The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids

by Sarah Mackenzie

Question #7: What would you change about the setting or main character if you were writing this book? On an episode of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast, bestselling author N. D. Wilson said that when he was young, he disliked reading new books. When he was in fifth grade, his dad suggested that as he read, he should determine what he would change if he were the author. N. D. found himself motivated against his will, desiring to make the stories he was reading more interesting than he thought they were. “If I didn’t like a book,” N. D. said, “I had to tell my dad what I would do to fix it. That engaged me in a completely different way. I would put myself in the author’s chair and think, ‘No, don’t do that. Take it here. Add pirates. Kill everyone.’ I was in fifth grade,” he laughed. “I started reading more broadly, and by the sixth grade, I announced to my family, ‘This is what I’m going to do. I’m going to write books.’” And that’s exactly what he did. I suspect the playful way his father taught him to approach reading was key in transforming him into the bestselling author he is today. You’ll find some of his books recommended in part 3. You can ask this same question of your own kids, though I’d probably save it for kids over age seven. If your child is an aspiring writer or illustrator, this can be a great way for them to practice. They get the benefit of using someone else’s world and characters as they play with language and plot twists.