Raising Nerdy Kids with Book Standards

The other day I made an impulse buy at Half Priced Books (trust me this was definitely not the first time that has happened!) It's been a few years since I've purchased one so I went for it and got a young adult kids box.

I was hoping to score some good stuff for my third grader to read this summer. And while we did get some awesome additions to our home library, half the box was filled with Sweet Valley High books (BLAH). How disappointing!

No offense to anyone who read these books back in the day, or who might even enjoy them now, but my imaginative 9 year old doesn't need to be reading about gossipy girls who are boy crazy. We are postponing that as long as we can. Right now she is really into mysteries, adventure stories, graphic novels, and we are getting into a bit of fantasy as well. This might put me in the overbearing mom category in the eyes of some parents, but I like to think of it as redirecting, which is similar to guiding your three year outside to play swords instead of near grandma's china cabinet.

We've noticed that even in pre-k kids are beginning to bully and be bratty. Don't our kids deserve to escape that world when they read?  As Ellie would say in Up, "Adventure is out there!" And I believe that our kids will be more equipped to spot adventure, if they've already been lucky enough to read about it.

Tips for Reading Graphic Novels/Comics With Kids

No matter how old you are or how old your children are, you can enjoy comics and graphic novels with your kids. Really!

So for any one out there who might be hesitant about reading comics/graphic novels with kids here are a few tips I thought of to enhance the reading experience for everyone. You should know that this isn't law, it's more like pirate code (guidelines). Use what is helpful for your family and forget the rest.

1. Cover art can be misleading, so thumb through the book before reading it to your kiddo. Many adult graphic novels have awesome illustrations that could appeal to adults and kids, but the content inside isn't intended for children. Luckily, most children's graphic novels have found ways to make it abundantly clear that they are for children.

2. To help your child follow the story, point to each panel as you are reading it or describing it in the case of a wordless graphic novel.

3. When multiple characters are talking in a panel you can point to each one to help them follow the dialogue. For my son, I point to each character for the first few pages and then I just say "So and So said" for the rest.

4. Don't let anyone convince you that comics/graphic novels are mediocre reading materials. They earn awards just like children's literature. Seriously, to any nay-sayers, I say it's your lose. If your child is engaged in reading or being read to then that's a win-win in my book any day.

5.  Know your kids limits for reading or being read to. Many kids graphic novels are starting to add reading levels on the front or back of the book. Smaller kids being read to may not be able to sit through lots of heavy dialogue in each panel so again, thumbing through the book is helpful before bringing it home.

6. Have fun, of course! The number of kids graphic novels grows everyday and I can honestly say that some are completely enjoyable to read as an adult with out my kids.

So there you go. Some easy tips to get you started. Now head over to your local library, comic book shop or book store and prepare for your world to be rocked.

Stay nerdy, my friends.