Kensington Kids

You can’t sit your teenager on your lap and read books every night, but there are still ways to influence their desire to read.
First off, make sure there are tempting books within reach. School-required novels are sometimes depressing; try to find lighter books for recreational reading. The Unfortunate Events series has humor teens and even adults would love.
For girls, anything by Gail Carson Levine or Meg Cabot.
For boys, encourage John Ritter’s baseball books, or the Boy-Scout-manual-like Dangerous Book for Boys. It’s a top best-seller, though perhaps nostalgic Dads are the buyers, not their sons.
For the older non-fiction-loving teen, how about a new current affairs book on the scene, State of the Unions by Philip M. Dine, an anecdotal-rich book about labor unions, or The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin, about the Supreme Court.
And don’t forget the value of a clever picture book: Diary of A Spider by Doreen Cronin, and A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech.
Other off-the-cuff tips: read magazine articles at the dinner table, suggest a stream-of-consciousness moment whereby you both share a minute of impromptu thoughts, and try to regularly applaud your teen’s academic efforts.

Good luck!