sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

Why YOU Should Read a Kids Book

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Last week I challenged you to read more children’s books in 2016, whether or not you consider yourself a child. Not convinced yet? Here are some reasons why YOU should read a kids book today!

Read a kids Book

  1. They are quick to read. Haven’t got a lot of time to read? You can finish a children’s book in a matter of hours – even minutes.
  2. They deal with any topic you can imagine. Just like so-called ‘adult’ books, there are children’s books on almost every aspect of human existence and in every genre.
  3. They are entertaining. You can laugh, cry, be confused, amazed, joyful – you name it. Again, just like ‘adult’ books.
  4. They are well written. Think about it: the fewer words you have to work with, the harder it is to hide clumsy writing, boring bits, and errors. Writing for children is just as hard (or harder) than writing for adults and the quality of what gets published is proof of that.
  5. You show your coolness and confidence. Nothing says at home with who you are more than being willing to read a children’s book in public where there are no children present.
  6. You are setting a good example to the children in your life. When you read a children’s book you show your coolness (see point 5) but also the coolness of the book. If a child who looks up to you sees you reading of their books, they get the message that it is a cool thing to do.
  7. You open up communication with the young people around you. If you and your child/relative/young friRead a Kids Book 2end/student read the same book, you can talk about it: what you like, what you didn’t like, what you might read next.
  8. You can do it at the same time as other things. Visiting the beach, floating in the pool, waiting for the kids to finish school, eating lunch, travelling. Book are portable, and children’s books (being generally lighter) and extra portable.
  9. They improve your mind. You learn stuff when you read kids’ books – again, just like ‘adult’ books.
  10. There is no such thing as children’s books. What? Here I am exhorting you to read them and now I’m claiming they don’t exist? That’s because I would argue that books are just books. You can read whatever you like! So why not read a kids’ book.

I could go on and give you a hundred reasons (and, if you’ve got one you think I should have mentioned, feel free to comment below), but ten should get you started. If you have read a good kids’ book lately, and agree with me, it would be great if you’d tell the world about. The hash tag I’ve been using is #readakidsbook – and I’d love to see others using it, too.

A Challenge for 2016

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SO, it’s a new year, and as I ponder what goals to set for the year, and whether or not to share them publicly, I’ve been taking note of various reading challenges. There are some great ones: the Australian Women Writers Challenge, for example, challenges you to read and review more books by Australian women, a really worthy and important challenge. A few years ago, in the National Year of Reading, I challenged myself to read 365 books – one for every day of the year. I didn’t quite get there, but I had fun trying.

This year, if you’re keen, I’m setting you a challenge. If you are an adult, especially, this is for you: read more kids books.

When was the last time you read a children’s book? Not TO a child (though that is, if you have young people in your life, so very important), and not a Young Adult book (though these also are wonderful), but a book which was written for children read by you for your own enjoyment? If you don’t pick up kids’ books because they are, you think, just for children, you are missing out on something. Children’s books are for children, but they are also for the child in all of us.Read a kids Book

So, this year, I challenge you to take the time to read a children’s book or two, just for the sheer fun of it. It might be a picture book or it might be a novel. You can start with one of mine if you like (perhaps Pearl Verses the World or Roses are Blue, since I get a lot of feedback from adult fans), but this isn’t a plug for my own books so much as it’s a plug for the wonder of a good children’s books.

And, when you’ve read it, tell the world. Or tell a friend. Maybe even lend them the book. And when you read a children’s book that you think other adults might like, how about spreading the word on social media. The hashtag I’m suggesting is #readakidsbook

Now, I’m off to Twitter to spread the word of a great book I’ve just finished reading that I think adults should know about.

sallymurphy.com.au