8 ways to find books your child will love
While it’s always helpful to let the child choose the books they want to read, sometimes they need a little extra help. With that in mind, we’ve prepared some tips to help you find books they’ll love to read.
1. Follow their current hobbies
If your child is obsessed with football, Minecraft, space, or horses, lean into it! Non-fiction books, "how-to" guides or fiction set in the worlds of their favourite things are great bridges to reading because the interest is already there. When they see books as a way to get better at what they love, reading stops being "work" and starts being a tool for their hobbies.
Parents suggest:
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Choose books with themes children are interested in. Take turns reading alternate pages with the child if they are having difficulties - you read one page, then they read the next page.
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Get books on subjects they are interested in. My granddaughter loved fairies and unicorns when she was starting to read so we were able to find books featuring them.
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Football player biographies were a great way to get my young son to move from comic style/graphic novels into 'chapter' books.
2. Look for the fan-of breadcrumbs
If your child has one specific book they adore, use it as a compass. Check online listings or back covers for "For fans of..." recommendations. These are curated because they share a similar pace, humour, or art style. It’s a low-risk way to introduce something new that already feels familiar.
3. Bridge the gap with look-alike formats
If your child loves a specific children’s cartoon, show or movie, look for the accompanying books, whether it’s books featuring the characters, novelisations or the books that inspired the adaptation, or a making-of book. These formats bridge the gap between screen time and page time. Seeing their favourite characters in a different medium makes the transition to reading feel like a treat rather than a chore.
4. Tap into the experts
You don't have to do the scouting alone! Professional organizations like Children’s Books Ireland offer amazing curated reading lists and reading guides tailored to every age and interest. Librarians and local booksellers are also secret weapons - they live and breathe books and love nothing more than matching a specific child’s personality to a perfect story.
Eason X Children’s Books Ireland
5. Use books to navigate big life changes
When a child is facing a major transition - like starting a new school, moving to a different house, or welcoming a new sibling - the right book can be a huge comfort. Reading about characters who are also feeling nervous or excited about a "first day" helps children normalize their feelings and find the language to talk about their own experiences.
Books about starting school
Books about puberty
6. Provide maps for new milestones
Whether it's learning to ride a bike or going to their first sleepover, books can act as a "how-to" guide for the milestones of growing up. Character-driven series like Isadora Moon or Bluey show how their protagonists deal with new experiences whether it's riding a bike or going to the swimming pool. Seeing a character successfully navigate a new challenge gives children the confidence to try it themselves, turning the book into a source of inspiration and bravery.
7. Keep the format flexible
Sometimes your child needs a book that matches their energy rather than just their interests. After a high-intensity day at school or dealing with new challenges, a quick-read graphic novel might be a better fit than a dense chapter book. Having different formats on hand ensures there is always a mood match available to help them decompress. And don’t fret that one format is better than another – as long as they’re reading something, they’re making strides in their reading journey.
Parents suggest:
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Let them read what they want to read. My 13-year-old will only read graphic novels, but he reads them avidly. It’s still reading. I heard Dav Pilkey, the author of Dogman, interviewed the other day and he said he only ever read graphic novels as a kid. And now he's the most borrowed children's author in our libraries.
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Read to children of all ages - even 12-year-olds love being read to. Don’t forget poetry, funny rhymes - these require short reading times- excellent and fun for the reluctant reader.
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Pick something the child has an interest in reading together at the beginning…I used to read the left page and get my nephew to read the right. Adopt voices and personas for characters in books.
