A child's book is something special—uniquely rewarding and pleasurable. It is never too soon to introduce children to books. Here are some basic points about specific age groups to keep in mind when you are choosing a child's book.
BABIES AND TODDLERS
• Very young children are attracted by brightly colored pictures of simple objects.
• They are listeners, and respond well to books with simple texts and good rhythms.
• Wordless books stimulate them both visually and mentally, and encourage them to create their own stories.
• They are delighted with board books and cloth books, which have the virtue of being practically indestructible.
NURSERY SCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN
• Mother Goose, nursery stories, and other books depicting familiar
objects and experiences are enjoyable to children in this age group.
• These children like listening to slightly complex texts with good
rhythm and effective word repetition.
• They are also coordinated enough to have constructive fun with toy-like books that may pop up,
move, or provide other astonishments.
EARLY SCHOOL YEARS (AGES 5-8)
• A few children may learn to read before they are in the first grade. Most learn during first grade. Many learn even later.
• For reading to or with children, select picture books with strong storylines and character development.
• For the child who is reading independently, choose a book with a straightforward story employing words that will be familiar from everyday use. Some publishers produce books, generally called "easy readers" which independent readers often enjoy.
• Third-graders are often able to handle stories of some complexity. The vocabulary should be relatively familiar while including some challenging words.
• A lot of informational books have been published for the early grades. These books encourage children to read about topics that interest them and to satisfy their curiosity about complex subjects.
OLDER CHILDREN (AGES 9-12 AND OLDER)
• Consider who the child is—his or her personality traits and personal preferences.
• Make your selection with the child in mind; choose an informational book or a novel in an area of specific interest.
Publishers sometimes indicate on the cover of the book or on a book jacket the age level or grade level for which they think that book is most suitable. Don't hesitate to choose a book that may be suggested for someone older than the child you are selecting for. If a book is beyond a child's reading ability, it can be read to him or her now, and later on by the child. It is also possible to find picture books that because of the subject or artwork will be just right for an older child. An interesting story in a beautiful, well-illustrated book offers the child an aesthetic experience to enjoy over and over again.
Some children's books have become classics. Many have great appeal and should be a part of everyone's reading experience, especially if a young reader is at the right age for a classic. Classic stories are often excellent selections for the family to read aloud together. Some children find a contemporary book more appealing than a classic: think of the child's reading enjoyment and select books that will appeal to that child.
Young people love paperbacks. Reprints of hardcover titles for every reading level are widely available as paperbacks. In addition, there are many children's books published originally and only in paperback formats. Reprints or originals, paperbacks for children are reasonably priced.
A fine book is not necessarily the most lavish or most expensive book on the shelf. It is a book that is written and designed well. Take more than a few minutes to look at the books, and to read them, or passages from them. A book is an unlimited investment in the human mind and spirit. Its selection deserves thoughtful attention.
FOR ASSISTANCE IN CHOOSING A CHILD'S BOOK
There are many people right in your community who can help you choose the right books for children—librarians, booksellers, and teachers. There are also several books published in recent years that can help you make good choices. A short, and by no means comprehensive, selection of recent titles to help adults choose books for children includes:
• CHILDREN'S FICTION SOURCEBOOK
by Margaret Hobson and Jennifer Madden (Vermont, 1995, Scholar Press, ISBN: 1-85928-083-8, 342 pages). This second edition fully updates all sections of the book. There are 595 authors listed, selected for their importance, popularity, and availability. Author entries are arranged alphabetically, and the title, series, age group, and genre indexes should be of help to parents and educators alike. Hobson and Madden work in the Books + department of Kirklees Cultural Services.
• CHOOSING BOOKS FOR CHILDREN: A COMMONSENSE GUIDE by Betsy Hearne (New York, 1990, Delacorte, ISBN: 0-385- 30084-0, 224 pages). This updated and expanded edition of the popular 1981 original offers information on how to choose appropriate books for every age level, from pre-school picture books to young adult fiction. More than 300 newly annotated selections are included. Hearne is Consulting Editor for The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books.
• COMICS TO CLASSICS: A GUIDE TO BOOKS FOR TEENS AND PRETEENS by Arthea J. S. Reed (New York, 1994, Penguin Books, ISBN: 0-14-023712-7, 240 pages). First published in the U.S. by the International Reading Association in 1988, this completely updated and revised edition will help you find the right books for each child. Reed is Chair of the Department of Education at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and part of her philosophy is that reading helps adolescents to reduce the stress in their lives. With the aid of COMICS TO CLASSICS, the adults who care for them will be able to help the adolescents in their world channel that tension and energy into positive outlets.
• KALEIDOSCOPE: A MULTICULTURAL BOOKLIST FOR GRADES K-8 edited by Rudine Sims Bishop and the Multicultural Booklist Committee of the National Council of Teachers of English (Illinois, 1994, NCTE, ISBN: 0-8141-2543-3, 176 pages). This annotated booklist includes nearly 400 books published between 1990 and 1992 focusing on people of color, particularly African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans. To highlight both commonalities and differences between cultures, books are grouped by theme rather than cultural group. Chapters are followed by detailed indexes. Rudine Sims Bishop is professor of education at the Ohio State University, where she teaches courses in children's literature.
• MORE KIDS' FAVORITE BOOKS a project sponsored by the Children's Book Council-International Reading Association Joint Committee (Delaware, 1995, IRA, ISBN: 0-87207-130-8, 126 pages). This annotated bibliography, a compilation of the annual "Children's Choices" lists from 1992-1994, consists of more than 300 books popular among children in grades pre-K to 8. Books are categorized by reading level; title, author, and illustrator indexes are included. An annual listing of "Children's Choices", new titles children through the U.S. have voted their favorites, may be obtained by sending a 9" inch x 12" inch self-addressed envelope with $1.01 postage affixed to: International Reading Association, P.O. Box 8139, Newark, DE 19714-8139.
• THE NEW READ-ALOUD HANDBOOK by Jim Trelease (New York, 1995, Penguin Books, ISBN: 0-14-046971-0, 288 pages). In this fourth edition of his now classic and enormously popular book, Trelease shows parents and teachers how to raise a reader and how it brings families closer together. Trelease is also the editor/author of two anthologies for children, and lectures extensively throughout the country.
• THE NEW YORK TIMES PARENT'S GUIDE TO THE BEST BOOKS FOR CHILDREN by Eden Ross Lipson (New York, 1991, Times Books/Random House,ISBN: 0-8129-1889-4, 512 pages). In the original 1988 edition, Lipson, Children's Book Editor of The New York Times, included annotations on nearly 1,000 titles appropriate for young children through young adults. The revised edition is even larger—over 1,700 titles—as well as better illustrated, and better indexed. Over 55 indexes make it easy to match the right book to the right child, in this accessible, invaluable guide.
• READ TO ME: RAISING KIDS WHO LOVE TO READ by Bernice E. Cullinan (New York, 1992, Scholastic Inc., ISBN: 0-590-45206-1, 152 pages). Dr. Cullinan interviewed real families to put together this helpful book on what families can do to help their children discover the joys of reading. There are chapters on the meaning of language, ideas for getting started, and tips on what will interest preschoolers, middle readers, and young adults. A list of children's magazines and a book list are included. Dr. Cullinan is Professor of Early Childhood and Elementary Education at New York University.
There are many publications which, though aimed primarily at teachers and librarians, can also be of help to parents in choosing a child's book. Among the noteworthy publications including informative reviews of children's and young adult books are: Book Links and Booklist, both published by the American Library Association, 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611; The Book Report, Linworth Publishing, Inc., 480 East Wilson Bridge Road, Suite L, Worthington, OH 43085-2372; The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 51 Gerty Drive, Champaign, IL 61820:The Five Owls, 2004 Sheridan Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55405; The Horn Book Magazine, 11 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108; School Library Journal, 249 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011; and Voice of Youth Advocates, Scarecrow Press, 52 Liberty Street, Metuchen, NJ 08840. Please write to each directly for further information.
Illustrations, in order of appearance:
#1 by Robert Lawson from Poo-Poo and the Dragon by C. S. Forester (Little, Brown) Copyright © 1942 C. S. Forester;
#2 by Ernest H. Shepard from Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne (Dutton) Copyright © 1926 E. P. Dutton Copyright © renewed 1954 A. A. Milne;
#3 by John Tenniel from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Macmillan);
#4 by Ernest H. Shepard from Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne (Dutton) Copyright © 1926 E. P. Dutton Copyright © renewed 1954 A. A. Milne;
Illustrations used with permission.
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