We have fought over school work that involves reading, and I understand the why. If the content of what an individual is reading does not grab them, then they do not connect with it.
I could get on a soapbox about the content that my children have brought home as required reading. It truly is no wonder why there is a fight to get them to read. That is not the nature of this post though.
The pleasure in reading.
I remember the first time I read The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, I was transported into the land with the Unicorn, Schmendrick the Magician and Molly Grue as they sought the where-a-bouts of the other unicorns. Their journey to King Haggard's land was grueling, as was the meeting with the Red Bull. Then when Amalthea fell in love with Prince Lir. The book really grasped the imagination of my then twelve year old self.
Reading is for information, inspiration, imagination, escape, and simply to relax.
The key to enjoying reading is being interested in what is read. I have been known to read a book series that was poorly written (grammar-wise) but had a plot that interested me and kept me reading. Was the plot believable? No. The whole reason the book captivated me was because it was not believable, yet the characters seemed like people I had possibly met.
An individual does not have to be a fan of Charles Dickens
in order to love reading. They do not have to be a fan of Neil Gaiman either.There are thousands upon thousands of authors out there that literally write something for everyone. If you have a child that does not enjoy reading, keep trying. We did not think we would ever get our youngest to read and then he discovered Dr. Seuss
. It zipped through every one of the Seuss books he could find. His most recent discovery is Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan.Find a topic that is of interest and then go from there. Visit your local library often.