There are a lot of parents out there that grew up with a great love of reading. For some, that love was a result of having parents that would read to/with them each and every day growing up. For others, reading became something they started off doing on their own once they were taught the basics of how to read. No matter what made you a lover of books and reading there's no denying that you want to pass off that same book reading passion to your children as well.

We think that if you want your child to grow up reading as much as you do then it would be in your best interests to spend a little bit of time with them helping them to choose books full of fun and exciting stories. The better a book is the more glued to the pages the little one are going to be. There's no denying that a book about a local dentist who fights cavities by preaching brushing and flossing would be a lot more boring than a book about a superhero dentist who fights gingivitis with an animated singing toothbrush sidekick.

By comparing the descriptions of those two books you probably have an idea as to what book your son or daughter will want to read. However, that is a mistake some parents make, as they think that just giving their kids a book to read is enough, whether it's a picture book of sports posters or a motivational quotes book. The truth of the matter is that it's not just getting children to read a book it's getting them to read a book they don't want to put down and that has a greater chance of happening if the book they are reading is full of exciting stories that make them want to turn the page. A book about how to grow a garden may not entice some readers like the Harry Potter series of books will!

The goal is to get your kids hooked on reading and the only way for that to happen is by taking a passing interest in their book selection and steering them towards a book that you think they might like. It's not hard figuring out which books are popular these days with kids and if you need some helpful suggestions we recommend checking out The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Kids of all ages are quickly digesting the hilarious tales and antics the main characters find themselves in from the creative mind of Jeff Kinney.

Of course it will all depend on your son or daughter's interests and if they are a picky reader take them to the nearest library or book store and help them find the perfect book that will make them never want to stop reading and that will in turn be something they pass along to their kids in the future. Once that book has been found, take a break to snuggle up next to them and read along.

We like Reading Rockets article on "Tips for Encouraging Kids to Read"