Reading has taught me to so many things about life and travel way before I got the chance to experience it myself. It has made me love to write about almost everything that I love. It helped me understand different types of people I have not even met. I honestly think it's a great habit for children to develop even at a young age.
As for those who are ready to move past the storybooks and on to school age-friendly reads, these would be some of my first recommendations:
Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief (Rick Riordan)
Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief is a part of the many, many books in this series by Rick Riordan. This book specifically is about Percy, the son of Poseidon, who just discovered his identity as a demi-god (part human part divine) as an offspring of a god and a human. He goes into an adventure with his new friends in search of a stolen lightning rod and himself.
While Greek mythology is one of the greatest gifts of culture in literature, is also an acquired taste and really something not a child would appreciate. Though this is a little different from the classic mythological stories, I think this would be a good start to develop an interest in that specific literature. It is also a lot mild which makes it great for kids.
Harry Potter Series (J.K. Rowling)
Harry Potter is a series of seven books written by J.K. Rowling chronicling the childhood to young adulthood of Harry Potter and his friends who are students at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is an orphan who discovered he is a wizard and a magical world that runs parallel to the real world.
It would be impossible to make this list without these books. However, since these might be heavier reads for a child, I would probably introduce this when he/she has started to develop a reading routine. It is not a good starter for a child who has not developed the patience for reading just yet. With that out of the way, I think the Harry Potter series is one of the best books out there for any age. It's definitely guaranteed to paint vivid mental pictures of a fantasy world that makes so much sense that it almost seems real.
The Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis)
The Chronicles of Narnia is a very popular children's book series by the great C.S. Lewis. The story is about siblings who discovered a different and magical world called Narnia and is ruled by a lion named Aslan. They're taken through different adventures in discovery of themselves, the worlds they live in forming a stronger bond with each other.
I have mentioned this book in my previous blog about easy to read books for almost everyone so I will not be talking about this in great detail today. It is just worth mentioning that this book, though it is leaning more towards fantasy, has very great significance in terms of depicting the struggles between good and evil and a faith that translates into life.
The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien)
The Hobbit is one of the highly popular book written by another legendary author named J.R.R. Tolkien that tells the story of Bilbo Baggins who lives a life way deep in his comfort zone. He was visited by a wizard named Gandalf who opens his home to thirteen dwarves and one great adventure. Bilbo at first was hesitant because this adventure may mean that he will never be able to come back but he finds himself running towards it and it became probably the greatest decision of his life.
Well, I must admit that if Harry Potter can be an acquired taste especially for a beginner, then this would way a tonne but hear me out here. If I am to help develop my future child's love for books and reading, I would lead him/her towards books that actually make sense and have actual purpose to the human brain. It is never too early to help develop high standards for books, right?
Anyway, I know that The Hobbit is an acquired taste and Tolkien is an author with a writing style that is not always easy to interpret, this book will take a lot of encouragement and guidance. It may take more than one try to be able to really get the value out of it but once you get a good grasp, it's really one of the best books anyone can read in their lifetime.
Do you have books that you would wish for your future children to read or ones that you are currently reading to them now? Share them in the comments below!
No comments
Post a Comment