Choosing
Good Books for
Children of All Ages
Infants
and Toddlers: Birth to Age 3
Look For:
Durable books, such as board books, with sturdy pages that can
be wiped clean. Babies can easily turn the stiff, heavy pages.
Simple clear, vivid pictures - with or without printed words.
Stories told in short, simple sentences with pictures that explain
the text.
Poems and rhymes that are fun to read aloud.
A-B-C and number books with pictures of familiar objects.
Sensory appeal, such as fabric books, books with textures, and
books with scents.
Preschoolers:
Ages 3 to 6
Look For:
Stories about everyday events and experiences, such as going to
a friend's house or riding in a car.
Simple plots with action that moves quickly, so each book can
be read (and possibly reread) in one sitting.
Main characters about the same age as, or slightly older than,
your child.
Playful animals, both real and imaginary, and funny creatures
in ridiculous situations.
Stories and books that repeat key words and catchy sentences or
phrases that your child can remember - and chant with you.
Colorful illustrations. The images can get more detailed as your
children mature.
Stories with one or two sentences per page for beginning readers;
as your child's skills increase, introduce longer stories.
Young
Readers: Ages 6 to 9
Encourage your children to
help select the books they will read on their own and the ones
you will read together. For books that young children will read
on their own, look for:
Illustrations that bring the text to life and give clues to the
meaning of unfamiliar words.
Topics that interest your children.
"How-to", craft and recipe books with clear, simply
worded instructions and helpful illustrations.
Books that you read aloud when your children were younger; they
can read them on their own now.
For books
to read aloud to young children, look for:
Stories and poems about subjects that interest your children but
are beyond their reading level - or are longer than those they
can read on their own.
Selections from books your children could read on their own but
haven't yet discovered.
Preteens:
Ages 9 to 12
Look for:
Accurate information on any subject that interests your children.
Humorous exaggeration.
Bonds of loyalty among characters.
Stories that show young people actively solving problems and overcoming
odds.
Chapter books that will be read over several days instead of in
one sitting.
Fact books, such as world record books, trivia, and sports books.
Biographies, classics, folk tales, historical fiction, and mythology.
By
Reading is Fundamental, Inc.
4/22/04
