In 2015, I spent a lot of time reading to kids. That’s not unusual—I have four kids, so the books tend to stack up. But this year also marked the release of What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night: A Very Messy Adventure, a picture book I co-authored with my wife Susan. We read it to kids in bookstores and toy stores, libraries and classrooms, even a museum. All that time spent with young readers has taught me a lot about the way kids enjoy books and what we can do to keep that magic alive even though we’re all grown up.
1. Don’t get stuck in a rut.
Kids’ tastes are plastic. What they like and don’t like in a book is still being defined. As our lives fill up with busyness and responsibility, we might start to play it safe. Avoid this. Stay limber. Try a new author or genre. Keep experimenting.
2. Judge a book by its cover.
My first favorite book was Redwall by Brian Jacques (Philomel, 1986). I was wandering through the school library when it caught my eye. Mouse with a sword? Evil hordes of eye-patch wearing rats? Heck yes I’m reading that. Choosing a book by its cover is like literary roulette—some will be duds, but one might just blow your mind.
3. Suspend disbelief.
Everyone has that friend who spends every movie night making comments like, “That could never happen,” or “Oh, that’s convenient.” Nobody likes that guy. Dive into the next thing you read and let the story take you where it will. We’re all proud of you for correctly pronouncing Deus Ex Machina, but that doesn’t mean you can’t cheer when the eagles swoop in to save the day.
4. Enjoy the pictures.
Kids love pictures. Early readers rely on them to create context and hold them in the story as they decipher the text. But, more importantly, pictures are fun. Try a graphic novel, or a book of photographs. Don’t worry—words will still be there when you get back.
5. Stay up too late.
Putting down a great book is never easy. Thankfully, you’re an adult now and you can do whatever you want. (Hiding under a blanket with a flashlight is optional.)
6. Banish the Critic.
Is there a voice in your head that finds every character arc uninspired, every plot point contrived? Give your interior critic the boot and get back to enjoying stories for what they are.
7. Learn something.
Reading can be magical, even when it’s not strictly for fun. Kids feed on new knowledge like it’s stuffed crust pizza. There’s no reason to stop that, ever. Unless you’re actually eating stuffed-crust pizza. Stop that immediately.
8. Indulge a fantasy.
LaVar Burton is (always) right—books really can take you anywhere. I read Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (Tor, 1985), and I wanted to be the intelligent boy of destiny, conquering alien races in the vastness of space. And you know what? When I read it again now, I find that I still do. Let a book take you somewhere you’ve always wanted to go and be someone you’ve always wanted to be.
9. Get outside yourself.
Anthropomorphic spiders, surly dwarves, mischievous plastic dinosaurs—kids can find a literary friend in anything. This includes human characters of different races, genders, or color. Can the same be said about you? Be deliberate when choosing your next read. Find a book by someone that looks nothing like you and take a few steps in their shoes.
10. Open a Book.
You can’t read like a kid again if you don’t take the time to read. So what are you waiting for?
Refe Tuma is a writer and mess-making aficionado. If you don’t recognize his name from his popular Little Fiction story, “Trapped,” perhaps you know it from his way more popular Dinovember books and tumblr. Our maybe you know his name from seeing it nominated for various lit awards, like the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Our maybe you know it because you have the exact same name and now you’re sitting there thinking, “man, this other Refe guy does way more with my name than I ever did.”
