Girls often seem to love reading — I certainly did. As a child I spent hours flipping through books and never went on a road trip without an Archie comic. When we travelled with my best friend’s family, we each read a comic on the way to our destination and then swapped for the trip home so we had something new to enjoy.
Boys can be different. My oldest loved books when he was very small, but around age five that interest began to fade. By six he sometimes chose to skip bedtime stories and play quietly instead. That worried me, so I experimented with ways to keep reading alive in our all-boy household.
3 Tips to Keep Your Boys Reading This Summer
Change the Routine
Bedtime stories are a lovely ritual and a helpful way to wind down, but don’t make bedtime the only time you read together. If you’re stuck in a reading rut, shake up your routine. In the summer we like to take books outside: spread an old blanket under a shady tree, relax in a hammock, or fill an empty, dry inflatable pool with pillows and blankets to create a cozy outdoor reading nook. On a recent long drive I sat in the very back of the van with my oldest so we could read our chapter book together — he loved having that one-on-one time, and I enjoyed the change of perspective.
All Work and No Play Is Not the Way
My son finished Grade One and every night brought reading homework. He wasn’t the strongest reader yet, and nightly practice turned into a source of stress as we struggled together through his reader. Now that summer is here, I want to keep him engaged with books without making reading feel like a chore. Recently he received a large reference-style book about his favourite superheroes — Avengers: The Ultimate Guide to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes — and it was perfect. It wasn’t a continuous story, so he could pick it up and put it down as he pleased. Reference and character encyclopedias — on Pixar, Cars, Star Wars or LEGO Harry Potter — let kids explore topics they love at their own pace.
For chapter books, I sometimes let him listen while I read aloud. He enjoys taking breaks and letting me read to him; at the end of a chapter he gets excited and asks for more. That shared enthusiasm keeps reading fun instead of feeling like homework.
New Is Interesting
Young children enjoy hearing the same stories repeatedly, but as they age it’s important to refresh the book selection to keep their interest. Repetition builds fluency for early readers, but a varied collection of age-appropriate books helps prevent boredom and supports continued progress. Summer is a great time to add new titles without the pressure of school assignments.
Leveled readers that match a child’s interests can be especially effective. For boys who love sharks, dinosaurs, superheroes or space sagas, choosing books on those topics makes practice feel like play. DK Publishing’s multi-level readers span from pre-levels for beginning readers up to Level 4 for proficient readers, offering science, nature, history and popular culture subjects presented in accessible formats. With a mix of familiar favourites and new titles, kids can build skills while enjoying material they choose.
Learn to Read, Read to Learn!
DK Readers are designed as a multi-level reading program that supports progression from simple sentence structures to more sophisticated storylines and vocabulary. From nature and history to Pokémon, Star Wars and Marvel superheroes, the series offers options for readers at every stage.
If you have a new reader at home, keep a range of leveled readers available so they can practice new skills and enjoy books they’ve already mastered. Offering choices that match their passions helps reading feel fun rather than forced.
Find a variety of readers that match your child’s interests to keep summer reading exciting