Kylie Howarth: How audiobooks and graphic novels changed reading | The Canberra Times | Canberra, ACT
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The three words that rocked this children’s author to the core
ByKylie Howarth
July 11 2026 – 5:30am
ByKylie Howarth
July 11 2026 – 5:30am
You’d think growing up in a house filled with books, with a parent who creates them, would guarantee a love of reading
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It didn’t
Howarth’s Kev and Trev graphic novel series for children (Affirm Press, $16.99) is available from July 28.
“I hate books!” my youngest child declared one day, with complete conviction
As a children’s author-illustrator, those three words stung more than I’d like to admit
Learning to read for pleasure was a journey for both of my children. Both are dyslexic, so reading never came easily. But decoding words wasn’t the only challenge. Like so many families, we were also competing with the lure of screens
We set firm boundaries, having the internet switched off at set times, and gaming was reserved for weekends and school holidays. Slowly, we started to make progress
Then the primary school announced that every child would be issued an iPad
What a blow that felt like
I understand why schools are embracing technology. Digital tools have transformed learning and can be invaluable, particularly for children with learning differences. But as a parent trying to nurture a love of reading and outdoor play, giving kids another reason to jump on a screen at home was frustrating
Learning to read is an important skill, but reading for pleasure is something else entirely. It’s a lifelong gift. Portable, screenless entertainment that is actually incredibly good for your brain at the same time. It was a gift I didn’t want my children to miss out on. So, the battle against screens continued
I made sure my children saw me reading for enjoyment. I listened to audiobooks while driving or folding washing, and they did too
Some people dismiss audiobooks as “not really reading”. I couldn’t disagree more. Audiobooks expose children to rich vocabulary, build comprehension and allow struggling readers to enjoy books beyond what they can comfortably decode on the page
Kylie Howarth’s fast-paced and funny Kev and Trev graphic novels encourage youngsters to read for pleasure. Pictures supplied
My youngest now falls asleep listening to an audiobook every night. It’s often the same favourite stories over and over, with a sleep timer on. His rich vocabulary continues to amaze me, and I have no doubt those countless hours immersed in stories have played a part
Because of their dyslexia, neither of my children particularly enjoyed reading physical books independently for long periods, so I read aloud to them most nights. We read chapter books, graphic novels, young adult fiction and although both kids are now in high school, they still enjoy the picture books I bring home. I’d encourage parents to continue reading aloud even after their children can read independently. It’s precious time together and creates opportunities for conversations that might never happen otherwise.
When my youngest did choose to read independently, I noticed it was almost always a graphic novel
I’ve heard many people encourage their kids to move on from graphic novels to “real novels” as quickly as possible, but I wouldn’t be in such a hurry. If a child is choosing to read for pleasure, that’s a win
For children who find dense pages overwhelming, they provide an accessible doorway into rich, engaging stories without sacrificing humour, suspense or emotional depth
For many young readers, graphic novels aren’t a stepping stone away from reading. They’re the reason they fall in love with it in the first place. A child may eventually explore longer or more text-heavy books, but coming back to graphic novels isn’t a sign they’ve stopped progressing. It means they’ve found stories they love. And isn’t that the goal of reading for pleasure?
That realisation was what inspired me to create Kev and Trev
I wanted to create graphic novels that were fast-paced, funny and impossible to put down, capturing the excitement children are often drawn to on screens while giving them the satisfaction of finishing a book. I also aimed to create layered stories with enough depth for parents to enjoy too when reading together
Now my own children enjoy being my first test readers, contributing jokes and puns that I would never have thought of myself
I do my best as a parent to foster a love of reading in my children, but life is busy
Sometimes I’ll have a late hockey game or go out for dinner with friends. Sometimes I simply reach the end of the day with nothing left in the tank
Those are the nights my children complain that I haven’t read to them
The child who once looked me in the eye and declared, “I hate books!” now gets upset if we skip reading together before bed. My eldest even slammed his bedroom door the last time I said it was too late to read, and I secretly cheered inside
Reading still isn’t easy for my dyslexic children. Screens are still tempting. Our routines aren’t always perfect
But somewhere along the way, books stopped feeling like homework
They became something my children looked forward to
In a world competing for their attention, that felt like a pretty big win
About the author
Kylie Howarth is an award-winning, internationally published children’s book author and illustrator from Western Australia. Her Kev and Trevgraphic novel series for children (Affirm Press, $16.99) is available from July 28
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