The child’s first readings

His first steps towards reading

Good news: reading, often sanctified by parents, increasingly appeals to our little darlings. An Ipsos * study indeed reveals that this entertainment is on the rise among 6-10 year olds. And young book devourers are very prescribers in this area. The recipe to please them: a nice blanket. The more original, colorful or even glittery the product, the more it will make children want to read. But the characters also weigh heavily in their choice …

Addicted to heroes Harry Potter, Titeuf, Strawberry Charlotte …

All of these heroes that children identify with contribute to the expansion of reading among children. In fact, it is the books from cartoons and television series that have the most success among children under 10. Their fantastic idols are propelled to the rank of stars. Little fans then follow their adventures on TV and love to find them on different media, especially in novels. Somehow, it reassures them too.

For their part, parents are aware and satisfied with this “fan attitude”. Almost 85% of them believe that heroes are an asset for their children to read.

Toddlers, up to date!

For children, reading is an issue of social integration. It allows them, for example, to share their impressions of a particular novel in the playground. The toddlers then merge into a group. Clearly, thanks to her, they are following the trend. Moreover, as the success of the Adventures of High School Musical shows, children love “grown-up” stories. This title tells the story of teenagers, while it is above all pre-teens who read it. Likewise, Oui Oui, which has become the mascot of toddlers, is now shunned by those over 6 years old.  

* Ipsos study carried out among medium and modest socio-professional categories for La Bibliothèque rose.

The advantages of serial novels

Youth editions are no exception to the phenomenon of best-sellers and “long-sellers” resulting from television or cinematographic adaptations (Harry Potter, Twilight, Foot2rue, etc.). These kinds of books are the first choice for reading for 6-10 year olds. These serial novels tell stories that make them dream. Children also like to find a known universe through the adventures of one and the same hero. When they finish a book, they can’t wait to see what’s next.

Easy reading

Serial novels would be very beneficial for learning to read. From one book to another, the heroes use the same turns of phrase and expressions. A repetitive aspect that forms a sort of rhyme. They offer toddlers a marked reading path, in which the young reader finds words. In addition, the spoken style allows the child to progressively evolve from orality to literature.

A mini heritage

Serial novels also allow toddlers to build a real little collection. A mini heritage of which they are proud. It must be said that by buying volume after volume, the library fills up quickly!

But that’s not all, serial novels also make them want to reread a work. Sometimes, to wait until the next episode comes out …

On the parents’ side?

In general, it is the children who set their sights on a book. But, parents always keep an eye on the choice of their offspring. For them, it is important to check if this or that novel corresponds to them. On the other hand, they do not seem very demanding with regard to the content. While the internet is demonized, reading is often overvalued by adults. And as long as their child is reading, they are satisfied.

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