Easter Books for Reluctant Readers

There are a great number of picture books along the theme of Easter. A good example of these is The Story of the Easter Bunny by Katherine Tegen. It is recommended for children ages pre school to 2nd Grade and tells the story of how the Easter Bunny came to be the Easter Bunny. After the elderly couple who usually make and deliver the Easter gifts sleep in, their white bunny takes over. Once his secret identity is discovered he sets up his own Easter workshop with lots of woodland creatures helping him out.

The book is full of color and sensory details, the artwork is beautiful. The story focuses on the idea of giving as apposed to receiving candy, eggs and gifts. It is a good book to reread as you can spot things in the illustrations that you may have missed on other reads. It is perfect for those looking for a non religious Easter story.

Engaging reluctant readers is a challenge, but choosing books that encourage interaction, themes that are interesting and attractive illustrations can go along way to capture interest.

Sticker books are a great way to encourage children to enjoy books. They feel like they are participating in telling the story, make decisions about what happens and by being interactive they keep focus on the book.

A good example is My Very First Easter Sticker Book by Lois Rock and Alex Ayliffe (Oct 10, 2012). It is a colorful book telling the Easter story. Firstly the stickers are used first to complete the pictures in the story. There are also activities on each page alongside the story such as counting, with stickers for each. These in turn lead to conversation starters about the theme of the book.

Lift the Flap books are an excellent way to bring fun and interaction for the reader. They require the reader to participate in the story, it cannot be read without their turning, flipping or pulling of the flaps.

One excellent example of this is Easter Bugs by David A Carter. This book is multi faceted in what skills it supports. Fine motor skills are encouraged when flipping the flaps, colors are identified and the repetition of language encourages beginner readers to join in with the reading.

The book is full of colorful eggs on each page which take the form of flaps to reveal bugs in different costumes. The last page has a Easter basket that pops up by itself. Little bugs dangle from the handle of the basket. With engaging artwork and texture on the chicken egg page it keeps children asking for the book over and over again. Added to this Carter has a series of books on the same theme, such as The 12 Bugs of Christmas which can lead to developing the childs interest in other books.

Often boys can be disinterested in books because they consider them too girly. There are a range of books available along the theme of Easter that might appeal to boys. There is a wide range of books based on popular characters such a Thomas the Tank Engine which can capture their attention.

There are many more books designed to appeal to girls. Barbie, Dora and Fancy Nancy to name a few. They contain characters and illustrations that girls are familiar with from toys and television.

It is also good to remember that the local library often group books under themes at different times of the year. A trip to the local library may find a display of books around the theme of Easter or Spring. They may also have story time sessions for young children That are usually free to attend.

A great option for those reluctant to read books is to make your own. Involve children in taking photos of themselves hunting eggs, coloring eggs or baking an Easter cake. Print off and work together to make captions for the photos. Make into a book with illustrations. Children will love to share their stories others.

In conclusion, there are a wealth of books you can use to encourage and engage reluctant readers through the theme of Easter. Making your own books adds a personal touch to the book and the library books are available to borrow for free!