Our Kid Has a Precious Relationship to Reading. My Husband’s Approach Threatens to Squash It.

Care and Feeding I’m not sure how to feel about this. Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Pressmaster/iStock/Getty Images Plus. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. Care and Feeding is Slate’s parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here. Dear Care and Feeding, Our 8-year-old son is a voracious reader and is interested in everything from Dav Pilkey’s graphic novels to the Horrible Histories series (UK), etc. But I’ve been wondering: How should I feel about directing my child’s reading? My husband is a bit more conscious about what our son is reading at a given time and tries to steer him toward better quality fiction (the Percy Jackson series and similar). I’m of the mind that as long as he’s reading, we should let him choose and let him be. Thoughts? To be clear, he has access to a very wide range of books in his room as we pick up books he asks for and ones we also like from thrift stores. So the question is about choice, not access. —Raising a Reader Dear Raising a Reader, It’s important to remember that a book’s quality is subjective. There is value in all kinds of books, graphic novels included. Your son doesn’t have to strictly read a certain kind of book that some people deem as superior to expand his worldview. Any kind of fiction can help kids learn about new people, perspectives, and ways of living. As long as your son isn’t reading anything that could be dangerous or harmful without some adult discussions to accompany it (for example, a book that a kid could interpret as encouraging self-harm or suicide), then he’s fine to explore. In fact, it’s often in that exploration where a lot of the magic of reading happens. There’s nothing wrong with also suggesting books you think he might enjoy. But you don’t want to take the joy out of reading for him. One of the best things about being a big reader is having the choice to pick from so many different options that are all at your fingertips. Walking into the library or a bookstore and just being pulled in by a cover is what it’s all about. So, make suggestions, sure. But don’t take away his freedom of choice. —Arionne More Advice From Slate We recently bought a great house in my husband’s hometown. It is a two-story built into a hill with the basement level modified to be an entertainment space: movie theater seating, wet bar, and the previous owners left their pool table for us. My husband has a pack of cousins, nieces, and nephews, so we packed the downstairs with snacks and sodas. The one rule is the kids don’t come upstairs from the inside. The stairs run right into our personal areas where our bedroom, office, and music room is. We have lots of expensive stuff and don’t want it touched. The kids can come outside and up the deck where usually we are entertaining the adults… Never miss new Slate Advice columns Get the latest from Prudie and our columnists in your inbox each weekday, plus special bonus letters on Saturdays. Advice Family Kids Parenting