Aussie author and rising star, Matt Galanos, is encouraging parents across the world to help their kids through lockdown with books.
“I think a lot of people underestimate the impact of COVID on kids,” Galanos said.
“I believe in the years ahead, we are going to see how our children coped with effects of the pandemic and being locked down.
“The harsh reality of COVID is challenging for kids to process. That’s why I think we need to encourage kids to do more reading. Reading is a great way to escape reality, spark the imagination and stimulate curiosity.
“It also helps with concentration, communication and social skills.”
Matt Galanos is not your typical fantasy fiction writer – he is a family man with grown up kids, works as an accountant by day and is an avid reader, writer and self-published author by night – but he knows a thing or two about books.
His first published novel, Dane Thorburn and the Brindabeare Knights was a great success, and he has since gone on to write the sequel Dane Thorburn and the City of Lost Souls – which is gaining a global profile.
Galanos’ books are full of fast-paced action and captivating adventures that are ideally suited for 10 to 15 year olds, but have also found themselves a following among adults both in Australia and overseas. In fact, Matt has a number of further adventures about his fictional hero Dane Thorburn ready to translate into books.
Just released and already gathering sales, Dane Thorburn and the City of Lost Souls continues to follow the story of the young and brave royal knight Dane Thorburn and his desperate quest to find Princess Vanessa before she is lost forever. Some people have described Galanos’ books as a family friendly mixture of Game of Thrones and Outlander.
“Books have helped many people get through difficult stages of their life, and I think now is the time we should be relying on them again,” Galanos added.
Matt has shared his top tips on how to increase reading during the pandemic.
- Read books with the whole family
“Find some great family friendly fantasy adventure books and set aside some time every few days as a family to read a few chapters out loud. Ideally set a routine and keep to it,” Galanos said.
“Doing something like this, not only brings the family together, it provides a wonderful environment of support and comfort for kids.
“Add a drink and a biscuit and make it more special. This will not only give the kids something to look forward to, it will make it extra fun as well.”
- Select the books together and review them
“These days books come in different forms, hard copy as well as kindle versions. Take the time to find books and then discuss them together as a family to decide on which book to read next,” Galanos added.
“This process makes the whole journey of reading much more fun and exciting when everyone is involved.
“Take the time to review books together too. This allows everyone to share their thoughts and feedback, so they feel like they are being listened to. It also helps parents to understand what type of books might suit their kids moving forward.”
- Share the reading responsibilities
“Sharing the reading gives everyone the opportunity to participate and feel valued,” Galanos said.
“It also helps kids to develop their reading, comprehension and communication skills. Kids may not need to take on the same amount of reading as parents, but even if they take on board some of it, it assists them to feel fully part of the process.”
Galanos is currently working on other hair-raising plots for the other novels in his series of seven and hopes to continue to shock and inspire his readers. “I would encourage anyone who has a dream to write a book to give it a go,” he added.
www.mattgalanos.com