What do you think?
Rate this book
Bringing Up Bookmonsters: The Joyful Way to Turn Your Child into a Fearless, Ravenous Reader
The no-stress, ferociously fun way to raise a kid who loves to read—complete with reading recommendations and activities to inspire!
Teaching your child to read is monstrously important, and there’s no better way to do it than with everyday opportunities for laughter and play. Bringing Up Bookmonsters is full of fun ways to build literacy at home—no flashcards or timers required! Feed your budding bookmonster’s brain as These tips and many more make it easy to help your child develop an insatiable appetite for reading—and have a tremendously good time doing it!
Teaching your child to read is monstrously important, and there’s no better way to do it than with everyday opportunities for laughter and play. Bringing Up Bookmonsters is full of fun ways to build literacy at home—no flashcards or timers required! Feed your budding bookmonster’s brain as These tips and many more make it easy to help your child develop an insatiable appetite for reading—and have a tremendously good time doing it!
288 pages, Paperback
Published May 11, 2021
41 people are currently reading
1443 people want to read
About the author
Amber Ankowski
4 books15 followersAmber Ankowski is an expert in child development, with a PhD in developmental psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles, experience teaching at several Southern California universities, and three young children that she both teaches – and learns from – every day.
She parents and writes with her husband Andy Ankowski, who studied creative writing at the University of Notre Dame, has written award-winning advertising for more than a decade, and believes keeping a sense of humor is a parent’s best friend.
She parents and writes with her husband Andy Ankowski, who studied creative writing at the University of Notre Dame, has written award-winning advertising for more than a decade, and believes keeping a sense of humor is a parent’s best friend.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
April 5, 2021
This is a good book but I really hated reading it. I didn't realize when I requested it that it was designed for brand new parents or parents of babies and very young kids. I also didn't realize that the authors would use the word "bookmonster" in nearly every sentence. Oh my goodness, I'm so tired of that word. The book tries really hard to be cute and fun but also helpful. It is, I'm sure. I'm sure I'm just jaded. I've been a parent for nearly 23 years and 5 kids and I've read hundreds of thousands of books to my kids. I know all this stuff already, but others may not. Recommended, but for new parents or those who are very new to reading to/with their kids.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.
December 29, 2020
BRINGING UP BOOKMONSTERS is destined to become THE bible for raising kids who love to read. Its array of ideas is based on child development and language cognition research and practice, and awash in humor that makes it all fun. A must-read for parents and teachers, and a great resource for any library.
5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 27 Apr 2021
#BringingUpBookmonsters #NetGalley
Thanks to the authors, The Experiment, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.
5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 27 Apr 2021
#BringingUpBookmonsters #NetGalley
Thanks to the authors, The Experiment, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.
December 27, 2021
Trigger Warning: Loads of Harry Potter references. LOL.
Well I thought Bringing Up Bookmonsters is good for new parents who want to raise and encourage their children to be a reader.
There's a lot of activities that were shared by the authors in this one. There's also a few helpful techniques to introduce literacy in young children and to make the children engaged with the reading activities. The authors done a lot of research for child development in literacy and I enjoyed reading all the facts and it reminded me when I was in college learning about young children.
The authors discussed a lot of good things and introduced so many games to encourage children to be a reader and to make "reading is fun". What I expected was some kind of advice or ways or approach for children who are still reluctant to read. What to do with that? What approach can we use?
Overall, this book was just okay but I did feel the authors tried hard to make this book looks cute. I was occasionally annoyed. Maybe I should try reading different approaches with more relatable ones. I'm going to tell my friends and sibling to not bother picking up this book. LOL.
Thank you Times Reads for sending me a copy of Bringing Up a Bookmonsters in return for an honest review.
Well I thought Bringing Up Bookmonsters is good for new parents who want to raise and encourage their children to be a reader.
There's a lot of activities that were shared by the authors in this one. There's also a few helpful techniques to introduce literacy in young children and to make the children engaged with the reading activities. The authors done a lot of research for child development in literacy and I enjoyed reading all the facts and it reminded me when I was in college learning about young children.
The authors discussed a lot of good things and introduced so many games to encourage children to be a reader and to make "reading is fun". What I expected was some kind of advice or ways or approach for children who are still reluctant to read. What to do with that? What approach can we use?
Overall, this book was just okay but I did feel the authors tried hard to make this book looks cute. I was occasionally annoyed. Maybe I should try reading different approaches with more relatable ones. I'm going to tell my friends and sibling to not bother picking up this book. LOL.
Thank you Times Reads for sending me a copy of Bringing Up a Bookmonsters in return for an honest review.
April 3, 2021
Parents looking for suggestions on how to encourage their children to become readers should give this helpful and entertaining book a try. Amber and Andy share anecdotes from raising their own bookmonsters, findings from research studies on literacy development, and helpful hints at creating an atmosphere within the family that supports positive reading habits and attitudes.
The book is divided into four parts which focus on birthing a bookmonster, making it feel at home, feeding it, and teaching it tricks. That translates into suggestions on creating an early love of reading, giving that love plenty of sustenance through interaction and access to literacy materials, and helping to make connections between all the related skills (writing, spelling, etc.).
Helpful suggestions for ways to work literacy into shopping trips, car rides, and other events are shared, as well as stories about how the Ankowski's three children responded to different books or materials depending on their ages and personalities. The authors are careful to repeat throughout the text that children are unique and respond in their own ways, so what works with one may not work with another or may need to be adapted.
Back matter includes a comprehensive list of all the children's books mentioned. These are divided up into the sections of the Book Pyramid (similar to the Food Pyramid that parents will recognize from nutrition guides when they were youngsters themselves). Sections are: Unique Interests, Story Books, Learning Lessons, Just for Fun, and Literacy Skill Building. Source notes for all the research studies quoted and a list of book recommendations for parents are also provided.
The research that is mentioned shows the importance of early reading experiences, the presence of books in the home, and adult role models. But the information is presented in everyday language and balanced with the authors' memories of reading adventures with their three bookmonsters over the years. There is even discussion of the importance of play and the hazards of too much screen time.
Altogether a vey readable book which parents will probably be annotating with highlighters and sticky notes as they come across activities or titles they want to try.
The book is divided into four parts which focus on birthing a bookmonster, making it feel at home, feeding it, and teaching it tricks. That translates into suggestions on creating an early love of reading, giving that love plenty of sustenance through interaction and access to literacy materials, and helping to make connections between all the related skills (writing, spelling, etc.).
Helpful suggestions for ways to work literacy into shopping trips, car rides, and other events are shared, as well as stories about how the Ankowski's three children responded to different books or materials depending on their ages and personalities. The authors are careful to repeat throughout the text that children are unique and respond in their own ways, so what works with one may not work with another or may need to be adapted.
Back matter includes a comprehensive list of all the children's books mentioned. These are divided up into the sections of the Book Pyramid (similar to the Food Pyramid that parents will recognize from nutrition guides when they were youngsters themselves). Sections are: Unique Interests, Story Books, Learning Lessons, Just for Fun, and Literacy Skill Building. Source notes for all the research studies quoted and a list of book recommendations for parents are also provided.
The research that is mentioned shows the importance of early reading experiences, the presence of books in the home, and adult role models. But the information is presented in everyday language and balanced with the authors' memories of reading adventures with their three bookmonsters over the years. There is even discussion of the importance of play and the hazards of too much screen time.
Altogether a vey readable book which parents will probably be annotating with highlighters and sticky notes as they come across activities or titles they want to try.
December 16, 2021
Do I need to stop reading parenting books as a trauma response? Yes. Do I enjoy reading parenting books? Also yes. I thought this book was very well-explained, well-organized and it was cute. There were some useful tips, although this seems better for new parents or parents of younger toddlers than for parents with kids in elementary school.
May 4, 2023
An excellent foray into the world of raising a reader. This one in particular is for the caretaker who needs something a little light-hearted.
Bringing up Bookmonsters is quippy, full of laughs, and full of great information for encouraging the Bookmonster within your child.
If you only have the bandwidth for one parenting book on literacy and have a good sense of humor, definitely pick this one up!
Bringing up Bookmonsters is quippy, full of laughs, and full of great information for encouraging the Bookmonster within your child.
If you only have the bandwidth for one parenting book on literacy and have a good sense of humor, definitely pick this one up!
January 4, 2023
lots of good info but sooo cutesy, it was hard to put up with, honestly 😂 i feel bad saying that bc i know they’re probably parents of young kids but at the same time, it’s a book for adults 😂 i did learn a lot though, lots of good info and practical advice, activity ideas, etc. — hence the three stars!
August 28, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and The Experiment for a free advanced ebook of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Trigger warning: a ton of Harry Potter references, including in the acknowledgments.
I'm a bit torn on who I'm most interested in reading a parenting book by. I don't know if I want to read parenting advice by someone from an older generation who doesn't understand how things have changed but someone from my generation may have less practical experience and not know the longterm effects their parenting will have. However, sometimes this felt like the worst of both worlds. It was written by young parents who seem to believe they have definitely nailed this parenting thing and are a bit condescending as a result.
I enjoyed large sections of this book that were backed by citations and often paired with anecdotes from their experiences. My problem arises from the parts where they make generalized statements or assumptions that don't appear to be supported by citations. They treat breastfeeding as the default which can be harmful. In one section, they praise a "read for a 100 days straight" challenge but then disparage the idea of sticker charts. They have no evidence to back up the idea that these are harmful and make reading into a chore but they state it with certainty. Worse yet, they never address throughout the book what to do if a child is a reluctant reader. I think someone could follow the advice in this book and still end up with a reluctant reader but the author does not entertain that possibility. Other examples: saying board games can increase literacy but discounting that video games can for the same reasons. Instead, she states the tired belief that violent shows/games can lead to aggression without citing evidence for this "fact."
She mentions the increase in adults living at home and dismisses it as people feeling "adulting is hard" rather than the economic crisis most of my generation finds themselves in because of the horrible choices made by older generations (I moved out at 18 because I had no choice but this position is still truly offensive to me).
I think there are some good nuggets in this one but overall I found myself annoyed while reading and wanting to be done.
Trigger warning: a ton of Harry Potter references, including in the acknowledgments.
I'm a bit torn on who I'm most interested in reading a parenting book by. I don't know if I want to read parenting advice by someone from an older generation who doesn't understand how things have changed but someone from my generation may have less practical experience and not know the longterm effects their parenting will have. However, sometimes this felt like the worst of both worlds. It was written by young parents who seem to believe they have definitely nailed this parenting thing and are a bit condescending as a result.
I enjoyed large sections of this book that were backed by citations and often paired with anecdotes from their experiences. My problem arises from the parts where they make generalized statements or assumptions that don't appear to be supported by citations. They treat breastfeeding as the default which can be harmful. In one section, they praise a "read for a 100 days straight" challenge but then disparage the idea of sticker charts. They have no evidence to back up the idea that these are harmful and make reading into a chore but they state it with certainty. Worse yet, they never address throughout the book what to do if a child is a reluctant reader. I think someone could follow the advice in this book and still end up with a reluctant reader but the author does not entertain that possibility. Other examples: saying board games can increase literacy but discounting that video games can for the same reasons. Instead, she states the tired belief that violent shows/games can lead to aggression without citing evidence for this "fact."
She mentions the increase in adults living at home and dismisses it as people feeling "adulting is hard" rather than the economic crisis most of my generation finds themselves in because of the horrible choices made by older generations (I moved out at 18 because I had no choice but this position is still truly offensive to me).
I think there are some good nuggets in this one but overall I found myself annoyed while reading and wanting to be done.
May 30, 2024
Some quick notes I jotted down for myself while listening to this book:
Thesis: everything can be a literary lesson. Spend time with your kids. Increase their vocabulary. And model a love for reading. Talk to your kid, read to your kid, and have fun doing it.
1. Talk. A lot. All the time. About what you're doing, what you see, what you don't see, things that happened in the past, etc.
2. Listen and respond to your children. Figure out what they say
3. Don't just read at bedtime. It can teach them to only associate reading with sleep, which will produce problems in school.
4. Read aloud together. Counts as quality time together regardless of age.
5. Read with your kid, not to your kid.
6. Share your reactions to the book. What did YOU like about it? Like a mini book club.
7. Spread books around your house, not just in one place. Easily seen, easily accessed, easily picked up.
8. Go to the library. Get your kids a library card if you can. Participate in the Summer Reading Program, and other events throughout the year.
9. Explain and read things that seem beyond them (or below them). Ignore reading levels in books. Read and tell jokes (it requires more brain power and thinking than you think). Explain punctuation, prefixes and suffixes, word sections (like -er), etc.
10. Learning to write is connected to learning to read. Incorporate this into your reading habits.
11. Persevere through hardships. It's trial and error to find what works for your specific bookmonsters in your unique family. Keep going. You've got this.
Thesis: everything can be a literary lesson. Spend time with your kids. Increase their vocabulary. And model a love for reading. Talk to your kid, read to your kid, and have fun doing it.
1. Talk. A lot. All the time. About what you're doing, what you see, what you don't see, things that happened in the past, etc.
2. Listen and respond to your children. Figure out what they say
3. Don't just read at bedtime. It can teach them to only associate reading with sleep, which will produce problems in school.
4. Read aloud together. Counts as quality time together regardless of age.
5. Read with your kid, not to your kid.
6. Share your reactions to the book. What did YOU like about it? Like a mini book club.
7. Spread books around your house, not just in one place. Easily seen, easily accessed, easily picked up.
8. Go to the library. Get your kids a library card if you can. Participate in the Summer Reading Program, and other events throughout the year.
9. Explain and read things that seem beyond them (or below them). Ignore reading levels in books. Read and tell jokes (it requires more brain power and thinking than you think). Explain punctuation, prefixes and suffixes, word sections (like -er), etc.
10. Learning to write is connected to learning to read. Incorporate this into your reading habits.
11. Persevere through hardships. It's trial and error to find what works for your specific bookmonsters in your unique family. Keep going. You've got this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2023
As a first-time mom-to-be (and longtime bookmonster), I really enjoyed this book. They kept their information grounded in scientific studies while also keeping it accessible by sprinkling in anecdotes from their own parenting experience. I appreciated that while they kept the academic, social, and cognitive benefits of reading at the forefront, they always emphasized those as secondary benefits to a true love of reading rather than the goal. As a prolific reader of both fiction and nonfiction myself, I’m excited to show my kids the world of books and I never want it to feel like a chore to them!
I’ve also read “The Enchanted Hour” by Meghan Cox Gurdon, so not all this info was new. However, while the Gurdon’s focus was on WHY reading aloud is important, “Bookmonsters” focused more on HOW to encourage your child to love reading, writing, telling stories, and engaging information—all while fully embracing the energy and chaos that is a child.
They also (like many books of this genre) included many books at the back for reading with your kid or for your kid to read alone. They have it broken down into different categories of book, which I think will be helpful down the line! I’m looking forward to raising my own bookmonsters, and I think that this book will be a great resource!
I’ve also read “The Enchanted Hour” by Meghan Cox Gurdon, so not all this info was new. However, while the Gurdon’s focus was on WHY reading aloud is important, “Bookmonsters” focused more on HOW to encourage your child to love reading, writing, telling stories, and engaging information—all while fully embracing the energy and chaos that is a child.
They also (like many books of this genre) included many books at the back for reading with your kid or for your kid to read alone. They have it broken down into different categories of book, which I think will be helpful down the line! I’m looking forward to raising my own bookmonsters, and I think that this book will be a great resource!
January 17, 2023
Jumping onto my wishlist because I loved this library book I just saw in passing and want to have it to refer back to later. Definitely focuses on how to make literacy 1) FUN and 2) part of everyday life, including playing tons of word games, loving alliteration, and more. As a book nerd who would love my kids to learn to love books without strong arming them into it. This is a great reference.
Read
February 8, 2024Good info but waaaaaay too much cutesy and too many exaggerations. Also as others have said, it’s aimed at parents of babies and kids under 8-ish, which isn’t clear from the cover or blurb, and doesn’t have any advice for parents of kids who resist learning to read. But still worth a skim.
Read
September 11, 2021Skimmed
October 7, 2021
It's a book about raising kids who love to read, but I felt like I was that poor kid while reading this book. The tone and the language were strange.
Get Jim Trelese's Readaloud Handbook instead.
Get Jim Trelese's Readaloud Handbook instead.
July 7, 2021
This is a fun, fast-paced book that will help you turn your kids into delightful "bookmonsters." It's a great first book for young parents about helping their kids enjoy reading. It covers a lot of ground for the first 5-6 years of a child's life. It's not a particularly deep book, with detailed studies on early childhood education, but it's a great place to start. I actually did most of the things recommended here when I was raising my five bookmonsters, who have grown up into adult book aficionados. My eldest is now helping her 3 littles to become the next generation of bookmonsters!
January 18, 2022
I enjoyed this book overall and think that it is a valuable addition to any parent or educator’s library.
Since I have a degree in early childhood education, a lot of this information was not new to me. For the general parent or a new educator, however, this book could be full of of revelatory insight!
I should note that the authors are not as pedantic as I am about following prescriptive grammar conventions but that the book is still perfectly enjoyable. My main complaint is that the authors use the cringey term “kiddo” on just about every page.
Since I have a degree in early childhood education, a lot of this information was not new to me. For the general parent or a new educator, however, this book could be full of of revelatory insight!
I should note that the authors are not as pedantic as I am about following prescriptive grammar conventions but that the book is still perfectly enjoyable. My main complaint is that the authors use the cringey term “kiddo” on just about every page.
December 19, 2021
If there was required reading prior to parents being allowed to take their newborns home from the hospital, “Bringing Up Bookmonsters” should be on the list of mandatory titles!
Authors, Amber & Andy Ankowski, have done a very thorough job of presenting how to develop your own Bookmonsters and it starts BEFORE birth, during the third trimester where they suggest speaking, reading and special music for your imminent tiny one. Did you know that music stimulates the same part of the brain that language does? Read, sing and talk to your littles from their earliest and never stop; you’ll all be
enriched by the experience.
This book is extremely accessible and makes good common sense. It’s not full of dry theory and weird tho’t experiments. What you will find are personal anecdotes from the authors experiences with their three children, lots of book recommendations, suggestions for how to integrate books, reading and language development into your daily life and it’s done for every age group and various styles of life.
Early on in the book the authors state that reading is a conversation, a concept I 100% agree with. From the earliest picture books, adult readers need to engage kids with questions: what color, where is, how is, is it big or, does it, and so forth. Open ended questions that require more than single syllable answers allow readers to become involved and remain engaged. To make things more exciting add questions like: what would you do if, if you were the dog how would, or another thinking question. Asking questions and instigating conversation can happen in almost every daily task and situation and this book is replete with examples of how to do that.
Throughout the book there are dark teal blocks with white, dropout text. These are special highlight, summary recommendations. At the back of the book, references are broken down by chapter so interested readers can access additional information. There’s also a reading list broken down by category. Some of the books were discussed along the way in the text but there are many incremental titles to help develop your family’s library.
All things considered, an outstanding resource 📚
Authors, Amber & Andy Ankowski, have done a very thorough job of presenting how to develop your own Bookmonsters and it starts BEFORE birth, during the third trimester where they suggest speaking, reading and special music for your imminent tiny one. Did you know that music stimulates the same part of the brain that language does? Read, sing and talk to your littles from their earliest and never stop; you’ll all be
enriched by the experience.
This book is extremely accessible and makes good common sense. It’s not full of dry theory and weird tho’t experiments. What you will find are personal anecdotes from the authors experiences with their three children, lots of book recommendations, suggestions for how to integrate books, reading and language development into your daily life and it’s done for every age group and various styles of life.
Early on in the book the authors state that reading is a conversation, a concept I 100% agree with. From the earliest picture books, adult readers need to engage kids with questions: what color, where is, how is, is it big or, does it, and so forth. Open ended questions that require more than single syllable answers allow readers to become involved and remain engaged. To make things more exciting add questions like: what would you do if, if you were the dog how would, or another thinking question. Asking questions and instigating conversation can happen in almost every daily task and situation and this book is replete with examples of how to do that.
Throughout the book there are dark teal blocks with white, dropout text. These are special highlight, summary recommendations. At the back of the book, references are broken down by chapter so interested readers can access additional information. There’s also a reading list broken down by category. Some of the books were discussed along the way in the text but there are many incremental titles to help develop your family’s library.
All things considered, an outstanding resource 📚
May 29, 2021
“Bringing Up Bookmonsters, The Joyful Way to Turn Your Child into a Fearless Ravenous Reader”, written by a wife and husband team is creative, humourous, and would suit parents of new babies or young children.
As a parent of adult children, I wanted to read this book because I am an educator who coaches children in reading. I did find some tips useful for parents of children who were already readers, and see how it would be beneficial to them as well!
This book is easy to read and takes a humorous approach in writing style to guide you through science based research and tips to help your “Bookmonster” read with confidence, skill and most importantly grow to love books!
The authors carefully guide the reader through plans with a purpose to help develop social emotional and developmental skills, based on imagination and relationships.
It’s never too early to introduce children to reading, beginning with early language. This book helps the reader be engaged in informative, fun dialogue which will ultimately help them develop ravenous readers!
I highly recommend this book for any parents, but a must for new parents! I thought it was clever!
I received a copy of this book from #NetGalley and the publishers for a review.
As a parent of adult children, I wanted to read this book because I am an educator who coaches children in reading. I did find some tips useful for parents of children who were already readers, and see how it would be beneficial to them as well!
This book is easy to read and takes a humorous approach in writing style to guide you through science based research and tips to help your “Bookmonster” read with confidence, skill and most importantly grow to love books!
The authors carefully guide the reader through plans with a purpose to help develop social emotional and developmental skills, based on imagination and relationships.
It’s never too early to introduce children to reading, beginning with early language. This book helps the reader be engaged in informative, fun dialogue which will ultimately help them develop ravenous readers!
I highly recommend this book for any parents, but a must for new parents! I thought it was clever!
I received a copy of this book from #NetGalley and the publishers for a review.
April 23, 2021
I received an electronic ARC from The Experiment through NetGalley.
The authors offer helpful information on raising readers. They describe them as Bookmonsters and offer their explanation to begin the book. The text is simple to follow with plenty of hands on help for supporting young families as they figure out how to support their young children.
Divided into four parts: Giving Birth to Your Bookmonster; Making Your Bookmonster Feel at Home; Feeding Your Growing Bookmonster; Teaching Your Bookmonster Tricks. Each portion addresses specific help to move along the reading pathway. Book suggestions are provided along with various games and exercises to work together and encourage bonding along with reading skills.
I like the emphasis on reading being fun and part of life rather than a group of skills to acquire. Some of the book suggestions feel dated and I would like to see more diverse options listed but the ones they've selected will work well.
A definite book to purchase for young families.
The authors offer helpful information on raising readers. They describe them as Bookmonsters and offer their explanation to begin the book. The text is simple to follow with plenty of hands on help for supporting young families as they figure out how to support their young children.
Divided into four parts: Giving Birth to Your Bookmonster; Making Your Bookmonster Feel at Home; Feeding Your Growing Bookmonster; Teaching Your Bookmonster Tricks. Each portion addresses specific help to move along the reading pathway. Book suggestions are provided along with various games and exercises to work together and encourage bonding along with reading skills.
I like the emphasis on reading being fun and part of life rather than a group of skills to acquire. Some of the book suggestions feel dated and I would like to see more diverse options listed but the ones they've selected will work well.
A definite book to purchase for young families.
April 1, 2021
I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher on Netgalley.
This was a super accessible book for parents on helping your children learn to read. They discuss how to set yourself up for success from the beginning. They use examples from their own lives and their children's lives. It's conversational in tone and easy to pick up and put down. Though I already knew some of what they discussed, they brought up some new practical things I could immediately do with my children. The books they mention are all listed at the end along with further reading and notes on the research from each chapter. This would be a great book for new parents, or parents looking for practical tips on helping their children learn to love reading.
This was a super accessible book for parents on helping your children learn to read. They discuss how to set yourself up for success from the beginning. They use examples from their own lives and their children's lives. It's conversational in tone and easy to pick up and put down. Though I already knew some of what they discussed, they brought up some new practical things I could immediately do with my children. The books they mention are all listed at the end along with further reading and notes on the research from each chapter. This would be a great book for new parents, or parents looking for practical tips on helping their children learn to love reading.
December 6, 2021
For parents who did not grow up bookmonsters themselves and want to learn how to ensure their kids love reading, I give this book five stars - it explains everything my own mother did to turn me into a bookmonster, outlining things I didn’t even notice.
For parents who grew up avid readers, who read to children frequently already, and are likely to do things such as stop to discuss the pictures, the letters, the characters, etc while reading a book - you don’t need to read this. It helped me to think more about specific behaviors of a parent who loves books but I didn’t learn to do much that wasn’t automatic to me. 3 stars for my case.
(That averages to the 4 I gave it)
For parents who grew up avid readers, who read to children frequently already, and are likely to do things such as stop to discuss the pictures, the letters, the characters, etc while reading a book - you don’t need to read this. It helped me to think more about specific behaviors of a parent who loves books but I didn’t learn to do much that wasn’t automatic to me. 3 stars for my case.
(That averages to the 4 I gave it)
March 10, 2025
I must say I was entertained. I loved the writting style and the jokes and sillyness of it all.
I wasn't quite sure about the content when, at first, the authors claim that you should talk non stop to your kid. I'm not a fan of that. I understand that it might help with language, but it also teaches your kid to always talk. Even though you have nothing to say. As I said, not a fan...
But overall, a lot of tips and tricks are useful and can be easily implemented. As we are already a family where books have a lot of importance and screens are nothing, I can't say I gained much from this book but I was certainly entertained.
I wasn't quite sure about the content when, at first, the authors claim that you should talk non stop to your kid. I'm not a fan of that. I understand that it might help with language, but it also teaches your kid to always talk. Even though you have nothing to say. As I said, not a fan...
But overall, a lot of tips and tricks are useful and can be easily implemented. As we are already a family where books have a lot of importance and screens are nothing, I can't say I gained much from this book but I was certainly entertained.
January 12, 2024
I'm not as annoyed as other reviewers are on here about the repetitive use of "Bookmonsters" and I actually think the jokes in the book were pretty funny. Most of the advice also seemed pretty sound and likely helpful, especially for first-time parents. I do agree with other reviewers that this book is a bit more geared towards parents with kids on the younger side. There were some bits I cringed at, like the violent video games thing or the harry potter references, but otherwise I think it was a solid, parenting advice book.
April 8, 2021
This was a fun and enjoyable read! My husband and I are big readers and we read daily with our family together and with our children separately. It has great tips on helping children recognize letters, book lists, advice on how to keep them engaged in the story, and much more. It also details how to bring a love of reading to very young children, not just those of reading ability. This is a great resource for parents and teachers alike.
May 20, 2021
A lot of the tips in this book are meant for babies and younger children, but there were also a few tips that I found to implement in my own home. As a mother of a reluctant reader I was hoping for more on how to encourage/help a child that doesn't love reading yet, but I did at least find a few things I might be able to try.
I received the free ARC of this book via netgalley, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
I received the free ARC of this book via netgalley, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
June 14, 2021
Tries way too hard and sounds like a long contentless article on a website that you pull up after googling "How to get kid to read" - you read the whole thing and all it has is common sense, repeated over and over again. Lots of random stuff not really related to the topic as well. No data, tone sounds too forced. And the opening is awful, about how it will make your kids successful, rather than enjoy knowledge and reading. Read Trelease instead.
August 11, 2021
I feel like this is more targeted toward either parents who aren’t really into reading, or those who have kids struggling to engage with books. A lot of the suggestions or the future I found fairly obvious, or things I am already doing that are age appropriate. As a result, I just don’t think I’m the audience for this book. That said, it reads easily and has great ideas if you’re looking for ways to cultivate an interest in reading in your child.
August 5, 2021
I sound like a broken record on these sort of books but again......great book, too long. I’m not mad about it, it wasn’t boring but it did take me longer to get through than necessary especially when you’re encouraging me to put the book down and go rid to one or all of my kids. Could have been 50 pages shorter.
October 7, 2021
Meh. I mostly skimmed this because it was sort of light and surface level. Not really sure what I was expecting. But it was sort of silly and not all that helpful. I have read a lot on teaching kids to read and encouraging life long readers, so maybe this would be better for someone who doesn’t know much about it.
July 2, 2022
In some ways, I wish I would have read this when my kids were younger. But, also I've done a lot of these tips! Read out loud to my kids. Talk to them and explain things long before they have words/sentences - they are smarter than we give them credit for! I liked all the recommendations for reading and engaging different aged kids.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews