The Book Chook, like most of us, doesn’t have all the answers. But she’s passionate about children’s literacy and literature, and very willing to share her opinions. If you have a problem you want help with, send it to The Book Chook.

Dear Book Chook,

Hello, how can I get reading material not expensive or free please. Let me know - prek to 4 grade. I have two kids and the boy does not read very good. He needs all the help. Also I send books to schools in Lima Peru for kids in that country to read in English, and get to like the language. Thank you very much. V.

Hi, V!

It's not easy to find really good free reading material online. That's understandable when writing, illustrating and publishing are professions and like all professions, they expect to be paid for their time and their tremendous talent.

My personal belief is that publishers and authors who offer some work to the public via a website will be rewarded with a loyal fan base and new readers. I am judging this solely on my own online behaviour, and also commonsense. I LOVE publisher sites that offer me value in the form of learning activities to support books, or writer sites where I can get a taste of a book, or at least of the writer's style. If I'm buying online, I would much rather spend money on a book when I have an idea of what the book is like, and that there is extra support for that book via a website. So, generally, google your favourite book publisher and writer sites to see what they offer.

There are several websites that offer free online books. Unfortunately, just because a book is free doesn't mean you will find great writing within its cyber covers. I have found some gems though.

Storyline Online is a huge free site. You can click on your book of choice and listen to it being read aloud by an actor, while you follow the words in a text box on the screen. It also weaves illustrations from the book into the video. Some of my favourites like Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge and Stellaluna are here. I love it because the books are ones I would recommend on my blog. Beautiful!

Mrs P.com has some online stories, read aloud by Mrs P herself, after an entertaining introduction. Kids are listening to these stories rather than following with their eyes. There is also an intriguing-looking Magic Library but I couldn't get it to play nicely with my browser.

The PBS Between the Lions website is excellent. If you don't know it, take some time to explore it with your kids. I like the fact the little videos are engaging AND help with reading by highlighting words as they are read aloud. Use the left side menu to scroll through all the choices, both fiction and nonfiction.

Starfall has lots to read online. There are plays, myths, folktales, fables, fiction and nonfiction. Clicking on the ear icon will allow kids to listen while they read the pages. It really helps a young reader to hear the words spoken at the same time as he is looking at the words. That's one reason read-alouds are so important. Don't forget the poetry section at Starfall with poems like Who Has Seen the Wind by Christina Rosetti. Short texts like poems and songs can be very engaging for young readers.

Let's not forget RIF's Reading Planet! Kids can watch and listen to stories there, and songs too.

Do you know the author Mercer Mayer? He wrote the Little Critter books, fun for under 8s. His Little Critter site is generous, with several stories you can hear online in the form of Mercer Mayer reading aloud, and also pages to view and read online.

The International Children's Digital Library has hundreds of books from all over the world and in different languages. They are organized very well, and basically the site brings you a page at a time that you read with your eyes, then click the arrow to read the next. Not as high tech as some of the others, but special as an online library for the world's children. It's really worth a browse to see some wonderful illustrations. This also looks to be a useful way for self-published writers to promote their books. One book I enjoyed was Insect Soup, a book of poems about bugs.

Not free, but One More Story also has some lovely books. In stories like Pete's Pizza, kids can listen and read along, with words highlighted as they are said. The story's illustrations are above, with the text below, just like a real book with kids either clicking to turn the page at their own speed, or opting for automatic. Unfortunately, a subscription costs. For homes, $44/year. Only you can decide if that is inexpensive for what your kids would get out of it. Personally, I would prefer a bricks and mortar library for free.

At Robert Munsch's website, you can download the writer reading his own books aloud as mp3s. Though not for commercial use, you could certainy load them onto a player and your kids can listen while they read along on their own Munsch books or library books.

Speakaboos has some great free stories like Arthur and Aladdin for kids to listen to and read along with.

Boowa and Kwala have stories to read which chronicle the adventures of the two characters, interspersed with minimal animation and sound. This site is gorgeous. I have a separate post coming up about it soon.

The library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County has an online feature called Storyplace, which has a preschool and elementary section.

Read some Beatrix Potter stories online.

Read some classic fairytales online.

At the BBC Cbeebies website, kids can read stories online, and listen to some at the same time. This might give your son an idea of a book he would like to search out at the library or at school. I love the voices in Charlie and Lola!

Read Grimms FairyTales online. Kids can choose the text only version, or the flash version where they can listen and read along.

If your kids are into jokes, they can read jokes online at Chickadee.

If your son likes nonfiction, he might like these online picture books about Science topics I found recently. The tunes of the sung ones are really catchy. (Thanks to Kelly Tenkely of iLearn Technology)

We Make Stories is also a subscription site BUT one of its activities is free. At ReMix-it, kids can change the words of such classics as Black Beauty, from the options provided.

Lil' Fingers has a storybooks section where kids can read (but not listen).

Professor Garfield has toon books where you can read and listen at the same time. Cute illustrations.

The Toronto Public Library has links to other sites for you to explore, and many great online stories of its own, like Owl Babies, a Book Chook favourite.

We're not talking great literature with some of the sites above, but it might while away some time for your youngsters, as an alternative to print reading.

I have to admit, I love "real" books best though. If you want actual print books that are not too expensive, the best place is your local library. Most libraries nowadays encourage borrowers to take several books for weeks at a time. They also offer audio books, videos, and even an online catalogue where you can search for and request the exact books you want. Children's librarians are some of the loveliest people I know, so make sure your kids get to know them, because they will have excellent suggestions to make. And don't forget your school library!

Sometimes borrowing library books doesn't satisfy a child's urge to own a book. Do you have garage sales or markets near where you live? Regular trips to these will build your kids a fabulous home library in no time. And while you're at the local library, check to see if they have a "3 books for $2.00" trolley like mine does. Secondhand stores or Op shops seem to be a growth industry where I live, and these are also worth checking when you want to buy inexpensive books. I think it's wonderful that you are sending books to Peru for kids there. It makes good sense to recycle books that we no longer need, by sending them to kids who do.

V, whatever reading material you help your kids to find, make sure you share it with them. Kids are never too young or old to be read aloud to, and we know for sure that a parent's reading aloud every day makes a difference to a child's reading attitude and ability. Nothing will ever replace a parent's role in encouraging and helping kids to read.

Thanks for your letter to the Book Chook. Your kids are so lucky to have a mother who wants to be involved in her children's reading!

Sincerely,

The Book Chook

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Dear Book Chook,

How can I make reading fun for my eleven-year-old son? (Josh’s Mom)

Dear Josh’s Mom,

If Josh has learnt to equate reading with lack of fun, what would help him to rethink that attitude?

Would he prefer to read in a subject area that interests him? Lots of boys who don’t enjoy fiction will spend hours poring over a magazine on their favourite sport.

Reading doesn’t always mean print books, either. Would he be interested in reading what his friends have written on a social network site? Is there something he really wants to do that you could help him find a website tutorial on?

One sure-fire way to kill fun, is to make reading a punishment. And don’t give up on reading aloud to him, just because he’s eleven. If he struggles with making sense from print, it may be more fun to listen to you read the story, or try reading it aloud together, making sure he can see the text clearly. Taking pressure off his reading that way might be just the thing to help him enjoy it again.

I’m so glad Josh has you on his side!

BC

Dear Book Chook,

How do I get my daughter to settle down at bedtime and actually listen to the book? (Desperate in Delaware)

Dear Desperate,

Congratulations on sharing the wonderful world of books with your daughter!

Kids need routines to help them settle, and feel settled. Wind-down time is good, maybe a warm bath, teeth-cleaning and a quiet chat about the day. These will all help a child realise the story-time routine is approaching, and soon after that it will be time to sleep.

If reading to your daughter has already become a daily habit, she probably enjoys books. Try allowing her quiet reading time on her own before you read to her. That will give her more time to relax and get into the mood for listening.

Is the book one she wants to listen to? Encouraging her to choose the read-aloud book gives her a vested interest in settling! Check to see what’s going on outside her room. Are there older siblings playing a noisy game that she’s missing out on? Making a peaceful oasis for the story will help, too.

Do you read the story with all your theatrical skills, bringing it alive for her? I have some tips on reading aloud as performance in Read Aloud Hints.

BC

Dear Book Chook,

My reluctant reader has found a series of books that she loves. She's reading two of them a week! And I don't have to nag her to read them. It's rare to see her enjoy reading so much. Seems wonderful, except that the books are below her reading level. They are easy chapter books for grades 2-3, and she's in grade 4. I know she could read more difficult books. Should I push her to challenge herself with a harder book, or just let her enjoy these? (Concerned Mom)

Dear Concerned Mom,

Congratulations on wanting what's best for your daughter! It's obvious you understand how important reading is for her future happiness and education, and that you want to do your best to encourage and support her.

I think it's wonderful that your youngster is enjoying reading. The idea of a girl who thought of herself as not liking to read, suddenly turning to books for pleasure, fills me with delight. I hope you will allow yourself to be delighted, too.

Where do these messages come from that we should "push" our kids, challenge them with difficult material, encourage them to read books that are branded with their grade level? Who says it's the best thing for our kids? It sounds to me as if they are trying to make reading a chore. Let's look at how adults read.

I've been a reader all my life. I enjoy reading and would suppose I am a "good" reader. Occasionally, I find a book that's difficult for me. The text is dense, and full of scientific words I don't understand. Sentences are complex. After two paragraphs, I feel like I've run the reading equivalent of a marathon. There is no doubt some would say I should persevere with such a book. It will do me "good". But do I? No. I slip it back on the shelf and find something I'll enjoy. Am I lazy, unchallenged? I just think I'm being practical. I expect to enjoy reading, otherwise I won't do it. The only times I read text that I don't want to read, is when I am a student and it's a course requirement. And then I employ all my wiles to ingest that information as easily as I can.

Don't misunderstand. I'm not saying that all learning must be fun or we should abandon it. In our less-than-ideal world, there will be times in all our lives when we must knuckle down and learn something despite there being no perceivable fun or pay-off involved.

What I am saying, and I believe this with every fibre of my being, is that if we want kids to LOVE reading, we should let them read what they enjoy, regardless of their perceived ability or grade level. There is nothing wrong with kids reading junior books when they are 16 or even an old chook like me. The key is to let them choose books they want to read. Encourage them to borrow as many books as they want from the library, buy comics from garage sales, whatever they want. If there are books you think they'll love, but they resist, consider sharing those books in a family read-aloud time. That way, you are widening the range of literature they encounter, but still giving them control over their independent reading.

When kids LOVE reading, it becomes something they want to do more and more. Books become their friends and open up new worlds for them. They learn to love words and what we can do with them, which in turn fuels their writing, and all their communication skills.

Sometimes it seems to me there are forces at work that want to rob our kids of their childhood. By trying to push them into learning they are not ready for, by making everything a competition and comparing our kids to some so-called norm, we are doing them a huge disservice.

I believe we must do our best to help our kids love reading. That is the number one priority in my mind. I urge every parent to make it their priority too.

Sincerely,

The Book Chook

Dear Book Chook,

Soon my son will be starting big school. Although he's attended play group and more recently pre-school a couple of days a week, I'm wondering what I can do to help him adjust to his new routine. Is there anything you recommend that we practice before the big day? (Concerned Mum, Gosford)

Dear Concerned Mum,

Primary School is different to pre-school in many ways. There is more timetabling and less choice of activity. There are far more children and adults, most of them unknown to your child. The buildings and layout will perhaps be vastly different. Children are expected to be more independent and to take responsibility for themselves and their possessions.

Many schools have orientation days or weeks. These are a great way for both you and your son to gain some idea of the changes you can expect. If you work, try to take time off so you can meet your son's new teacher and future classmates. Visit the toilet block. Make sure your son knows how to use a urinal and wash hands afterwards. Some kids have not used a bubbler for drinking water or certain playground equipment. This is a great time to look around and orient yourselves.

Sometimes, kids come to school with brand new lunch boxes or snacks. Does your son know how to open them? Are items of clothing named, and can he read his name so he can find his own? Does he know what to do with a wet raincoat when he takes it off? Can he untie and retie his shoelaces? These may seem small things, but mastery of them will make your son more comfortable.

Unfortunately, this stressful beginning time for Kindergarten children takes place during the hottest days of our Australian summer. New shoes and sweat often make blisters. Running around excitedly in the heat of the day can be exhausting. Understand when your child arrives home tired, over-wrought and dehydrated, and take steps to make him feel better. A cool bath or shower, changing into play clothes, and a healthy snack will allow him time to unwind before he's ready for more play or even homework.

Some kids start school with unrealistic expectations or fears. It's important to be as positive as possible when you're discussing big school with, or in front of, your son. If a problem should arise, don't hesitate to discuss it with his teacher. Above all, don't forget that while school can be an incredibly exciting and fulfilling time of a child's life, the most important relationship your son has right now is with you.

BC

Dear Book Chook,

I bought my daughter some attractive Phonics Work Books from a stand at our local book store. I want her to get a head start on reading before she begins school, and have been making her do them everyday. But it is like getting blood out of a stone! She drags her feet, whines, and shows no interest at all, even when I sit with her. What's wrong with my daughter? (Worried)

Dear Worried,

Giving kids a head start on reading is a wonderful idea! I think we should begin when they are babies. The very best way to do this is read aloud to them regularly from great children's literature. If you want some suggestions of books to try, there are wonderful blogs all over the kidlitosphere that offer reviews, and list books suitable for various ages. Or check back in the Book Chook blog archives for ones I've loved.

The great thing about sharing books like this with your kids, is that it teaches them almost unconsciously. They learn to love stories. They absorb the rhythms and rhymes of language. They learn to predict, use contextual clues to find meaning, and delight in repetition and surprise. Read aloud time is an opportunity to have a beloved parent close and all to oneself, while being entertained by the magic of reading. There's little whining or dragging of feet.

Phonics is a system we can use for helping readers work out words. Once kids understand that the squiggles on a page are letters, and those letters correspond with various sounds, they are beginning to build a method of "reading" an unknown word. It helps kids with writing and spelling, too. When children are ready to start reading independently, parents and teachers help them by referring to letters and the sounds they make. If a child wants to work out a word, sometimes identifying the sound/letter combinations can help eg "Oh look, there's 'cat' at the start of that word, then 'a', then 'pult'."

Because we want kids to love reading, and be motivated to read, I am very reluctant to advocate any explicit teaching of reading before a child shows readiness. Surround your child in print, sure. Literacy activities in the form of games are fine. Reading aloud and modelling reading yourself are just wonderful. But buying workbooks for your child who doesn't want to do them seems to me fraught with the danger of turning a child away from reading.

And that would be a tragedy.

BC

Dear Book Chook,

I like your blog. I like your ideas for kids to do writing and reading. I read where you say about how fathers should read with kids too. I told my husband he should read our son's bedtime story but he won't. How can I make him be a good model too? (Worried)

Dear Worried,

Sometimes I think the "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" people have it right! Men and women often look at situations from different perspectives, and it can be tricky to understand each other. Let's consider some of the things that could be involved here.

When we model behaviour to our kids, we let them see us doing something. In your husband's case, if he's reading something like the newspaper or a magazine on a regular basis, and your son sees him doing that, then he's showing your son that reading is important to him. He actually is being a good model!

But it seems to me you'd like your husband to read aloud to your son, too. Some people just aren't comfortable reading a story aloud. But that doesn't mean they won't be comfortable sharing some other reading-related activities.

We mothers are busy people. Without meaning to, we can send out the signal to our families that there is only one way to do something. (I rediscovered this recently when it was revealed to me that there are two ways of hanging out our washing: the Book Chook way and the Wrong way!) Why not discuss your problem with your husband? Perhaps he'll suggest an alternative to bedtime stories, or he might be comfortable with one of the ideas below.

Could it be the timing your husband isn't keen on? Does your son's bedtime come at the end of long hard day's work when all Dad wants to do is veg out for a while? Maybe your husband might like to read aloud some other time? A father who's a morning person might prefer to read aloud at the breakfast table, or on the weekends.

Some men aren't comfortable with sharing a storybook with children. Is there something your husband does read that he'll share instead? If your husband likes to flick through a sports magazine, maybe your son could sit with him and they can talk about the pictures. You didn't say how old your son is, but especially when we want little ones to start winding down before sleep, cuddling with dad under a not-so-bright light, and talking softly about what's in today's newspaper can be worthwhile. Dad might like to read aloud from the Stock report. Okay, probably Junior won't understand a word, but he will absorb the rhythms and cadences of our language, and he will experience the enormous pleasure of having Dad to himself while sharing reading.

If Dad would like to be involved, but feels awkward plunging in to reading aloud, what about easing him in? Your family could set aside a definite time to be together. You could snuggle together somewhere and listen while Mum reads aloud. If Dad wants to take a more active role, he could ask questions about the pictures after the story is over. "Who's this, Turtle or Elephant?" "Fox in socks or Fox in box?" "Can you show me the biggest truck of all?" etc. If it's not quiet-before-bedtime, making up silly games about books is such a lot of fun, and really a wonderful help to beginning readers. Dad could pretend to read a well-known story, but deliberately change it, allowing your son to put him right. Most dads I know excel at boisterous play - there's no reason not to link that to reading. Sharing a story can be a great noisy pursuit too!

Worried, I'm so glad you enjoy my ideas about reading and writing with kids. Thanks for your letter, and I hope my ideas will give you some food for thought.

BC