Choosing Good Books for Children
Each of these short articles highlights a particular type of book or characteristic that appeals to a certain age group, discusses why they are appropriate, and provides some titles to get you started. Ask us for more great books!
Kids, Magazines and Literacy
When you're looking for good books to bring home for your preschoolers, don’t forget about magazines!
Word Books
Kids who have big vocabularies have an easier time learning to read, because it's easier to sound out a word you know than one you don't.
Wordless Books
We want our little ones to start making the connection between reading and the print on the page, so why read books with no words? Because wordless books are a great way to develop a child's language skills!
Multicultural Books and Preschoolers
While toddlers and preschoolers are happy reading books about the world they know, preschoolers are also ready to start exploring books about life beyond their familiar day-to-day routines.
Choosing Alphabet Books
Sharing alphabet books with children is a great way to help them learn their letters--the names, shapes, and sounds--as well as introduce new vocabulary words.
Choosing Board Books
What's one way to help your baby or toddler learn to love reading? Besides reading to them every day, you can give them plenty of board books to play with.
Everyday Situations and Preschoolers
As toddlers turn into preschoolers, they become more interested in new experiences. This is a good thing, since their lives often become filled with them! Welcoming new siblings, starting preschool, making new friends—preschoolers are very busy! We can help by reading them books that reflect their new experiences and feelings.
Everyday Situations and Toddlers
Toddlers work hard at making sense out of the world around them. There’s so much for them to learn!
Repetitive Books and Literacy
Toddlers and preschoolers love learning new things and showing off what they know. Books with words or phrases that repeat make it easy for young children to guess what is coming next in the story. Making guesses like this is one of the ways children start to make sense of what they read.
Big, Simple Pictures and High Contrast Images
Babies' brand-new eyes are still learning to focus, especially during their first few months. Researchers have found that high-contrast images attract and hold babies' attention. This is why there are so many black-and-white baby toys available!
