Parents & Children4 min read
When a Child Doesn't Like Reading, Start by Stopping
Before adding anything new, take something away. Usually it's the pressure.
Stories about reading and family life
Thoughtful stories about reading, children and the evenings we share.
Personal essays and practical ideas about raising readers, reluctant readers and family time, plus a few books I'd hand to a friend. Written by Alma.
Also worth reading
Life & Us5 min read
The Night I Realized We Were All Home, but Not Really Together
Everyone was home. Everyone was somewhere else. What I noticed that night, and what I'm trying now.
Parents & Children3 min read
How to Start a Book Club With Kids Who Don't Think They Like Reading
You don't need six committed readers. You need one kid and one snack schedule.
The Weekly Letter
One letter a week about reading and family life.
Once a week: a short personal note, one article about reading or family life, one practical idea to try, and a question you can answer just by replying. One email a week, never a sales pitch.
Stories by topic
What ALMA writes about
- Reading with childrenBedtime stories, first books and raising a reader without the pressure.
- Reluctant readersFor the child who says books are boring, and the parent who worries about it.
- Family timeOrdinary evenings, screens, and small ways back to each other.
- Love and relationshipsStaying close to the person you share the evenings with.
- Books and reviewsSpoiler-light reviews and book lists, with who each book is for.
Books Worth Your Time
This week's selection
A few books chosen by hand, with a line on why each one is here and who it is for.
- Parenting
Good Inside
by Becky Kennedy
Dr. Becky Kennedy's guide to parenting that puts connection before correction, with practical scripts for tantrums, sibling fights and anxiety.
Who this book is for: Parents of toddlers to teenagers who want a calmer way through hard moments, and anyone who follows Dr. Becky online and wants the whole approach in one place.
- Board Books
The Very Hungry Caterpillar's Peekaboo Halloween
by Eric Carle
A pumpkin-shaped seek-and-find board book: spot the Very Hungry Caterpillar among bats, jack-o'-lanterns and buckets of sweets.
Who this book is for: Babies and toddlers from about 1 to 3, and parents looking for a Halloween book that is cosy rather than spooky.
- Children's Humor
Lots of Knock-Knock Jokes for Kids
by Whee Winn
More than 250 clean, family-friendly knock-knock jokes, riddles, tongue twisters and puns, with illustrations.
Who this book is for: Children of about 5 to 9, especially reluctant readers, and families who want something to read aloud together that ends in laughter rather than a lesson.
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Not sure what to read? Find your next bookWho writes this
Hi, I'm Alma
Yes, the site has my name on it. It isn't vanity. It's a promise: every book here was chosen by one real person, and you always know exactly who to blame.
Somewhere between a review and a chapter, I'm also the mother of a five-and-a-half-year-old who hasn't read a word of my books and is in no hurry to. She keeps me honest about what stories are for.
The rest of my story