Many people say that they don’t enjoy books, but is it because they can’t find the right one? People might like science fiction or action without even knowing it because they have only been introduced to fantasy or nonfiction.  I have the perfect solution for the people that “don’t like books”. Here are tips to find the perfect book(s) for you.

Step 1: Go to multiple libraries or book stores with various books. Doing this gives you a bigger selection and more of a chance to find a book you enjoy.

Step 2: Once you are at the library or bookstore, go to different shelves to find more genres. Read the summaries of the books and try to remember the genre of the books for future references. 

Step 3: After you are done looking at different genres and choosing your favorite ones, then go look for more books in those genres. If you didn’t like a lot of books in the genres, try going online to look up the most recommended books for the genre of your choice and age group.

Step 4: When you are completed with the first three steps, your book shopping adventure is done! Once you buy the books, go to a cozy area, or an area that fits the setting of the book, and start reading!

Recommendations: If you found a genre to enjoy but couldn’t find many books, here are a few recommendations! An amazing series that I would recommend to readers that enjoy fantasy fiction and mystery is Harry Potter. This series has all the suspense and magic that you need. For people that like dystopian novels I would highly recommend The Giver. The Giver takes place in a dystopian society that is made so everyone thinks that it’s perfect. However, a twelve year old comes to find out that the Community would be better off with occasions that occur in the real world. Readers that like young adult fiction and some romance would enjoy Everything, Everything. In this book, a sixteen year old is diagnosed with a sickness that changed her life, that is until a boy moved in next door. Another series that fantasy fiction or children’s literature readers would enjoy is The Chronicles of Narnia. This seven book series takes you on an adventure through different worlds and each book introduces more interesting characters. Wonder is a book that switches points of view. Wonder is about a fifth grader that was born with facial deformities. August ends up going to school, and he doesn’t like it so much. That is until he realizes that true friends aren’t hard to make.

It is also helpful to have recommendations from friends, family, and adults. Teacher at WMS, Mr. Murphy, explains why A Song of Ice and Fire is his favorite series. “I enjoy how it bounces around from character to character. It gives me a different perspective of each character.” If you are into fantasy books that switch different points of view, A Song of Ice and Fire could be the series the for you. A science fiction book that Mr. Murphy recommends for eighth graders is Ender’s Game. He enjoys this book because of the “elements that reflect humans in our world”. Mr. Murphy explains how he would recommend a book to his students. “If I was recommending a book to someone, I would ask them questions like what genres they like and what they prefer.” 

Another teacher at WMS, Mrs. Malmstrom, stated that her favorite book is To Kill A Mockingbird. Mrs. Malmstrom enjoys To Kill A Mockingbird because the “characters are very realistic”. Mrs. Malmstrom states what her favorite book the district assigned is. The teacher responded The Outsiders because it makes her feel like she is “reading it for the first time, waiting for the kids reactions”. Mrs. Malmstrom would recommend a book to someone by giving them clues of suspense.

Finally, 6th grade teacher Ms. Falcone’s favorite book that the district assigned is The Watsons Go To Birmingham 1963. She stated that reading with her students impacts her because of the “kids discovering the surprises in the books we read”. Ms. Falcone stated that she would recommend a book by explaining the character development and the excitement level.

Haley Carlson, a seventh grade student at WMS, stated that she enjoys reading fantasy or realistic fiction novels, such as Again, But Better. Carlson says that Again, But Better impacted her when she met the author of the book, Christine Riccio. The book also impacted her when she watched the author’s YouTube videos. In Carlson’s  opinion, the best book the district assigned is the fifth graders summer reading book, Wonder. She likes the book because of the topic and how August Pullman has social issues in the beginning of the school year, but ends up having some pretty amazing friends. The seventh grader would recommend a book by saying, “Even if you assume you don’t like a book, you should still try reading it”. 

These are some recommendations from teachers and a student at Woodbridge Middle School. Hopefully this increased your chance at finding an enjoyable book!