Tired of Reading? Try a Children’s Book
By Adalyn Lowe
Your list of to-be-reads is lengthy, and staring at the bookshelf feels like a chore. Thick spines intimidate— the last thing you want to do is crack one open and allow yourself to read. It has become a chore, and then you won’t do it for days, maybe weeks, maybe months.
But there’s an alternative— dismiss your to-be-read list and reach for something new. Well, perhaps not new, but a children’s book: something you have read before, an old favorite.
Many will say their New Year’s resolution is to read more, like they did in childhood. They used to be the little kid who just dove right in, consuming book after book, and loving the practice thoroughly. As they have grown, however, and online media and the daily hustle of life intrudes, books have become an afterthought. I should know— I am one of those people.
I don’t believe children’s books should become the sole thing one reads as they grow, naturally there are benefits to the maturity of the material you consume. “Adult” literature will contain more complex ideas, topics, and levels of analysis required. In reading children’s books, there is no suggestion never to read books for older audiences, because that would stifle skills in reading comprehension and analysis. But using children’s literature as a tool to launch back into a habit of reading is extremely beneficial.
Firstly, children’s literature often should remind someone of why they love reading in the first place. The pull to read and consume books for most is higher as a child, with more free time to spare and imagine. Too often, I believe people begin to view reading as a chore, when it should instead be viewed as a hobby and almost a necessity to live wholly. It’s important to reconnect with the version of yourself that loved to read, and by picking up your favorite children’s book, you may be able to do so. The characters are familiar, perhaps you’ve read it so many time you know them like old friends. It also inspires optimism in a world where it’s necessary— with children’s books, you are much more guaranteed a happy ending.
A while ago, I had almost stopped reading entirely, a complete switch from the bookworm I had been christened as in my youth. So I decided to do something completely different, and challenged myself to read every Roald Dahl fiction book that I owned in the least amount of time possible. Despite perhaps some issues in his writing, his characters have always been near and dear to my heart. They were full of wonder and hope, traits that become easier to lose as you grow older. I finished all of them in one sitting, in less than three hours (thanks hyper focus!), and I found myself reminded of the childlike naivety that I had so gladly chased.
Because they are meant for children, the books will most likely be shorter, and easier to comprehend. This, of course, means that one is able to finish a book faster. Finishing a book will give you the dopamine pleasure of succeeding and finishing something, which should hopefully lift you out of a reading rut. Reading children’s literature is also an excellent way to expose yourself to new genres and different perspectives quickly. Perhaps if one is stuck on the same genre over and over, a children’s book can be a quick way to expose oneself to something new.
The notion that children’s books are unable to be intelligent is a terribly wrong one, there is much to learn from children and the lessons they are meant to learn. These books often contain a younger protagonist, who should view the world with a certain naivety that adults could adapt to their own life. There is so much to gain from reading, that reading children’s books instead of not reading at all is much more beneficial.
