Category: Reluctant readers, Parent tips | Reading time: 7 min
“I hate reading.”
If you’ve heard this from your child, you’re not alone. And if you’ve responded by reaching for a simpler book, a shorter book, or a book about their favourite TV character — you’re also not alone. It feels logical. But it’s usually not the answer.
Here’s something that surprises many parents: most children who say they hate reading don’t hate reading. They hate the specific experience of reading they’ve had so far. The frustration of decoding. The boredom of a story they don’t care about. The feeling of being behind their classmates. The sense that books are a chore rather than a pleasure.
The good news is that all of those things can be changed — often with the right book at the right moment. Here’s how to find it.
First: Separate “Can’t Read” from “Won’t Read”
These look similar from the outside but have very different solutions.
A child who struggles to decode — who gets frustrated sounding out words, loses the thread of the story, or avoids reading because it’s genuinely hard — may need support from a teacher, reading specialist, or tutor. If you suspect this is the case, it’s worth having a conversation with their school. There’s no shame in it; children learn at different paces, and early support makes an enormous difference.
A child who can read but chooses not to is a different situation. They have the skill; they just don’t have the motivation. This is where book selection becomes the most powerful tool you have.
This article is mainly for the second group — though if your child is in the first group, reading aloud together (where you do the reading) is still hugely valuable and applies to everything below.
The Real Reason Children Resist Books
Before we get to book selection, it helps to understand why a child might be resistant.
They haven’t found their book yet. For many reluctant readers, the turnaround comes down to one book — the one that made them realise stories could be for them. Finding that book is the mission.
Reading feels like school. If a child only encounters books in an educational context — guided reading groups, comprehension tests, reading logs — they can come to see all books that way. The goal is to make reading feel like play.
They feel exposed. Reading aloud in front of others, or being watched while they read quietly, can create anxiety that gets mislabelled as disinterest.
They’re comparing themselves to other kids. Children are acutely aware of who’s on which reading level. A child who feels “behind” may decide it’s easier to be someone who doesn’t like reading than someone who’s bad at it.
How to Actually Choose the Right Book
Follow the interest, not the level
A child who loves dinosaurs, football, drawing, gaming, or cooking will engage with a book on that topic even if it’s slightly harder than their “reading level” — because motivation is the most powerful reading accelerant there is.
When you’re browsing for books, start with: What does this child actually love? Not what you think they should love. Not what their older sibling loved. What this child, right now, is genuinely interested in.
Go for funny before meaningful
Parents often choose books with beautiful messages — about kindness, perseverance, friendship. These are wonderful books. But for a reluctant reader, the first job is to make them laugh. Humour is the fastest way to change a child’s relationship with a book. If they giggle, they’re hooked.
Once a child loves reading, the meaningful books will find their moment.
Series are your best friend
One of the biggest mistakes when choosing for a reluctant reader is picking standalone books. A child who finds a character they love doesn’t want the relationship to end when the book does. Series — especially those with short, punchy chapters — are brilliant because each new book requires almost no activation energy. The character is already a friend.
Don’t overlook non-fiction and graphic novels
There’s a persistent idea that “real reading” means novels. It doesn’t. A child who devours books about sharks, or reads every Diary of a Wimpy Kid, or can’t put down a football annual, is a reader. Full stop. Meeting children where they are — in the format and genre that works for them — builds the habit and the confidence that eventually opens the door to everything else.
Let them abandon books without guilt
Nothing kills a child’s relationship with reading faster than being forced to finish a book they hate. If they’re not into it after 30 pages, let them put it down. Readers of all ages do this. Model it yourself: “You know what, I didn’t love that one either. Let’s find you something better.”
The Read-Aloud Secret
Here’s something many parents don’t realise: you don’t have to wait until a child chooses to read independently. Reading aloud to children — even ones who can read perfectly well on their own — is one of the most effective ways to build a love of books.
When you read aloud, the decoding pressure disappears. The child can simply inhabit the story. You can read books that are slightly above their independent level, exposing them to richer vocabulary and more complex plots than they’d encounter alone. And the shared experience creates an association between books and warmth, connection, and pleasure.
Many children who “hate reading” will happily listen to a story read by a parent at bedtime. Start there. The independent reading often follows.
For Children Who Are 4–7: A Special Note
At this age, picture books and rhyming books are not “too easy” — even for children who are beginning to read independently. The vocabulary in high-quality picture books is often higher than what appears in early chapter books, and the shared reading experience is irreplaceable.
If your 5 or 6-year-old resists books, the solution is almost never to push harder or find simpler text. It’s usually to make the experience more joyful — more physical (point at words, use silly voices, let them turn the pages), more connected to their interests, and less like a test.
A book with a strong rhythm and a gripping story — one where they want to know what happens next — can completely change a child’s relationship with reading in a matter of weeks.
One Last Thing
The goal isn’t to produce a child who reads because they’re supposed to. It’s to help them find the books that make them forget they’re reading at all — the ones where they look up and are genuinely surprised that an hour has passed.
Every child has a book like that waiting for them. Sometimes it takes a few tries to find it. But it’s always worth the search.
Looking for a Starting Point?
For children aged 4–7, we think Tommy and the Baum Monster by Mick Carney is one of the best books for reluctant readers in this age group. It’s a rhyming adventure with genuine narrative tension — Tommy wants to find the Baum Monster, and you really want to find out if he does. The rhythm carries children through without the text ever feeling like work.
[Read more about Tommy and the Baum Monster →]
Good Books for Kids is an Australian resource for parents, teachers, and librarians looking for children’s books that genuinely connect.
