What was your favorite book growing up? Do you remember how it felt to go to the bookstore or library and come home with a big stack? One of the best gifts you can pass on to your grandchildren – or any young kids in your life – is that same love of reading. And it’s more important today than ever.
The Walton Family Foundation and Gallup Voices of Gen Z Study 2025 found that 35% of K through 12th grade students don’t like to read.1 And U.S. students’ reading scores have been steadily dropping for the past several years.2 But when kids enjoy reading, they also do better in school.3
Enter: You! Bring books and the joy of reading to the youngsters you know, and you can help set them up for brighter days ahead. Get started with these easy, affordable ideas.
Start a family book club. You can get together in person or virtually, so this works wherever you and your family live. Decide how often you’d like to meet and take turns picking books (let the younger generation choose first to spark their interest). One person can lead the discussion or ask everyone to bring a question or two.
Focus on the familiar. To find a book that resonates with your grandchildren, look to their other interests. Do they play a lot of video games? Lean into those genres and characters (for example, anime or graphic novels). Find out their favorite movies, TV shows, or extracurriculars and pick books that dovetail with those themes. Perhaps the movie they love is based on a book. Or the host of their favorite baking show has a cookbook. Once you’ve piqued a child’s interest, they may well branch out into uncharted territory.
Surprise kids with book gifts. It’s always fun to get a present. So, giving books as gifts can add a layer of excitement to reading. Track down titles for little ones that you loved when you were their age. It’ll feel even more special if you personalize it with a message inside the front cover. Or build up their personal library with exciting, new releases or the next installment of a series. Order online at ThriftBooks.com for a wide range of affordable options.
As the world’s largest independent online used and new bookseller, ThriftBooks.com makes an excellent partner for encouraging your family’s love of reading. ThriftBooks.com has millions of titles at budget-friendly prices, along with helpful recommendations that make it easy to find multiple copies for your family book club, as well as new and beloved books to inspire kids’ excitement.
Exploration, engagement, imagination…the world of reading holds all these treasures. How wonderful to bring them to future generations.
Click here to jump-start their love of books at ThriftBooks.com.
Sources:
1. The Walton Family Foundation and Gallup Voices of Gen Z Study
2. Federal Data on Reading for Pleasure
3. Gen Z is Reading Less.
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