Children can often be fixated on a single series or story. They genuinely enjoy it and love to talk about it, but they refuse to read a new book, even if it’s similar. Though this can be frustrating to parents and teachers, who want to encourage reading and trying new things, it’s understandable that someone fully immersed in a world they love doesn’t feel enthused about leaving it.

One way to tempt readers into trying something new is to pick a short story of a similar genre or theme to the one they enjoy. Short stories don’t require much commitment, and they can be viewed as a way to kill the time between rereading their favourite series again. Once the child realises reading a different story isn’t taking away from their favourite book, they’re more inclined to try a few more different things.

Another way to encourage them to try something new is to read it with them. It’s always engaging to have someone else read to you, dramatising the dialogue and bringing the adventure to life through gestures and reactions. Reading a story aloud also makes this reading separate to their interaction with their favourite book. As they finish listening to the story, you can suggest similar books or the rest of the series for them to continue.

Keep introducing new series and authors so that once your child finishes with the books they know, there will always be something else waiting for them. Encouraging the exploration of literature can be hard work at times, but you’re sharing a gift that will last a lifetime. If your child is still keen to reread the same books in between trying new things, that’s great too. Repetition deepens understanding, particularly for younger learners, so if the readers in your house wear out the pages of the same series, it’s still a great sign. All reading helps!