This morning I am interviewing Gail Terp who writes the "
Best Blog For Kids Who Hate To Read"
blog. Gail, welcome. Your blog is rather specialized. Tell us a bit about it.
Hello, Bob. Best Blog for Kids Who Hate To Read has two audiences: kids who hate to read and their parents. There are three posts each week:
Monday - Books: Each book is one I think is interesting enough to make the effort of reading worthwhile.
Wednesday - Parent Posts: Each post gives some information that may help parents understand their child's reading reluctance and ways to find the right books.
Friday - Friday Fun: Websites, games, jokes ... fun stuff.
Your blog focuses on helping "reluctant readers". What led you to that niche?
I started my blog as a way to promote a love for reading. As I developed my ideas, I became more excited about the possibilities. Over my 30 years in regular and special education classrooms, I do know about reluctant readers. Matching kids with the right books was always the first step.
My son, although not a reluctant reader, was a struggling reader. So I read aloud to him all the time. When he eventually developed some reading skills, he was eager to use his skills because he'd loved the stories we'd shared for so many years.
Do most or all "reluctant readers" grow out of their problem with help?
I can only speak from my own experience. If a parent or teacher can convince (demonstrate to) reluctant readers that reading books is worth their time and effort, yes there is every reason to be optimistic. However, if reading is only seen as a chore, their reluctance will prevail.
Do you recommend a general "step by step" approach to helping a "reluctant reader" or is each child different?
No. Of course, starting with the right book is the place to start, but if there are other underlying issues, you must determine what they are before you can develop the right approach.
In most cases, can parents solve the problem or is professional help required?
It really depends on the underlying issues. If a child can read but would just as soon not, then providing the right books may be all that's necessary. However, lots of kids hate reading because it's just too hard for them. They may have learning differences that make learning to read more difficult than it is for their peers. Figuring out what those differences are and developing a program to work with those differences is best done by a professional.
What makes a book a good book for "reluctant readers"?
It depends upon the reader. Every reluctant reader has his own reasons and causes for his reluctance. And each reader has his own set of interests.
However, some basics are:
* a straight forward plot - too many twists may make the reading seem like too much work
* action and humor are important
* paragraphs short enough to provide plenty of white space on the page - makes the page look less daunting
* limited challenging vocabulary
What other advice would you give parents?
I can’t stress enough the importance of reading aloud with children. Children can understand and appreciate far more than they can read. Why not share in their discovery of the stories, language and humor that delights them? Reading aloud benefits the reader as much as the listener.
When my son was little, I decided to read aloud THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS by Kenneth Grahame. Fairly quickly, I discovered that this book was not easy to read aloud. As I read, I kept wishing that my son would lose interest. No chance. However, I soon got caught up in the magic. To this day, I get a little misty thinking about how much we both loved that book.
Who or what inspired you to want to become a book reviewer?
Last spring, I decided to accept what lots of people were saying: successful writers need a platform before they are published. To figure out what to do, I took Dan Blank’s course, Blogging 101, offered by Writer’s Digest. Dan encouraged his students to write about what we are passionate about. I’m passionate about matching kids with the right books, so I decided to plan a blog around this passion.
To prepare, I read lots of book review blogs and found I preferred the ones that told just a little about books, not several paragraphs. I figured if longer descriptions made me skim, young readers probably would too. Based on this understanding, my Book posts list several books, each with only short descriptions.
Why do you prefer children’s books?
In some ways, this question is a no-brainer. I prefer children’s books because they are usually better written than books for adults. With children, you get only one chance to get their attention, make your point and entertain. And … be good enough to stand up to multiple readings. How many adult writers can meet such standards?
What genres and age groups do you prefer?
Occasionally, I’ll write about YA books, but I primarily stick with picture books, early readers and middle grade novels.
How do you decide what books to review?
I have several resources for choosing books. I usually have a topic (mysteries, animals, graphic novels…) and start my research with my library system’s website. Kansas Book Connect is another good resource for finding kids’ books.
Twitter and blogs have steered me toward lots of books. If someone mentions a book in a tweet or on a blog post, I’ll check it out to see if it interests me. I have about 20 lists started that I collect titles in, for future posts.
I read books for my posts with my parent/teacher eyes and ears. Having spent 30 years in elementary classrooms, I have a pretty good idea as to what will fly and what won’t.
What do you like most (and least) about writing a blog or website about children’s books?
I started my blog because I thought it was the smart thing to do to support my own writing. I had no idea how much fun it would be! Every week, I spend hours reading children’s books. As the saying goes, how cool is that?
There is one drawback, though. As I research books and information for my Books and Parent Posts, I often come across books, information and ideas that would have been great to know as a teacher and as a parent. This makes me sad, sometimes.
Do you have any projects in the works you would like to mention?
Yes! I’ve written a middle grade novel,
JEFFERSON’S ANTS and I’m currently seeking an agent. Wish me luck!
What is Jefferson's Ants about?
Here is a brief synopsis. If any agent or publisher sees the possibilities, contact me!
Fifth grader Jefferson Thomas stinks at reading. Words jump around on the page and sometimes even disappear. But as much as he hates reading, Jefferson loves ants. This passion for ants leads to the best opportunity of his life - flying to the Arizona desert to help with his uncle's ant research.
However, it's up to Jefferson to earn his airfare. Setbacks - docked pay, an airfare hike and a broken arm, to name a few - present themselves at each turn. But by hustling jobs and using the improved reading skills he works so hard to acquire, Jefferson is finally able to realize his dream.
One of my interests is to inform adults about the value of children's books to themselves. Could you suggest a children's book that would also be appreciated by adults.
The
Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick is a spectacularly wonderful book. When I had a group of struggling fifth graders, they would run to my room whenever we were reading it. Its graphics are breathtaking. The story is so intriguing, both in plot and atmosphere, you have to keep reading. I found it impossible to predict where the story would go. I haven't seen the movie, but I doubt it can match this book.
Gail, thank you very much for your time. Your blog is a valuable service to "reluctant readers" and their parents. It is the best one I have seen. Also, good luck with Jefferson's Ants. If you have a "reluctant reader" in your family, I highly recommend "Best Blog For Kids Who Hate To Read".
Book Reviewer Interview
Gail Terp, Best Blog For Kids Who Hate To Read
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