ReadKiddoRead.com

 As avid readers (and bloggers!) ourselves, we all appreciate the value of the written word. Yet convincing kids that reading is not just meaningful – but actually fun – can sometimes pose a challenge, especially as they get older and start to believe they read enough in school. In fact, according to the 2008 Kids and Family Reading Report by Yankelovich and Scholastic, despite 80% of parents wanting their kids to read for fun, most kids claim there aren’t enough really good books for their age group.

James Patterson has taken this issue to heart. A father himself, he knows that one of the main obstacles for young readers is a lack of books kids can truly connect with,  those rare stories that draw you in and keep you reading until the very last word. We  can all remember the joy of a great book from our own childhood; begging to stay up ten more minutes to finish a chapter, then hiding under the covers with a flashlight to read “just one more.” Patterson has made it his mission to give this experience to children everywhere and instill in them a love of reading.

To that end, he recently launched a new website, www.readkiddoread.com, in order to give kids of all ages access to truly great books. Whether you are still enjoying picture books with your baby or have an older child reading at an advanced level, ReadKiddoRead acts as a resource for finding the best books. Each featured book, hand-selected by Patterson, includes a synopsis, related themes, quotes from critics, links to find the book in any number of locations (including local libraries), and even similar suggested reads. In addition, the website provides resources for finding book discounts and promotions, features interviews and contributions from authors and celebrities, and even allows members to connect with each other via a Ning community. Providing kids with a love of and appreciation for books gives them something that will remain with them throughout their lives, and this resource helps make that possible. Plus, if anyone can get even the most reluctant readers interested in great stories, it’s James Patterson.

Read what other Moms are saying about ReadKiddoRead.com:

tnchick.com says: "I just wanted to help get the word out about this site and Patterson’s valuable mission. So, check it out! Maybe use it when shopping for gifts!"

Bookroom Reviews says: "I was always a huge reader.  But my older son never wanted to read.  The popular author, James Patterson, has started this wonderful website, READKIDDOREAD.COM to give parents tips and books ideas to help your child learn to love reading."

NatureMoms Blog says: "For my son for instance, I like the Real World Fiction section for kids ages 5-9. This gives me a list of great real world stories he can relate to and that will be fun for him. The descriptions are long and tell me exactly what the book is about and what lessons it teaches (if any) and I can determine if he will like it."

5 Minutes for Books says: "To me this is what makes this site stand out. The books listed are not only fantasy along the same lines of City of Ember, but some non-fiction books as well. If your child enjoys non-fiction, perhaps you could go the reverse route and click on some of these very popular titles and whet their appetite for that title with some of the non-fiction titles recommended here."

Quiverfull Family says: "Applying the same concept Patterson used with his own son, titles that tickle the imagination have been carefully selected to spark a life long love of learning in children."

Booking Mama says: "His latest venture is ReadKiddoRead, a program which helps parents and educators connect children with the books that will give them a lifelong appreciation of books."

Mom of 2 Dancers says: "In order to give kids of all ages access to truly great books, James Patterson has started a wonderful site called Read Kiddo Read. The site covers picture books that you are still reading to your baby/toddler to advanced reader books."

Red Sox Mommy says: "I know once I started loving to read I was begging for new books all the time. I wanted the next in the series, I wanted to start a new series I'd heard about, I wanted to go to the library all the time and it just kept going on."

Fefyfomanna says: "She brings at least one with her everywhere we go and I currently have a stack of about 6 books to return to our library. WE LOVE BOOKS! And this website has so many great recommendations on what books we should read next. It is AWESOME!"

Three P's in a Pod says: "What's really cool is that you can read reviews by authors and publishers, giving both parents and their children a great place to find an exciting new story lines your kids are sure to love. Along with the book recommendations, he includes related themes, links to find the book in all sorts of locations including your local library, quotes from critics, even similar suggested reads."

A Wrestling Addicted Mama says: "The ReadKiddoRead website is a great resource for both parents and educators. It enables you to look for new children's books, research them and get ideas for every age level whether you have a baby or older children you'll find something for all of the children in your life."

Big Blueberry Eyes says: "What a wonderful resource this is! The site was started by best-selling author James Patterson. Read Kiddo Read acts as a resource for finding the best books."

All Because Two People Fell in Love says: "I have already spent a lot of time on this site searching for the perfect book for some of my reluctant readers in my 5th grade class. The list of books are grouped by age and then divided into categories! The organization of the site helps you to quickly find what you are looking for!! Just an all around GREAT site!! We LOVE it!!"

Cutie Booty Reviews says: "His site Read Kiddo Read is a great resource for parents looking to enhance their child's library. He recommends books by age and also provides links for places to obtain the book. I think my favorite aspect of the site is the ability to search for the book at your local library! Love that!"

Mama Pajama says: "I remember reading constantly until I was in middle school. Suddenly reading just lost some of it's pizzaz.  At this age, kids tend to be more involved with extracurricular activities, and have less free time. Plus, with cell phones, television, and video games, reading might seem boring to a lot of kids."

Tara's View of the World says: "I LOVE reading and one of my parenting goals is to pass my love of books onto my kids. I want to tell you all about a great site introduced to me by MotherTalk. It is called ReadKiddoRead and it was developed to bring the joy of reading to kids!"

Seven Dogs and a Baby says: " I must have picked up thirty books but I just couldn't seem to find what I wanted. Read Kiddo Read is a new book review service that allows you to get a real perspective on books you may already be interested in or find new books!

Sassy Frazz says: "Not all kids are into reading especially since our world is so overpowered from media overload. Many parents struggle with getting kids interested in reading when the video games are calling their names. Reading just may not seem "fun" to kids of today."

Jason. For the Love of God says: "That's why I was so pleased to find out about Readkiddoread.com, James Patterson's website resource for finding fabulous books for kids of all ages. There is even a special section specifically for boys! Rock on!"

A Wrung Sponge says: "Patterson is dedicating it to helping parents, teachers and librarians find the books that kids latch onto and can't put down."

Lisa Reviews says: "It is a great site to find out about books you were wondering about.  It is also great for books that you’ve never heard off.  After seeing the cover of the book to the left and reading its review, I now want to pick that up for my kids."

A Book Bloggers Diary says: "Providing kids with a love of and appreciation for books gives them something that will remain with them throughout their lives, and this resource helps make that possible. Plus, if anyone can get even the most reluctant readers interested in great stories, it’s James Patterson."

Just a Mom's Take on Things says: "It’s hard for me sometimes to remember that reading for fun isn’t something that everyone likes to do. And I’m happy to see my two older girls following in my footsteps of becoming avid readers themselves. But there are many kids out there who don’t enjoy reading, or who think that they read enough in school so don’t need to read any more at home."

Gotcha Baby says: "ReadKiddoRead.com is a great resource for searching out good books when leisurely browsing the bookstore or local library isn't really an option (toddlers in tow, anyone? anyone?). Each book listed contains all the information you will need to find it at the local library, or just click on one of the many booksellers listed to the right of each book listing."

Bloggin' 'bout Books says: "If you have a reluctant reader, you have a friend in best-selling author James Patterson. He's all about getting kids to read by offering them good, entertaining stories."

SMS Book Reviews says: "There is also an accompanying ning community where you can chat with other people who are concerned about their children's reading habits and get even more suggestions and support."

Mommy Brain says: "There is so much to see at this site, starting with the book suggestions. They are broken into Great Illustrated Books, Great Transitional Books, Great PageTurners, and Great Advanced Reads. My local librarians are probably wondering what’s up - what with all the holds that I’m placing on their web site."

24/7 Moms says: "Today 3 of our 5 children have become avid readers, Their idea of a vacation is packing as many books as they can and laying around for hours reading and reading. our two youngest are still in Avid reader training, however Nate daily quotes to me that he is learning to read because it is the window to the world."

Not So Average Mama says: "If you give your kids great books that they enjoy reading you will get a kid who loves to read. The Read Kiddo Read site can help us all pick out some great books to help our children along."

Get in, Hang On says: "But the aspect that I really appreciate, is that he has also included a list of similar titles for each of the books.  So, say you have a child who loved The Lightning Thief, well he’s now given you a list of nearly 20 books that are similar.  So, you can go down the list and find a couple more for your child."

Moomettesgram's Musings says: "If I felt like getting out of the house, one of the few alternatives I had besides going to a friend’s house was walking to the library. Consequently, I spent many hours browsing through the stacks. My love of books and reading therefore led to my holding high aspirations of some day becoming a librarian."

A Box of Chocolates says: "Teaching a child to enjoy reading is the best gift we can give. Through books they can learn anything, go anywhere, and become anybody. The adventures and knowledge is endless. Providing kids with a love of and appreciation for books gives them something that will remain with them throughout their lives."

Major Bedhead says: "It's a great little website. And it needs more traffic to really get the conversation and suggestions rolling in. So if books get you all worked up, if you want to talk books with other parents or grandparents, get yourself over there and register. Have a look around. Anything that can get kids more interested in reading is, in my opinion, a Very Good Thing.

Postcards from the Mothership says: " I love reading and by all things holy, my kids shall love to read as well. James Patterson, one of our generation’s most prolific authors, has taken to heart the cause of getting kids of all ages to love reading. To that end, he recently launched a new website, ReadKiddoRead.com, filled with recommendations to truly great books for kids."

Miserable Bliss says: "When I visit the library, I recall many of my old favourites and have definitely taken the opportunity to share them with the kids. But there are SO many new books, new series, new authors and new plotlines that I haven’t read or even heard of.. how do I choose something? Enter ReadKiddoRead. I really, totally, truly love this site. And I recommend it to all parents - or anyone tasked with purchasing a book for a kid. It’s really quite fabulous."

Artificially Sweetened says: "This site was put together by author James Patterson to give parents, teachers and librarians recommendations for books that 'kids would absolutely,  positively love… [that they] will gobble up and ask for more'."

Our Little Slice of Heaven says: "I have added this link to our favorites and can't wait to use it the next time my crew is whining about wanting a good book! "

The Adventures of Leelo and His Potty-Mouthed Mom says: "If your kid is anything like my kid, and not content to have books on hand, or to go to the library on Mondays, or to surf the Amazon.com "also boughts" for recommendations, if your kid wants more more more book recommendations all the time all day long, and isn't satisfied by Newberry credentials then ReadKiddoRead is a godsend."

Actual Unretouched Photo says: "Don’t take my word for it.  Go check out ReadKiddoRead.com.  I can’t wait to examine every link on that site.  As a voracious reader myself, I am constantly searching for intriguing and addictive books to pass along to my kids so they will grow to love reading as much as I do."

Production, Not Reproduction says: "I'm glad to help spread the word about it, because I hope it succeeds in its mission to introduce more children to the wonders of pleasure reading. Every kid who grows up to join our bookworm ranks is a thing to celebrate."

Verbatim says: "In the meantime, Patterson has gone one giant step further in his quest to instill in children his own love of reading: He launched a website, Read Kiddo Read, in order to help kids of all ages (and their parents) find that one great book that might be the magical key to turn a kid on to reading."

Crunchy Granola says: "All in all, a good site. I'll be browsing it when looking for good book suggestions (especially for kids who are much older than CG, where I'm not so familiar with the new literature). So put Read, Kiddo, Read! into your bookmarks."

Barefoot Stories says: "Though it's still in it's infancy, I hope READKIDDOREAD will grow to fill its niche as more people join, add reviews and discuss the joys of reading."

PCOS Baby says: "I want to make sure that we've nurtured this love of books in both of our kids.  Several of the books on the list are ones we have already read and enjoyed; I look forward to reading the rest of them!"

She's Becoming DoughMessTic says: "Take a look, parents and grandparents. What better gift than a book? Maybe, just maybe, one of these days your child or grandchild will thank you for it. In writing."

Sticky Feet says: "There is no doubt that I'm an advocate of reading. I love to read and I love to read to Bo. Reading is an activity we do together every day and he already loves books."

BBM Review says: "It was never a problem for me to find another captivating book to read, but today, in such a fast-moving world, it's hard for kids to settle down enough to find something that draws them in. Author James Patterson has taken this problem and provided a solution."

Suburban Turmoil says: "Sometimes, it feels like a battle. With all of the distractions out there for kids, it has never been tougher to convince them to pick up a book. Luckily, I'm not the only one fighting."

Comments

[Stephanie]

I've been looking for something for now (and the future) to help my son become an avid reader. We're currently in a "I just want to eat my book" stage, but I really want to continue to encourage storytime and eventually reading time! Thanks for this post/review I am certainly going to check this out!