Wendy Milton encourages parents to get kids into reading for literacy and personal development growth
Research shows that young adults struggle in social settings and workplaces because they’re not able to cope with difficult or challenging situations.
According to children’s author Wendy Milton, creator of the much-loved Zach’s Story series, books not only help with literacy and comprehension but also with building resilience, an important personal trait in today’s world.
“The best books for building resilience are adventure books with story lines that involve the characters having to solve mysteries”, Milton said.
“They not only get the imagination going but help build courage and adaptive thinking. Children learn that not every attempt works and that they might have to come up with other ideas and approaches.”
Milton has penned thirteen books, including her most popular five-volume series, Zach’s Story. Her books are available from all good bookstores and online from Amazon Dymocks and Angus & Robertson.
Learned experiences through reading
Milton maintains that the best thing parents can do is buy their children books, physical books, ideally, that can be shared around the family and also used for family reading sessions.
“It’s important for children to learn that we don’t always win and that even though we try, we don’t always get the result we want. That’s okay, and it can lead to even better and bigger opportunities. The key is to learn from the experience and to keep trying. This is what happens in most adventure books,” Milton added.
Adventures take kids on a journey
Milton defines resilience as the ability to bounce back during or after difficult times, or the ability to keep thriving in spite of circumstances that cannot be changed. Resilient people, she said, learn from difficult situations.
“Reading adventure books and taking part in exciting campaigns with captivating plot twists can strengthen a child’s ability to deal with setbacks,” Milton explained.
Stories educate and share values
“While they’re reading, children develop positive thinking, social skills and attitudes such as self-respect and compassion,” Milton said.
“Adventure books showcase personal attributes and behaviours in a positive or negative way, which teaches kids to understand their importance.”
Milton believes that her books can help build resilience not just through their story lines but through their characters’ journeys through difficult adventures.
About Wendy Milton
Wendy Milton is an Australian writer who has published twelve children’s books for eight-to-twelve-year-olds. Most popular is her five-book series, Zach’s Story. She’s also written one adult whodunnit, Schooled in Death, which is set in 1970s Australia.
Wendy lives in Sydney and has a first-class honours Master of Arts degree.
More info at www.wendymilton.com.au
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