and her poor orphan nephews was written for an orphanage theater in Krasnodar and is still played in every kindergarten to this day. A simple syllable, easy rhyme, many characters, an instructive story - what kids need.

Buy the book

5. Uncle Fyodor, dog and cat. All stories”, Eduard Uspensky

Serious and independent Uncle Fyodor, economic Matroskin, simple-hearted Sharik, harmful postman Pechkin... Residents of the village of Prostokvashino are part of the cultural code of millions of Russians.

A lot of funny moments from the life of prostokvashins remained behind the scenes of famous cartoons, but they are available in the book. What is especially valuable in it is that Eduard Uspensky speaks with children on an equal footing, without an instructive shaking of his finger.

Buy the book

6. Vinnie the Witch's Travels by Valerie Thomas

Stories about the witch Winnie and her cat Wilbur are European classics of the last 30 years, awarded with honorary awards. Why is this clumsy lady with unshaven legs and an uncombed head so good? The absence of complexes! And she also does a lot of magic and enjoys every day she lives, even if everything does not go as planned.

Buy the book

7. “Magic Around the World. 50 stories about animals from around the world”, Angela McAllister

What fairy tales do kids in the North like? And in South America? This book will become a guide to the fascinating traditions of the peoples of the whole world. From childhood, the child will know the cultural characteristics of different peoples, the history of the flora and fauna of each continent.

Buy the book

8. Strawberry Fairy. In Wonderland, Stefanie Dahl

A series of books about the life of the little Strawberry Fairy in a fairy forest is a German bestseller that looks like the dreams of all little girls at once. Ripe berries, neat cakes, kind animals and fairies in beautiful dresses visit each other, participate in magic contests and travel in a hot air balloon.

Buy the book

9. Bear and Gusik. It's time for bed now!", John Jory

The story of the relationship between the slow Bear and the hyperactive Goose was named one of the best illustrated books of 2017 by Amazon. And she has every chance to become a classic of the future. The book is full of funny dialogues and scenes built on the contrast of the characters' temperaments. At the same time, she talks about such serious things as defending personal boundaries and paying attention to the desires of friends.

Buy the book

10. "Paul becomes a football star", Brigitte Weninger

Good stories about the life of a large rabbit family - another contender for the title of modern classics. There are four exciting stories in the book: "Paul Becomes a Football Star", "Paul Loves Mom", "Happy Birthday Paul", "Paul on Summer Vacation". Each story sets up young readers on a wave of creation and mutual assistance.

Buy a book

Books for junior schoolchildren

11. "Bad advice", Grigory Oster

When an inquisitive child grows up and tests the world for strength - draws on wallpaper, swims in puddles and generally has unbridled behavior in everyday life - only bad advice can help him. Let him develop a sense of humor and do as he is used to - the opposite is true.

Buy the book

12. "Deniska's stories", Victor Dragunsky

Victor Dragunsky's stories about Denis Korablev are dedicated to his son. For him, Dragunsky wrote most of the stories, it was his son Denis who was their main reviewer. The collection contains stories about funny and sometimes dangerous adventures, about first love, about miracles and incredible coincidences.

Buy the book

13. "The Extraordinary Adventures of Karik and Vali", Jan Larry

Amazing adventures of a brother and sister who once accidentally drank a diminutive liquid. From Professor's laboratory, Karik and Valya find themselves in the world of the jungle and giant monsters: on an ordinary-looking lawn near their house. A fascinating book with a complete immersion in the world of entomology and botany!

Buy the book

14. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain

An adventure story about a mischievous boy, Tom Sawyer, who cannot live a day without getting involved in some kind of adventure. Life is fun, but not at all as easy as Tom would like: either they will force you to go to school, or your aunt will instruct you to do boring household chores. But the boy still manages to come off to the fullest. He runs away from home, becomes a pirate, exposes a killer and does a lot of other exciting things.

Buy the book

15. "Three fat men", Yuri Olesha

The story of the tightrope walker Tibulus and the gunsmith Prospero, who, together with the common people, fight for justice and freedom against the three Fat Men - despotic tyrants who seized power until the legitimate heir Tutti came of age. Doctor Gaspar and a little circus girl Suok help them in this difficult task.

Buy the book

16. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

One of the most popular adventure novels about pirates and treasures. The story about the search for the treasure of Captain Flint on a desert island has absorbed old pirate legends, the spirit of wandering and adventure. As long as the secret of the treasure remains unsolved, you don't want to let go of the book.

Buy the book

17. Bob the Cat by James Bowen

A book about the friendship between a cat and a musician, based on real events. The touching story of their relationship is accompanied by colorful illustrations that are sure to please children.

Buy the book

18. "Trolls Go Home!" by Alan Macdonald

Enormous, hairy, noisy, wildly dressed and strangely smelling trolls are forced to move into the human world. And they are eager to be friends. But their neighbors, the Priddles, don't share that enthusiasm. The book is about how a big heart is always more important than appearance and habits.

Buy the book

19. "The Tale of Lost Time", Evgeny Schwartz

The book includes three children's fairy tales by Schwartz: "The Tale of Lost Time", "Two Brothers" and "The New Adventures of Puss in Boots". From them, children learn how important it is to learn from their mistakes, think about actions, not be scattered over trifles and not despair in hopeless situations.

Buy the book

20. "Malachite Box", Pavel Bazhov

Oral legends of the Ural miners are carried away into a world where reality is intertwined with magic so closely that it is impossible to distinguish. Everything in Bazhov's fairy tales is beautiful: a mysterious atmosphere, descriptions of the way of life of the old village, an original language and, of course, images of heroes: the mistress of the Copper Mountain, Fire-riding fire, Danila the master.

Buy book

Books for secondary school age

21. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

The novel is set at the end of the 19th century. Instead of the expected boy, a girl, Anya, from an orphanage, gets into the family of a single brother and sister by mistake. She is dreamy and cheerful, but for some reason the foster parents are in no hurry to leave the orphan at home.

Buy the book

22. Scarecrow, Vladimir Zheleznikov

The most popular story by Vladimir Zheleznikov is about perseverance and first love, which is not always happy. Classmates dubbed Lenka Bessoltseva the Scarecrow for their incomprehensible naive openness. Lenka was ready to sacrifice herself for the sake of the first handsome and excellent student Dimka Somov. And he turned out to be unworthy of her coward.

Buy the book

23. Dirk, Anatoly Rybakov

Mishka, the protagonist of the story, becomes the owner of an old dagger in which he discovers an encrypted message. Together with his friends, the boy decides to unravel who it is intended for and embarks on an exciting and dangerous adventure.

Buy the book

24. "Dinka", Valentina Oseeva

Eight-year-old Dinka spends the summer with her family at the dacha. The mischievous and eccentric girl is bored with constantly sitting with her parents, so she often runs away to the banks of the Volga to look for adventure. One day she meets the orphan Lyonka there, with whom she has to go through many exciting events.

Buy the book

25. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Rudolf Erich Raspe

An old baron with a big nose sits by the fireplace and talks about incredible adventures, convincing listeners that these stories are the purest truth. He visited Russia, Lithuania, Turkey, India, America, Italy, England... Yes, where he had not been! Each country was remembered by the baron for incredible and unusual events. But is it all true?

Buy the book

26. Fifteen-year-old captain. Around the World in Eighty Days, Jules Verne

Around the World in Eighty Days is the intriguing story of Philes Fogg and his resilient servant Passepartout. The journey around the world begins with a simple dispute between Philes and teammates, and ends with a dangerous chase with persecution.

"The Fifteen-Year-Old Captain" tells the story of young Dick Sand, who had to take control of the whaling schooner Pilgrim. While traveling through Africa, the team unexpectedly encounters slaver bandits.

Buy the book

27. "Pollyanna", Elinor Porter

A novel about a little life-loving orphan girl Pollyanna, who came into the care of her stern aunt and gradually changed the life of a small town. She infected all its inhabitants with her optimism and taught to see positive aspects even in the most hopelessly sad things.

Buy the book

28. Forest Watch. Enchanted Castle”, Katya Matyushkina, Elena Khrustaleva

This detective and fairy tale takes readers on a journey through the Mysterious Forest. The locals were attacked by an equally mysterious sleeping sickness. In the mountains of Dreams, the Usypun volcano woke up: everyone who inhales its vapors falls asleep for a thousand years. This is what happened to the parents of the little mouse Shustrik.

There is only one way to wake them up - you need to get a magic elixir from a good sorceress, crows Dee Dee. But she lives far away, in the Enchanted Castle, and only those who have not yet become adults can see the path to it. Here it is, the real deal for the animals from the Forest Watch. On the way, they will meet the Tree of Predictions, Kidun Bushes, the Zaputka River, as well as labyrinths and tasks that can only be solved with the help of readers.

Buy the book

29. "Stories about Children", Valentina Oseeva

The book "Stories about Children" contains stories and novels by the best Russian authors: Arkady Gaidar, Valentina Oseeva, Mikhail Zoshchenko and others. Each child will find their favorite author. Gaidar will tell about the difficult growing up of teenagers, Oseeva - about kindness and politeness, and Zoshchenko will amuse with funny stories. This collection is a real find for schoolchildren, because the stories are written about them and for them.

Buy the book

30. "Timur and his team", Arkady Gaidar

Zhenya and Olga, the daughters of the Soviet Colonel Alexandrov, come to the dacha to spend the summer there. During a walk, Zhenya accidentally discovers the headquarters of the guys who are holding a secret meeting in the attic of an old barn. What is this mysterious organization and what do they do? The wife has to find out.

Buy book

Read also 🧐

• The 25 best books for teens
• The best books of all time that every teenager should read
• The 50 best children's books according to Hayao Miyazaki

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3. What to read to children?

It is not an easy task to choose the most interesting from the huge number of children's books. We have collected books by foreign and domestic, classical and contemporary children's writers. The heroes of these stories will teach children to be friends, to respect their parents, to be fair, to achieve their goals. Make reading together a family tradition! Where to begin? Here are some recommendations: Ian Larry's book "The Extraordinary Adventures of Karik and Vali" will introduce children to the world of plants and insects in a fairy-tale form. By negligence, Karik and Valya became tiny. Their main weapon in an unfamiliar world is knowledge. Read instructive stories about relationships with parents, teachers, classmates in the collection "The Funniest Stories". Evgeny Schwartz in "The Tale of Lost Time" shows what laziness leads to. Andrey Usachev in the book "Malusya and Rogoped" explains why it is important to pronounce words correctly. Otherwise, how can Malusya get into the country of hornopeds, stakes and kitties. Saying the R is the only way to get home. Tove Jansson in "The Tale of the Moomin Valley" created a world of good creatures who never lose heart. The hero of Mark Twain from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn will teach children to be friends. "The Adventures of Captain Vrungel" by Andrey Nekrasov tells about a trip around the world on the yacht "Trouble". Dangerous and fun challenges will teach kids not to give up. Children will love the stories from the collection “White Poodle. The best stories and stories about animals. "Kalle Blomkvist" in the trilogy Astrid Lindgren dreams of becoming a detective. An observant boy helps the police solve crimes.

For teenagers

It is not an easy task to choose the most interesting children's books from a huge number of children's books. We have collected books by foreign and domestic, classical and contemporary children's writers. The heroes of these stories will teach children to be friends, to respect their parents, to be fair, to achieve their goals. Make reading together a family tradition!

Where to start? Here are some recommendations:
The book by Jan Larry "The Extraordinary Adventures of Karik and Vali" will introduce children to the world of plants and insects in a fairy-tale form. By negligence, Karik and Valya became tiny. Their main weapon in an unfamiliar world is knowledge.
Read instructive stories about relationships with parents, teachers, classmates in the collection "The Funniest Stories" .
Evgeny Schwartz in "The Tale of Lost Time" shows what laziness leads to.
Andrey Usachev in the book "Malusya and Rogoped" explains why it is important to pronounce words correctly. Otherwise, how can Malusya get into the country of hornopeds, stakes and kitties. Saying the R is the only way to get home.
Tove Jansson in "The Tale of the Moomin Valley" created a world of good creatures who never lose heart.
The hero of Mark Twain from "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" will teach children to be friends.
"The Adventures of Captain Vrungel" Andrey Nekrasov will tell about a trip around the world on the yacht "Trouble". Dangerous and fun challenges will teach kids not to give up.
Children will love the stories from the collection “White Poodle. The best stories and stories about animals» .
"Kalle Blumkvist" Astrid Lindgren dreams of becoming a detective in the trilogy. An observant boy helps the police solve crimes.

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