My kids don't like normal books!

A lot of moms like to run to the store when they first start home schooling. "I need these books!" They'll said, grabbing a stack of Magic Tree House and Flat Stanley books. Imagine their disappointment when they return home with the best books only to find that their children lose interest after just a few pages. What's a mom to do?

Whether you home school or not, it's rarely a good idea to buy an entire series of brand-new books before you've read them with your child. Even a book you loved as a child may not be received in the same way by your own little one. I'd recommend picking up a few used books at your local thrift store. Children's books tend to run anywhere from 10 to 50 cents per book at secondhand shops. Another option would be to check out an assortment of books at your local library to find out what your child likes.

Once you've found a series your child enjoys, then you might run to the bookstore to buy all the books. If you're on a budget, check eBay. Moms and resellers are constantly ditching entire series of books and you can pick them up fairly inexpensively. I completed our Boxcar Children collection this way.

One thing to remember is that is is okay for your child not to like "normal" books and you don't need to force a series on your child just because your friends like it, because your child's peers are all reading the series, or because you read on the Internet that it's a "must-read" for home schooled kids. There's no such thing as a "must-read" for home schoolers.

In our own home schooling, I found that many of my friends absolutely love the Magic Tree House series of books, but these stories left my kids feeling uninterested and bored. Instead of forcing them to listen to stories they don't enjoy, we've found other stories about Spider Man, Pokemon, Toy Story, and yes, even stories about Jesus that my kids find fascinating.

Remember, each child is different and no two kids fit in the same box! Reading should be fun. It should not be a chore and it should not be a battle. It might take a bit of shopping around and hit-or-miss adventures before you find a set of books your child loves, but you'll get there.