Las Cruces, U.S.A. — Parents know that knowledge is power, and reading is the key to this power. However, many parents struggle to find ways to make their kids be avid readers. Children are more likely to read if parents let them decide what they read, however parents can give them directions and offer support, Scholastic suggests.

“… it’s your [the parents'] job–not the schools’–to find books to get your kids reading and to make sure they read them,” CNN suggests.

“Parents are powerful instruments when it comes to setting the tone for whether or not a child will be a reader, and certainly what their children read,” says L.A. Miller, the author of the new science-fiction and fantasy YA book series Quests of Shadowind, which includes “Sky Shifter,” “The Grounding Stone,” and “Veil.”

“Quests of Shadowind” is the story of a group of kids who are abducted to an alien world called Shadowind, which is inhabited by ghostly creatures, cyborg animals, and virtual humans–a land where anything is possible, including being downloaded into a cryptic, evil, role-playing game. In order to survive, the teens band together as they search for a way back home.

“Freedom of choice is key to getting them motivated and excited. Vampire sagas, comics, manga, books of sports statistics–terrific–as long as kids are reading,” says James Patterson, a father and a “New York Times” best-selling author. “Should they read on e-tablets? Sure, why not? How about rereading a book? Definitely. And don’t tell them a book is too hard or too easy.”

Learning to read does not always come naturally. This is a skill that must be taught, and it takes some work. Parents should show their children that reading can be fun and help to incorporate reading as part of the everyday activities the whole family enjoys.

“In many ways parents’ attitudes can inspire their children to love reading,” says L.A. Miller. “It’s important to create reading environments in and outside of the home, and to stick to it. I believe parents are good reading role models. If your child sees you and other family members reading, it’s more likely that he or she will pick up a book.”

The National Education Association offers some tips for choosing books for children:

• For beginning readers, select books that match their skill level.
• Find colorful books.
• Pick books based on the child’s interests (hobbies, nature, science).
• Let the child make his or her own choices.
• Support every book choice.
• Ask librarians and teachers for book suggestions.
• Encourage your child to try different kinds of books.

“Reading is one of the most important skills that parents can help to develop in their children,” says Mr. Miller. “It’s a fundamental skill that will help children to be as academically successful as possible.”

For more information, visit www.QuestsofShadowind.com.

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A whole slew of stellar books was released in these past few months, with many more on the way. Readers of all kinds should keep an eye out for these books; everyone will find something they can enjoy.

Books already released include The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King, the latest chapter in his epic The Dark Tower series. Though it is the eighth book in the series, it takes place between the fourth and the fifth volumes. Those wanting something more in the realm of science fiction than fantasy, however will be right at home in Kim Stanley Robinson’s 2312.

Known for his legal and crime thrillers, John Grisham has already had two books released in 2012. The Accused is a thriller novel written for adolescents while his other book, Calico Joe, is a departure from most of his other work, as it is about baseball instead of Grisham’s typical subject matter. In addition, John Grisham will have yet another book released this year on June 25 called The Litigator.

For those who want more action, look for Stephen Berry’s The Columbus Affair and James Patterson’s  11th Hour, the fifteenth book in the Women’s Murder Club series.

Be on the look out too for In One Person by John Irving, best known for his novel The World According to Garp.

If you are more interested in historical settings, check out Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel, the second in a planned historical fiction trilogy set in Tudor England during the reign of Henry VIII. The first book in the trilogy, Wolf Hall, won the Man Booker Prize.

Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison also recently published a new novella entitled Home.

As for works not yet released, June 4 will welcome The Kiss of Death by Laurell K. Hamilton, the latest in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series.

Fans of Hamilton will likely enjoy E.L. James’ 50 Shades of Grey, which originally began as Twilight fanfiction, now being released for the first time in a single box set the following week.

The sixteenth volume of the Walking Dead graphic novels by Robert Kirkam should be in stores by June 18.

Due out later this year is the paperback edition of G.R.R. Martin’s A Dance of Dragons. The latest in the fantastic A Song of Ice and Fire series, fans of the new HBO scared off by the hardcover copy’s price should take note. 

Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz and Zoo by James Patterson will also be released sometime later in the year.

Two novels no reader wants to miss out on are also set to be published. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling marks her first novel since Harry Potter. Meanwhile, Michael Chabon, after years of experimenting with genre fiction, is returning to his roots with Telegraph Avenue, writing about ordinary families with the same narrating skills that won him the Pulitzer.

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