• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Story Addict

Rebecca Bowyer on books and writing

  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • In the media
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure|Copyright
  • Contact
  • Book reviews
    • Light reads
    • Speculative fiction
    • Literary fiction
    • Historical fiction
    • Contemporary fiction
    • Memoir
    • Kids’ books
  • Blog
    • Writing news
    • Author interviews
  • Store

Review: Raising Readers – How to nurture a child’s love of books, by Megan Daley

May 11, 2019 by Rebecca Bowyer Leave a Comment

Raising Readers by Megan Daley
Raising Readers, by Megan Daley (UQP, April 2019)

Raising Readers, by Megan Daley, is the book I wish I’d been able to read before I had kids.

Not because I need tips on how to interest my boys in books – they’re both voracious readers and my youngest takes books to bed as though they’re teddies – but because it would have helped lower my stress levels significantly.

I knew I was supposed to read to my children early and often. But I worried endlessly because my 6-month-old kept trying to eat the pages; my 1-year-old would only listen to half the book before running away; my 3-year-old would look at the pictures instead of the words.

My kids are now 6 and 9 and I know, now, that all of this is perfectly normal ‘reading’ behaviours for younger kids.

Megan Daley is a teacher librarian and the author of the fabulous website, Children’s Books Daily. In Raising Readers she gives parents simple explanations and tips for each reading stage from babies to teens. There’s also a great ‘How to’ section at the back – how to host a book party, how to host a book club for kids (oh, heaven! cries my inner child) and how to be ‘an excellent book gifter’.

Daley’s advice is interspersed with fascinating short sections from more than 20 bookish people – from authors to librarians, psychologists to academics and, of course, young readers themselves.

Here are a few of my favourite takeaways from Raising Readers:

  • Allowing kids to choose what they read is important BUT it’s also okay (and recommended) to sometimes choose bedtime stories yourself to expose kids to a greater variety of books. This was a great relief to me – sometimes I feel a little guilty for saying ‘no’ to yet another Minion book because I just want to read something else for a change.
  • ‘Home corner‘ at early learning centres is named after the dress ups and props that allow kids to re-enact scenes from home (am I the only person who had no idea?). Books and imaginative play directly interact with each other and help kids understand the world around them.
  • Early school ‘readers’ are written by authors to specific briefs – the topic, how many words and which actual words to include and how many times (thanks Pamela Rushby for this fascinating insight!).

This would make a great gift for a baby shower or parent with a child starting school. Or you could just buy it for yourself any old time if you’re interested, because it’s chock full of fascinating things you never knew about kids and reading!

Grab a copy from your favourite bookstore or online at:

  Book Depository   |   Dymocks

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher for the purpose of review. This post contains affiliate links.

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Australian Women Writers Challenge, australian writers, book reviews, books for kids, non fiction

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Out now!

Email newsletter

Social Media

Visit Us On TwitterVisit Us On FacebookVisit Us On YoutubeVisit Us On Instagram

Recent Posts

  • Review: Burnout, by Gordon Parker, Gabriela Tavella & Kerrie Eyers
  • Review: Questland by Carrie Vaughn
  • Review: The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas
  • Review: The Kindness Revolution, by Hugh Mackay – how can restore hope, rebuild trust and inspire optimism
  • Review: How to Mars by David Ebenbach

Pick a topic

#AWW2021 audiobooks australian fiction Australian Women Writers Challenge australian writers author interviews AWW AWW17 blogging book lists book reviews books for kids climate fiction contemporary fiction crime fiction diversity domestic violence dystopia fantasy feminism feminist halloween historical fiction humour light reads literary fiction live shows magical realism maternal instinct memoir mental illness non fiction on writing parenting Parenting skills picture books racism science fiction short stories speculative fiction thriller toddlers translated World War II young adult

Search this website

Join the Australian Women Writers Challenge

Australian Women Writers Challenge 2021 logo

In the archives…

Footer

Email newsletter

Social Media

Visit Us On TwitterVisit Us On FacebookVisit Us On YoutubeVisit Us On Instagram

Out now!

Copyright © 2022 · Author Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in