How to Make Children Love Books

Reading helps boost a child's imagination. Developing an interest in books and reading outside the class is essential, as academic success naturally follows a child who has strong reading habits. Reading skills help children in many ways, including improving language skills and self-confidence. However, parents should guide children properly for forming good reading habits in them.

Following are some measures recommended for parents to develop a regular reading habit among their children:

* Interact with the child regularly by narrating family stories and encourage them to talk and clear doubts

* Fix a regular time to read books to children every day

* Make each reading session interesting by acting out the story through puppets or by making different sounds for different characters

* Try to inform the child that reading is an informal activity and knowledge is crucial for his/her success in life

* Discuss with the child the books that you read

* Encourage the child to read the story aloud and convince him/her that you are enjoying the story

* Appreciate the child's reading skills and habits

Following are some notable children's books of 2012 for different age groups of children, put forward by the children's book editor of The New York Times Book Review:

* BEYOND COURAGE: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust, written by Doreen Rappaport

* The False Prince, written by Jennifer A. Nielsen

* The Secret Tree, written by Natalie Standiford

* The Last Dragonslayer, written by Jasper Fforde

* Code Name Verity, written by Elizabeth Wein

* Bitterblue, written by Kristin Cashore

* Son, written by Lois Lowry 

* Hello!Hello!, written and illustrated by Matthew Cordell

* I'm Bored, written by Michael I an Black and illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

* King Arthur's Very Great Grandson, written and illustrated by Kenneth Kraegel