Trying to encourage new readers to join us bibliophiles can be a struggle. I used to work in a bookshop and was often asked what I could recommend to help someone get their son or daughter, or their partner or friend into reading.

I have a seven year old sister and sometimes getting her to pick up a book can be tricky. Lucky for me, I was born with a love of reading, so I’ve never had this issue before, but she just isn’t as keen as I am to read. It made me think about how many people around us aren’t readers, but maybe would like to be or perhaps you’d like to try and help them on their way.

This blog post is aimed at people of any age, and offers some tips to introduce people, children of adults to reading at any time. I’m going to use Ava, my sister as a case study here, but again, this is not age specific.

Find out what they enjoy to watch

The similarities between books and films? They both show us a story that we want to consume. By asking or observing what types of films or TV shows someone enjoys, you can find out what genres they like. It’s easy to just recommend all of your favourite books to someone, but actually they may not be the right fit for them.

If your new reader likes action and adventure, try finding them a fast paced book that has a lot happening and is full of exciting twists and turns. But if they prefer a soppy rom-com, find them a romance book that has all of the heart! It’s all about matching the book to their personal passions an interests. This extends to any hobbies too, a football fan may enjoy a football themed book, whereas an art fan may enjoy a book set within the art culture.

Pick out smaller books

No one wants to feel daunted by a book, espcially when they aren’t much of a reader already. By selecting a smaller book, it makes the read look more approachable and faster to read. Let them build up to bigger books at their own pace and take these smaller reads one book at a time. I took Ava to the library recently and the books she liked the look of the best had the smallest page count and biggest font. But that’s okay, because no matter what she reads, she is still reading!

Take them to a bookshop/library

There is nothing like exploring a bookshop to get me in the mood for reading. Bookshops and libraries also serve as fantastic reminders that there are so, so many stories out there to enjoy. There are hundreds of choices to suit a variety of different readers and the magic of bookshops and libraries floats off of every shelf. It’s hard not to get sucked into a book when you’re in a room with hundreds of them, so it could be the perfect place to bring your new reader.

Spend some time reading together

If you’re able to sit down together and read a book, this can be a lovely way to spend time with each other and enjoy a book. You can have breaks to discuss your book and what you’re enjoying about it. Despite my family having no idea what I’m talking about when I go into detail about my current read, but it makes me love my book even more to talk about it aloud.

Encourage them to look at social media about books

Whether this is Bookstagram, Book Twitter or BookTube, there’s something out there for all ages. I find it incredibly motivating to see other readers raving about the books they’ve enjoyed and it’s where I get a lot of my recommendations from, so I would definitely suggests others take a look too. For younger readers, you can find a few children who have their very own BookTube channels that can enourage younger readers too.

I hope these tips can help you bring another fantastic human into the fictional world of books! If you enjoyed this post you can share it to Pinterest, or on Twitter and encourage more readers!