If there is one question I have been asked more than almost any other during my years as a youth services librarian, it is some version of this:

“How do I get my kid to read?”

A parent will come into the library looking for something their child might actually read. A teacher will ask me what they can put in front of a student who refuses to pick up a book. Sometimes the child is standing right there, already looking uncomfortable because the adults are talking about their reading habits as though they aren’t part of the conversation.

And I understand the frustration, because here’s something that may surprise people:

I was a reluctant reader, too. And I still am, in some ways.

I don’t read nearly as much as I think I should. There are plenty of times when I look at my growing list of books I intend to read and think, I really should be reading more, and I still have a hard time finding the “right book.”

I’ll start something, decide it’s not grabbing me, put it down, and wonder what I should try next. Sometimes I know I want to read, but I don’t know what I want to read. Sometimes I spend more time looking for a book than actually reading one.

So I understand this from both sides.

I understand the adult who is thinking, I know this child would love reading if we could just find the right thing. And I also understand the child who is thinking, I don’t know what I want, but I know I don’t want that.

That experience has probably made me more patient with reluctant readers than I might otherwise be. I know what it feels like to want to read but not quite find your way into a book. I also know how frustrating it can be when someone else is telling you that you should be reading more, or that you should read a specific title. That is why, after years of working with children and families, I’ve come to believe that getting frustrated with a child who doesn’t like to read is one of the least helpful things we can do.

If a child tells you they hate reading, believe them. Then listen to what they mean.

Because “I hate reading” can mean a lot of different things.

It can mean that reading is difficult, they haven’t found anything interesting, or don’t like being told what to read. It can mean the books they’ve been given are too long, too difficult, too babyish, or simply don’t have anything to do with their interests.

It can also mean, quite simply, that they’d rather be doing something else.

Our job isn’t to argue with them about that. Our job is to figure out where the door is. 

Start With Listening

One of the first things I try to do when helping a reluctant reader is ask questions instead of immediately recommending books.

“What do you like to do?”

“What are you watching?”

“What games do you play?”

“What are you really into right now?”

“Do you like funny stories? Scary stories? True stories?”

“Do you like books with pictures?”

“What was the last thing you read that you didn’t hate?”

That last question can be surprisingly useful.

Maybe they don’t read novels, but they read every single Minecraft article they can find. Maybe they know everything about the NBA. Maybe they love dinosaurs, animals, cars, space, cooking, makeup, superheroes, horror movies, or drawing.

That is information. Use it.

If a child loves basketball, don’t assume the answer is a middle-grade sports novel. Give them basketball nonfiction, athlete biographies, statistics, sports magazines, graphic novels, trivia books, or books about the science of sports.

If they love Minecraft, start there.

If they love animals, start there.

If they love YouTube, ask what they watch (yes, really). You may discover that the child who says they don’t like books is watching videos about engineering, history, wildlife, cooking, gaming, or science.

Start with the child, not the reading list.

[Read: You Don’t Have to Be a “Reader” to Do Great Readers’ Advisory]

Don’t Make Reading a Test

I think adults sometimes forget how vulnerable reading can make a child feel. A childhood memory I have is being enrolled in my local library’s summer reading program and having to wait in line to be quizzed on what I had read and wanted ‘credit’ for. Decades later, patrons would come in and tell me how traumatic that was. (True story!)

A child who struggles to read may already know that other kids seem to read faster. They may have had books handed to them that they couldn’t finish. They may have been corrected repeatedly. They may associate reading with worksheets, comprehension questions, reading logs, grades, or being called on to read aloud.

Then an adult comes along and says, “You need to read more.”

That doesn’t exactly make reading sound inviting.

This is why I think we need to be careful about turning every reading experience into an assessment.

Of course, children need instruction. Reading skills matter enormously. If a child is struggling with phonics, decoding, fluency, or comprehension, those needs should be addressed. My post Starting from Scratch: Why Phonics Became the Priority talks more about building collections that support children who are still developing those foundational skills.

But reading instruction and reading for pleasure don’t have to look the same.

A child can need reading intervention and still deserve a funny graphic novel.

A child can be below grade level and still choose their own books.

A child can need phonics support and still get excited about a nonfiction book about sharks.

Those things can exist together.

Please Don’t Dismiss Graphic Novels

This is one of the biggest things I want teachers, librarians, and caregivers to hear.

Graphic novels are books, too!

If a child chooses a graphic novel, let them read the graphic novel.

Graphic novels require readers to make meaning from both text and images. Readers are interpreting dialogue, narration, facial expressions, body language, visual sequencing, panel layout, vocabulary, and context. They are following a story and making inferences.

That is reading.

Graphic novels require readers to interpret both words and images, make inferences, follow visual sequences, and connect text with artwork to understand the story. They can build comprehension, vocabulary, visual literacy, and confidence—especially for readers who struggle with traditional novels.

United Through Reading cites research showing that graphic novels can support reading comprehension, and a 2023 National Literacy Trust survey found that children who read graphic novels in their free time were “twice as likely to enjoy reading more overall” and to consider themselves good readers.

That’s worth paying attention to.

So if a child who tells you they hate reading picks up Dog Man, Amulet, New Kid, El Deafo, or Smile, don’t tell them they need to move on to a “real” book.

The graphic novel is the real book.

Books in Verse Can Be a Great Entry Point

I also think books in verse are overlooked when we’re trying to help reluctant readers.

For a child who finds a page of dense paragraphs intimidating, a novel written in verse can feel much more manageable. The short lines and white space can make a substantial book feel approachable, while the story can still have complex characters, emotions, themes, and conflicts.

Some great titles & authors to try include:

Booked by Kwame Alexander

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Garvey’s Choice by Nikki Grimes

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

The One Thing You’d Save by Linda Sue Park

Dear Mothman by Robin Gow

Wombat Waiting by Katherine Applegate

Starfish by Lisa Flips

A child who finishes a novel in verse has still read a novel.

They have also experienced something important: the feeling of finishing a book.

That feeling can be a powerful confidence builder.

Short Books Are Still Books

We also need to stop treating the 300-page novel as the ultimate goal.

Some children simply aren’t ready to commit to a long book. Some don’t want to. Some may be perfectly capable of reading one but have no interest in spending their free time doing it.

That’s okay.

Try short stories. Poetry collections. Joke books. Comics. Magazines. Essays. Short nonfiction. Anthologies. Books where individual chapters can stand on their own.

A child who reads a 40-page book about sharks because they are fascinated by sharks is reading.

A child who reads a collection of scary short stories is reading.

A child who spends half an hour reading a sports magazine is reading.

We need to pay attention to the reading that is happening, rather than constantly measuring it against the reading we wish were happening.

Follow the Interest

One of my favorite things about working with children is watching the rabbit holes happen.

A child reads one book about dinosaurs and suddenly wants to know about paleontologists.

That leads to fossils.

Then volcanoes.

Then geology.

Then maybe a historical fiction book about an archaeological discovery.

You don’t always know where a child’s interests are going to lead, and that’s part of the fun. So when a child finds something they like, follow it.

Don’t immediately try to move them to something you think is more sophisticated.

If they read six books about sharks, help them find a seventh.

If they want to read books about Minecraft for three months, help them find good ones.

Repeated reading isn’t wasted reading. Interest is the thing we want to protect.

Give Them Choices—But Make the Choices Manageable

Putting a reluctant reader in front of an entire wall of books and saying, “Pick something,” is not helpful.

Instead, do some of the work for them.

If you know the child likes basketball, pull three or four books that connect to basketball. If they like scary stories, put a few different kinds of scary books in front of them. If they don’t like long books, don’t hand them four 400-page novels.

Then let them say no. That’s important, too.

If they don’t like any of the books you’ve chosen, ask why.

“Was it too long?”

“Didn’t like the cover?”

“Too serious?”

“Didn’t like the characters?”

“Not enough pictures?”

“Not scary enough?”

Their answer gives you information for the next recommendation. Book selection is a conversation, not a test.

Let Them Abandon Books

Adults abandon books all the time. We start something and decide we don’t like it. We put it down and pick up something else. I do this all the time.

Children should be allowed to do the same.

I am not suggesting that children should never be asked to persevere. Perseverance is an important skill. But forcing a child to finish every book they start can make reading feel like punishment.

Instead, ask:

“Do you want to try something else?”

There is no failure in discovering that a book isn’t for you. In fact, learning what you don’t like and why is part of becoming a reader.

Don’t Let Reading Levels Become Reading Limits

Reading levels can be useful tools. Teachers and librarians need information about reading ability so we can provide appropriate support and make thoughtful recommendations.

But a reading level shouldn’t become a child’s reading identity.

And it certainly shouldn’t become a wall around the collection.

Children should be allowed to browse books that are easier than their tested level. They should be allowed to look at books that are more challenging. They should be allowed to choose something because they love the cover, recognize the character, saw the movie, or think the subject looks interesting.

We can provide guidance without taking away agency.

The goal isn’t to control every book a child reads.

The goal is to help them become confident enough to make their own choices.

Sometimes the Best Book Recommendation Is Not a Book

This may sound strange coming from a librarian, but sometimes the best place to start isn’t with a novel.

Maybe it’s a magazine.

Maybe it’s an audiobook.

Maybe it’s a cookbook.

Maybe it’s a book of jokes.

Maybe it’s a comic.

Maybe it’s a biography of a person they already know.

Maybe it’s a nonfiction book with lots of photographs.

Maybe it’s a book connected to a movie or video game they love.

Maybe it’s a book they can read with a friend.

Maybe it’s something they can read aloud to a younger sibling.

There are so many ways to experience books and text. We don’t need to force every child through the exact same doorway.

Create a Reading Culture, Not Just a Reading Requirement

Teachers and librarians have an enormous opportunity here. Put books where children can see them.

Display them face-out.

Talk about what you’re reading.

Let kids recommend books to one another.

Create displays around interests instead of only genres.

Put graphic novels alongside novels.

Include nonfiction.

Include poetry.

Include short books.

Include books that are funny, strange, messy, scary, or beautiful.

Most importantly, talk about books without always asking children to prove that they read them.

Instead of “What was the theme?” try:

“Did you like it?”

“Who would you give this to?”

“What part made you laugh?”

“Was there anything you hated?”

“Would you read another book by this author?”

Sometimes a genuine conversation about a book is more valuable than another worksheet about it.

The Goal Isn’t to Make Every Child a Bookworm

This is probably the hardest part for adults who love reading. We want children to love books the way we do, but children are not required to become miniature versions of us.

Some will become passionate readers. Some will read occasionally. Some will prefer nonfiction (hello!). Some will prefer graphic novels. Some will listen to audiobooks. Some will go through years where they barely pick up a book and then discover something later that changes everything.

Our job is not to guarantee a particular outcome. Our job is to keep the door open.

We can make books accessible. We can build collections that reflect children’s interests. We can make recommendations. We can listen instead of judging. We can stop treating graphic novels as lesser books. We can offer shorter formats. We can give children meaningful choices. We can allow them to abandon books that aren’t working.

And we can keep putting interesting things in front of them.

Because the child who tells you, “I hate reading,” may not actually hate reading.

They may hate the books they’ve been given.

They may hate being told what to read.

They may hate struggling with something that seems easy for everyone else.

They may not have found their thing yet.

That’s why I keep coming back to the same question when I’m helping a reluctant reader:

“Tell me what you like.”

Because once we know that, we have somewhere to start, and sometimes that’s all we need.

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Resources for Teachers & Librarians

If you’re working with reluctant readers, these are some resources worth keeping handy:

YALSA’s Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers: https://www.ala.org/yalsa/quick-picks-reluctant-young-adult-readers

Annual annotated lists created specifically with reluctant teen readers in mind.

2026 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers: https://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2026/02/10/2026-quick-pick-for-reluctant-readers/

The current year’s selections from YALSA’s Quick Picks team.

Reading Rockets: Graphic Novels for Kids: https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/childrens-books/articles/graphic-novels-kids-classroom-ideas-booklists-and-more

Information, classroom ideas, and booklists for using graphic novels with young readers.

AASL Graphic Novel Resources: https://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/promo/graphic-novels

Resources and recommendations for educators and school librarians.

National Literacy Trust: Reading for Pleasure: https://literacytrust.org.uk/reading-for-pleasure/

Research and resources related to children’s reading habits, motivation, and reading for pleasure.

And, of course, keep exploring your own library collection. Some of the best recommendations aren’t going to come from a national list. They’re going to come from the books sitting on your shelves that you know your particular kids love.

One More Thing

If you are the teacher, librarian, or caregiver standing in front of a child who says, “I hate reading,” don’t panic.

I know how tempting it is to feel like you need to solve the problem immediately. I also know that feeling because I’ve been on both sides of this conversation. I’ve been the librarian trying to find the book that will click with a child, and I’ve been the reader staring at a stack of perfectly good books and thinking, None of these are what I want right now.

Sometimes there isn’t a perfect book.

Sometimes it takes several tries.

Sometimes the child puts down three books before finding the fourth one.

Sometimes we do, too.

So listen. Ask questions. Offer choices. Try again. Don’t dismiss the graphic novel. Don’t underestimate the short book. Follow the interest when you find it.

And keep the door open.

Because sometimes the child who says they hate reading today is the child who walks into the library six months from now and asks:

“Do you have anything else like that?”

That’s the moment we’re waiting for.

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