Take part in Australian Reading Hour today
How to pick a book that you won’t be able to put down for Australian Reading Hour
READING LEVEL: GREEN
Sometimes you might think that you don’t like reading, but it might just mean that you haven’t found the right book yet. Not everyone likes the same stories, in fact, some people don’t even like stories!
Some people prefer reading about real life facts or reading just to learn a new skill. So how do you find what type of books you’re going to enjoy?
Think about what you like to do and look for books about it! Are you a kid that loves sport and has a team or a sporting hero that you love? Did you know there are so many books about sport? There are books about your favourite sporting hero, stories written about your sport and so much more. For example, if you are a cricket fan, Nathan Lyon has his own book series called Nice Garry! It’s based on Nathan’s childhood and family and how he found out that he was really good at bowling when he was just a kid.
Think about the type of book that you like to read. Some kids love reading really big books, with lots and lots of pages. Other kids want to learn facts about their favourite topic – maybe it’s space, or underwater. There are kids that only want to read about different periods* of history. And then there are kids who prefer a graphic novel, with pictures and not a lot of words.
There are so many different styles of books for you to read, you just have to find the one that fits. A great graphic novel* series you might like to try is the Emmie & Friends series by Terri Libenson, and if you like history you could try, We are Wolves; Rabbit Soldier, Angel, Thief; or Waiting for the Storks, by Katrina Nannestad.
Think about what you like about other books you’ve enjoyed. Do you want a book that makes you laugh? A book that makes you cry? Something that takes you on an adventure? There are so many exciting books out there with just the story for you. If you want to laugh then Matt Stanton is your guy! You can read his Funny Kid series, his Bored series, or even The Odds, his graphic novel series. If you want to go on a wonderful adventure, Amie Kaufman and Ryan Graudin can take you to discover everything that’s missing in their series, The World Between Blinks.
You like magic (and rabbits)? Try The Hats of Marvello by Amanda Graham! There are so many options out there and if you give it a little time, you’ll find the perfect book just for you. Just remember, as they say in The Travelling Bookshop series (by Katrina Nannestad), ‘The right book might just change your life!’
GLOSSARY
- periods: portions of time
- graphic novel: a novel in comic-strip format
EXTRA READING
Roald Dahl original texts safe
‘Tis the season for some Spaceboy fun
Teen boys at new low for literacy
QUICK QUIZ
- According to this text, some people don’t like reading fiction, they prefer to read what?
- If you’re into cricket, you may like to read a book from which author?
- What are some of the graphic novels mentioned in this text?
- Who is the Funny Kid series author?
- What famous quote is repeated in the text from The Travelling Bookshop series?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Change Their Mind
If someone said to you that reading is a waste of time, what would you say to change their mind? Write the conversation that you would have with this person. Use information in the story to help you.
Time: allow 25 minutes to complete this activity.
Curriculum Links: English
2. Extension
‘I never believed that a book could change my life, but …’ Use this as the starter for a story.
Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity.
Curriculum Links: English
VCOP ACTIVITY
Books, Books, Books
Books have the ability to transport us to other places, do inspire us, make us feel emotions we didn’t know existed, or inform us about what world and all that’s in it.
If you could fall into any book and join the story, which book would you choose and why?
Write a short story about the day you fell into a book.
Re-read it before sharing it with a classmate. Don’t forget to check your VCOP skills to see if you have really captured the audience’s attention.