This is going to be a short post, as I am in between writing projects that I have been updating on my Reviews and Articles page, but I've been neglecting my blog and I apologize to my readers profusely!My son is a huge Star Wars fan. In fact I'm embarrassed to say he may very well be a bigger fan than I am. He has watched the entire saga more than I have fingers, and in particular has rewatched Episode II more than that. But I'm okay with this, because his love for all things Star Wars includes books.
He devours books on Star Wars, mostly the non-fiction works, but he will request (quite forcefully) for fiction like the Origami Yoda and Jedi Academy series. This is from a kid who not even a full year ago would break down in fits when told to read for just twenty minutes. He hated to read. It wasn't that he had trouble reading, he just didn't like it. No genre, topic or theme would get him at least interested enough to pick up a book on his own.
Now, he can't put a book down. And yes, he actively searches out Star Wars books, but he will also read other books as well - books he chooses himself. He is currently reading a book first published in 1893, Beautiful Joe, about a dog who has had a hard life. The story has nothing to do with Star Wars, space battles or aliens, but my child will choose a time to sit quietly and read about this dog. And I know I can thank Star Wars for it.
I've always known, and have always said, that once your child finds something that unlocks his or her interest in reading, all doors open. For my child, it was Star Wars. For your child, it might be Goosebumps or The Maze Runner. Whatever it is, whether a movie, a show, or a book, take that interest and run with it.
