Dan Gutman is not one of my favorite authors, but he's a favorite for kids! His books are checked out all the time in the library! He is very funny! Here is a link to some tips for parents that he wrote to help encourage your children to read. It's cute:
http://harpercollinschildrens.tumblr.com/post/90084425855/10-things-parents-can-do-to-encourage-their-children-to
http://harpercollinschildrens.tumblr.com/post/90084425855/10-things-parents-can-do-to-encourage-their-children-to