Boost Summer Reading: Engaging Students with Books Featuring Their Favorite Characters

Each year during my 10 years of teaching sixth grade language arts, after my back-to-school presentation on Parents’ Night, at least one parent would approach me to say their son or daughter didn’t like to read. Sometimes, the parent offered an advance apology with something like, “I’m sorry, but I don’t think my child is going to like your class.” Other times, the caregiver expressed hope for an outcome to the year ahead different from prior years. Messages conveyed ran the lines of, “Maybe you can help my child learn to enjoy reading.” 

As the school year progressed, often these children scored near the bottom of our school’s quarterly reading assessment benchmarks. I knew that, for them, reading instruction and practice were critical, and time was of the essence. Research shows the importance of reading proficiency at an early age. Children who fall behind in reading achievement can have a difficult time catching up to their peers as they progress through the years. Good readers tend to improve, and readers who struggle tend to continue to struggle. On top of this, achievement gaps can grow wider during out-of-school summer months when many children lack access to books from school or local public libraries to read at home. 

During these years, I worked closely with our school librarian to match the reluctant readers in my classroom to books aligned to their unique interests and reading abilities. When I was successful, the just-right book took various forms. Sometimes, a mystery title in a series from a popular author caught the child’s attention. Sometimes, an informational book about a well-known sports figure sparked interest. Other times, a beautiful cover illustration generated excitement and wonder. And still other times, a character from a favorite television show or movie called the child’s name. 

Books with licensed characters from television shows and movies – Pete the Cat, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Pinkalicous, Star Wars – can have unique appeal and benefit for young readers. Children often form special bonds with their favorite media characters, and they’re naturally drawn to books featuring them. They’re the perfect entry point for a reluctant reader overwhelmed in a sea of unfamiliar, and seemingly uninteresting, topics, genres, and settings. Nothing sounds good because it’s all just too much. 

In addition to sparking interest, books with licensed content can also lessen the cognitive load that reading demands. For a child struggling with reading comprehension, familiar and predictable characters, settings, and storylines lessen the load. The burden of decoding important, but unfamiliar, story elements is lifted. Reading is more accessible and enjoyable. 

This built-in predictability can also be comforting to young readers, especially in our sometimes unpredictable world. There’s reassurance in reading a book and knowing the character will encounter some bumps on the journey ahead, but in the end, everything will be okay. Characters may bumble a bit while solving problems and navigating relationships, but in the end they’re better for it. 

Books featuring favorite media characters can also provide important access points to reading during the summer months. For many families, these weeks are less structured. There are naturally more opportunities for screen time. As an alternative, caregivers can suggest reading a book about a favorite character instead of watching the TV show or movie. Books are easy to pop in a travel bag to read in the car on vacations, while waiting for a doctor’s appointment, or during a sibling’s sports activity. 

Families can further support literacy learning by reading with their child. Caregivers of younger children can model fluent reading by reading books aloud or taking turns reading alternate pages. With older children, reading what they read models positive reading habits, creates connectedness through shared interests, and provides entry points for conversation. 

Regardless of the age of the child, families can support reading engagement by asking questions to encourage critical thinking: 

• How does the character in the book seem the same or different from the TV show/movie?
• Did you learn anything about the character that wasn’t shown in the movie/TV show?
• Are the words the author uses to describe the setting the same or different from the movie/TV show?
• In what ways is the book different from the TV show/movie?

For some children, these books are the perfect entry point to reading engagement and a love for reading that lasts a lifetime. They can help bridge the summer reading gap and ensure that children return to school ready to learn.

An online book fair can be the ideal scenario to provide students with a large selection of titles featuring licensed characters. Follett Book eFairs feature many books with characters from TV shows and movies that kids love to watch and are a fantastic resource for building at-home libraries. They make reading accessible, enjoyable, and engaging, helping to keep students reading throughout the summer and beyond. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Laura Byars

Laura Byars is the Manager of Curricular Alignment at Follett Content Solutions. She supports internal teams and customers by aligning classroom solutions to the needs of school and district leaders. Prior to coming to Follett Content, Laura taught sixth grade language arts in a high-performing school district in the western Chicago suburbs. She has master’s degrees in teaching and Reading & Literacy, and a passion for literacy learning. When she’s not working, you can find her reading picture books to her grandson or enjoying an outdoor activity with her husband.