Reading should be valued every day and especially during the month of March. This month is dedicated to advocating for literacy and has been named National Reading Month.

Encouraging your child to read, even for just a few minutes every day, helps to build a strong vocabulary through exposure to new words and familiar ones. It also develops your child’s writing skills. Reading an author’s effectively crafted text teaches your child how to structure sentences and paragraphs.

Beyond the educational benefits of reading is the enjoyment that comes from it. Books, whether fiction or nonfiction, have the power to transport the reader to another realm. This escape discreetly introduces children to new topics and perspectives, which can aid in their cognitive development.

Celebrate reading this month and every month!

Here are our top picks for National Reading Month:

Grades K through 5

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Grades 6 through 8

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Smile by Raina Telgemeier

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Grades 9 through 12

I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

Looking For Alaska by John Green