An April Reading Challenge for the Whole Family
Spice up your family’s reading this month with an April reading challenge! Join my family and me as we break out of our reading ruts and have a little fun along the way.
The April reading challenge is part of our Year-Long Reading Challenge for Families. The concept is simple – read up to 4 books each month, one from each of the four categories assigned to that month. There is no need to read a book from all four categories. You can choose to read from one category or choose them all!
April includes four fun categories. Pick one or complete them all:
Own and Haven’t Read
Librarian Recommended
Shakespeare
Poetry
This April reading challenge is the perfect way for everyone in your family to find some new titles this month, so join the fun!
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April Family Reading Challenge
Let’s get started. The first thing you should do is sign up for the challenge!
As soon as you do, you’ll receive your free printable bookmark and mini-poster. Laminate copies of the bookmark for everyone in the family and hang the mini-poster in a central location.
This will also put you on the list to receive your new challenge each month.
April Reading Challenge Ideas
Family Reading Challenge
The year-long challenge is designed to work for your entire family. Print out the bookmarks for this month and let everyone decide how many categories they want to attempt. Remember you don’t have to complete them all!
Then begin the search for some titles that fit the bill for each category. Everyone can search for their own options, but you might also consider reading a title together. Then you can celebrate your reading success at the end of the month with a book celebration when you are done!
Parental Guidance
Remember that you know best when it comes to the books your family and your children read. While I have provided links to sources for book titles below, it is not a personal endorsement of every book on the lists. Common Sense Media is an excellent resource to use when you are making decisions about the right books for your family.
April Reading Challenge: Selecting Books
The categories for the reading challenge this month are:
Own and Haven’t Read
Librarian Recommended
Shakespeare
Poetry
I’ve gathered plenty of links to various booklists to make it easy for everyone in your family to find the perfect title. Browse the titles and see what might interest you.
Own and Haven’t Read
Of course, every person will have books sitting around the house that haven’t been read. Take some time to scour the bookshelves and let everyone find a book they haven’t read yet.
Librarian Recommended
This is another category that can be somewhat personal. I encourage you and your kids to ask a librarian to make a recommendation for you. Share some of your favorites or the type of book you want to read and see what they recommend.
If you need a librarian recommended list, here are a few to explore:
Librarian Picks: 12 Books I Love to Recommend (adults)
Top Ten Books as Selected by Librarians (adults)
70+ Young Adult Books Recommended by Librarians (YA)
18 Librarian Approved Picture Books (kids)
Shakespeare
You do not have to read a Shakespeare Play. Think more broadly about this category. You can read sonnets, story versions of plays, or picture books.
Some of my absolute favorite Shakespeare-inspired books are the OMG Shakespeare series for Young Adults. These books retell famous Shakespearean plays using texts, group chats, emojis, and social media.
There are so many Shakespeare inspired reads this month, even for your younger kids:
Shakespeare for Kids: The Best Books to Introduce Your Kids to the Bard
Reading Shakespeare Plays with My Kids – versions that work for us
Poetry
Grab an anthology and read a poem a day all month long. This is a great way to enjoy National Poetry Month as a family.
If you want to read poems that celebrate a particular poet, the Poetry for Young People series is a great option this month:
Some of our favorite poetry books:
Ten Poets Your Kids will Love
Haiku Poetry Books for Kids
Poetry Collections for Kids
Reading to Join the April Reading Challenge Fun?
Sign up now and grab your free mini-poster and bookmarks:
Find all of the Monthly Challenges:
She believes that creativity, laughter, and fun are the backbone for engaging and inspiring homeschools. You can find her encouragement and tips on this blog, Mary Hanna Wilson.
She is an enneagram 7 and an extrovert. She enjoys traveling, tea (iced or hot), good conversations, and books. You can connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.
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