Jacky Ha-Ha Book Club 49


Jacky Ha-Ha #hahabookclub

Reading is awesome. Yup, I love to read. Every night I read a chapter of my book and I have always been an avid reader since I learned to read at 4 years old.  My daughter Diane, has not found the reading bug yet.  She will not usually pick up a book on her own.  I encourage her to read all the time, often stopping to find new books at the library.  I just always wished she was one of those kids who could not wait to read the latest book.  A few weeks ago we were invited to join the new Jacky Ha-Ha Mother-Daughter Book Club revolving around a new book by James Patterson.  Surprisingly, Diane said, “Mom, let’s join the book club!”  I signed up quickly before she changed her mind.

jacky ha-ha book club #hahabookclub

We ordered our copy of Jacky Ha-Ha on Amazon and it arrived two days later.  That night, Diane was ready to go to bed quite early, eager to start our book club reading.  I will tell you that Jacky Ha-Ha is a really funny book and my daughter and I both loved it.  I loved it because it got us talking and cuddling each night before bed.  Each night we found a quiet spot, got a soft blanket and each read one side of the book to each other.  We stopped as many times as necessary to share some parts of the story.  This book brought up many important topics, some we have never discussed before.  Some nights the book made Diane remember something that happened at school that was relevant and we got off into a long conversation about another topic.  But being in the Jacky Ha-Ha book club has definitely brought the two of us together even more.  Please feel free to follow along with the conversation on Twitter by following #hahabookclub.

In my life before children, I was a teacher and I have a lot of experience trying to get kids to enjoy reading more.  Today I want to quickly give you some suggestions and tips on how to engage a reluctant reader.  Starting your own Mother-Daughter book club is a great place to start!

  • Choose the right book.  The funnier the book, the more you will laugh and the more your child will look forward to reading with you.  Book choice is SO important!  Read book reviews before buying a book. Make sure you are carefully choosing the right book.
  • Choose a book with lots of great pictures.  If your book has fun photos and drawings, your child will be happy to break up the reading with a discussion revolving around a cute picture.  A book with just millions of words can feel overwhelming. A few fun photos can make a book more fun to read.
  • Make reading time a special reward. Have a special chair, a new blanket, maybe even some matching pajamas. Make reading a time to look forward to, not something to dread.
  • Read consistently. Try to find time to read at the same time each night.  Kids need repetition and consistency, this is also true about reading with you.  Maybe your child is an early riser. You could read a quick chapter before heading off to school too!
  • You read one side and your child will read the other.  A reluctant reader is overwhelmed at the idea of reading a WHOLE book.  If Mom reads all the left side pages and daughter reads the right side pages, it makes the reading less of a chore and an actually doable activity.
  • Keep a diary or make a secret word code.  This is really important especially if you have other children.  When we use our “code word” for reading time, Diane’s brothers look around and wonder, what the heck are they doing together, what are they talking about? It is so much fun to have this secret club that only the two of us know about.  Diane also has a diary or journal that she has been drawing in, taking some time each night to draw what we just read about.

We made a short video about being in the Jacky Ha-Ha Book club here:

This post was sponsored by MomSelect through BSM Media. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

I would love for you to leave me a comment.  What books have you enjoyed reading with your child? Any other tips you can share to help reluctant readers enjoy reading a bit more?

 

 

 


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49 thoughts on “Jacky Ha-Ha Book Club

  • Casey

    Love this post. We try to read with our kids a little every night and so far they both seem to love it. The eldest has just recently learned to read, so I can’t wait to start letting her do some of the reading:) Love the idea of a secret book club!

  • Nicole

    I love your ideas! Three of my children read and they are all so very different. I have to limit reading for one or he would do nothing else (including eat). Another skims so he can complete assignments. My third wants desperately to read better and I need to work with him more.

    Thanks for your suggestions.

    • Sara Post author

      I know exactly how you feel! My 5 kids are also each very different readers. Reluctant readers are harder to engage, I hope you found some of these tips helpful!

  • Trish

    So many great tips for encouraging reluctant readers. I love the idea of a diary or “code word” as incentive to make reading fun. I’m going to share this post on my Facebook business page and Twitter … I know it will be helpful to many parents.

  • Shann Eva

    I love these ideas! My son is just learning to read, and hasn’t gotten the hang of it quite yet. It makes him frustrated, and not want to try anymore. I need to find new ways to encourage him, and you gave me some great ideas. Thank you!

  • Dana

    I love that my boys love to read. I completely agree with you that the books need to be ones that the kids will enjoy, not what we would enjoy or recommend at times!

    • Sara Post author

      So true Dana! I have picked many books for my daughter that I thought looked so good and she ended up saying, ugh mom, that looks awful!

    • Sara Post author

      I agree with you candy. But sometimes it does not always work by example. I am so glad that it did for your family! Thanks for visiting.

    • Sara Post author

      Hi Lauren, If you are reading the book together I think 6 would be ok. It is really hard if you do not like to read, how do you show your child that reading is awesome? Jacky Ha-Ha is listed as being appropriate for grades 4-6. My daughter is at the end of 2nd grade and she felt very grown up reading a book with me that was a bit over her heard. She stopped to ask me questions all the time and we had many interesting discussions together based on the content.Have you tried any of the Geronimo Stilton books? My daughter loves to read those together. And the Knuffle Bunny series is also one of her favorites! Hope this helps. Thanks for visiting.

  • Dia All The Things I Do

    I was more like you as a kid. For me it was “Dia turn off the light, close the book and go to bed” now for kids it’s more like turn off the ipad! I don’t have kids but i can see this being difficult. Great tips for getting her in.

    • Sara Post author

      Dia, isn’t it crazy how times have changed!!! I really agree with you, taking a little time and reading a book the old fashioned way is a great way to connect with your child.

  • Kellie

    I think I like Jacky Ha-ha! How old is Diane? She did a great job on video.
    We are avid readers at our house but I find it goes in cycles. My daughter is 9 and reads 15-20 everyday for school but her and her Dad still read Gerald and Piggie books before bed. They each do a part. It is so fun to listen to them.
    One thing that we do to promote reading is when we go to thrift stores, we let our daughter buy whatever books she wants. She gets excited to pick them out herself and has managed to build a couple of collections.
    Thanks for all the tip and reading advice.
    Kellie from Princess & The Yard Ape

    • Sara Post author

      Thanks Kellie! Diane is 8. She loves making youtube videos, she says she wants to be a youtube star when she grows up! We are so proud! 😉
      My daughter also love Gerald and Piggie stories and basically anything by Mo Willems, great suggestions. We had a book fair at school a few weeks ago and she chose 10 or more books. Shopping for books in a cheaper environment is also a great suggestion. Thanks so much for visiting.

    • Sara Post author

      Thank you Carol! I like to try to think creatively, that is for sure. I will keep trying to turn my daughter into an avid reader for a long time. I hope it works 🙂

  • Bree Hogan

    As an avid bookworm since I was a wee kiddie, I’ve never really understood it when other people say they don’t like to read or only read because they have to (aka for school or work). Nooooo! Great tips for trying to encourage a reluctant reader – I wonder if they will work on my husband, lol?!

    • Sara Post author

      Haha~ My husband does not like to read either. But, with the right book he can get his nose stuck in a book too. It is hard for me to understand that some of my kids do not like to read. But I will keep trying to convince them how much fun reading is!

  • Amber Starr

    I absolutely love these tips! My son loves reading right now but I’m terrified that it will change over time (I’m a huge book lover). I love the mother-daughter book club idea.

    I think consistency is a great thing. It becomes a norm to them instead of something special. We read each night for 20 minutes and he will not go to sleep unless we do so. I hope to continue this as he gets older.

    • Sara Post author

      Having reading be a part of your night-time routine is the best! I really hope your son enjoys it for a long time. Those moments are the ones where all the best cuddling and talking happens. Thanks so much for visiting my blog.

    • Sara Post author

      If you continue to read with him, he will be reading by himself in no time. It really happens very quickly when the modeling is there.

    • Sara Post author

      Knowing she only has to “read” HALF of the book really helps her think she can do it! Plus, while I am reading aloud she is of course following along with her eyes and reading it inside her mind. It really has worked wonders for us. It makes a book that feels impossible, possible! Sometimes if she is very tired I will read both sides and she feels like it is such a treat. You need to always stay ahead of the kids these days, they are so smart!

  • Melissa

    We homeschool and I love sharing my favorite childhood books with my kids as read-alouds but my daughter isn’t always into the books I want to read, we will definitely be looking for a copy of Jacky Ha-Ha.

    • Sara Post author

      Thanks for visiting Jocelyn. The library had a great reading program last year, you should check it out. And at the end of the summer they gave the kids a really nice coupon book too! Reading is so important, and reading with your children is priceless.