Some kids love books and will spend hours poring over pages packed with words and very few pictures from an early age. Kids as young as 7 read Harry Potter books all the way through with very little help from their parents. Some kids just like the challenge of reading and learning new words on their own.

Other kids however struggle with the simplest of words and just don't seem to get it. It's not that they are dumb or lack motivation, it's just that reading is not their thing.

So how so you foster a love of books in kids when they don't seem to respond to stories that other kids their age seem to rave about?

It could be that the reluctant reader in question just needs a different style of book to nurture their interest. Some kids have a natural leaning towards visual imagery. Films, cartoons, video games. By transferring this love of images to books you can help these children see that words and pictures can convey a similar sense of excitement that these other mediums can.

If you know a child who is reluctant or downright resistant to reading "normal" books there are a couple of ways you can try to engage their interest in reading.

Comics and graphic novels are a very visually oriented medium that use words and images together to tell a story. You can find comics with themes like fantasy and adventure that are geared towards beginning and emerging readers and are sure to engage. Try "Bone" by Jeff Smith or "The Dreamland Chronicles" by Scott Christian Sava.

Visual reference books like "The New Way Things Work" and "The Visual Dictionary" are great for visual learners with an interest in building things.

And lastly, visual chapter books like Geronimo Stilton combine dynamic cartoon-like illustrations with segments of full colored text in different fonts. Chapters are short and vocabulary is not flowery or overly difficult. Geronimo Stilton is a wonderful role model for kids too. A mouse who loves learning but is brave as well.

There are a number of options you can choose to foster a love of learning in kids even if they come late to reading. Give them a try!