Things You Should Know When Buying Books for Your Kids

Books open doors for kids and offer a perfect way to build their brains. Access to good books is a step that brings your children closer to discovering the joy of reading, and helping children to find good reading materials takes your guidance and continued support.

Choosing Books for Your Kids

1. Timeless and enduring theme

Probably the books you buy your kids will be retained for several years. While choosing a children’s book, you should consider getting those with a timeless theme. You want them to gain information that would still be applicable 10 years from now, which is a way to build upon their knowledge and help them to transition into other higher levels of learning. Some books are only written with material that addresses a seasonal problem that may not be relevant a few years to come, and this means your children may be forced to keep changing books while learning about the same subject.

2. Good illustrations

The power of illustrations is that it helps information to stick in the minds of children. For greater impact, you should choose books that have well-illustrated scenes. The imagery used should be vivid and clear, especially for children aged between 4 and 8 years. You could also consider wordless books, which are a wonderful boost to the imagination of the children because they allow them to interpret the illustrations while the story progresses.

3. Age-appropriate content

Age-appropriate content should serve as the minimum requirement while searching for a book for children. The language and illustrations used must correspond with the capacity of the child’s brain to process the information shared. Some content is too heavy for young children to understand and it could end confusing them. Also, check the author/illustrator is not a sexual harasser because there are many rogue publishers who will allow books with content that is not appropriate for young kids to be sold. You remain the best judge of the kind of content your kids consume, so don’t just buy books because they are selling well, but make sure to verify that the content included is perfect for your kids.

4. Should be educational

Besides expanding the imagination and interpretation skills of the child, a good book should also be educational. While being captivating and interesting, a book should also offer the kid information that could help your children to grow academically. This could include things like giving them help with essay writing and composition so when the kids grow, they are able to write coherent and error-free essays. It could even help them understand some basic scientific principles or even things that affect them personally like hygiene and building interpersonal relationships.

Buying books for children is a process that includes verifying the content in the books to ensure it is appropriate for your kids. You should be the one to check that the material is quality and illustrated in a manner that your kids will easily understand. Most importantly, make sure the book is designed to also educate and evoke imagination and creativity.

My son with his favorite author, Tui T. Sutherland, at Newtonville Books. She writes the WINGS OF FIRE series.

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My books:

BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 is a book that I created to highlight books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as the characters in their books.

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Do you recall your favorite dog-eared tale about a far-away kingdom or a backyard adventure? Or the first time you hid a flashlight under the covers because you had to find out how a story ended? Selecting terrific books for your small child will put him on the road to learning, build his vocabulary and object recognition skills, spark his curiosity about the world, and create wonderful memories. As he grows, great book recommendations will help him become passionate about reading and promote school success by developing vocabulary, writing, comprehension, and study skills.

Before buying, see how your selection rates by asking yourself:

• Are these book recommendations age-appropriate?
  Take note of the age guidelines and learning benefits of your selections. For your baby or toddler, board books constructed of sturdy cardboard and wipeable plastic titles make good choices. Older toddlers and preschoolers can handle paper pages and will delight in larger picture and lift-the-flap books that invite them to lose themselves in the story. The best books will grow with your child. For example, you might buy your 5 year old a picture book you read to him. At 6, he's reciting the words to you, and by 8 he's curled up in a corner reading it alone. For an independent reader, select titles that will challenge him without causing too much frustration.
• What will my child learn from these book recommendations?
  Books for babies and preschoolers tend to focus on basic concepts, like ABCs, feelings, or friendship, as well as use repetition, phonics, and other literacy tools to prepare him for reading. For an older child, consider how a book will develop her comprehension and vocabulary, as well as the themes and possibilities she'll learn through reading. 
• Is the subject matter of these book recommendations appealing?
  As a general rule, the younger your child is, the more stories need to speak to his life experiences. As he gets older, fantasy becomes more important. Let his interests guide you, and be creative in your selections. Is he a dinosaur buff? Try a rhyming dinosaur picture book at bedtime, and for solo reading, offer him a nonfiction book about archeological digs.
  
• Will my child find the text and illustrations of these book recommendations appealing?
  This is a gut reaction. In picture books, look for illustrations that catch your eye and familiar characters that will engage her attention. Your choices should invite her to point, touch, and talk about the pictures. Also check for books that sound like they'd be fun to read out loud. If she likes repeating words and phrases aloud, poetry or nonsense stories are a great choice.
  

If you know your older child has enjoyed a particular author, illustrator, or series in the past, go with titles from the same creators. Choosing award-winners will also help you select high quality books.

Developmental Edge

For read-alouds, choose appealing tales that build basic literacy skills. When buying books for independent readers, strike a balance between fun, learning, and challenging. Use our age-by-age guide to different formats and subjects to help you select the right reads. For specific book recommendations, check out our extensive collection of book lists.

• Grades 3 to 5
  Mix fiction and nonfiction that follows her fascinations. Young history buffs can travel back in time with Dear America diaries, and kids curious about how things work will enjoy science adventures aboard the Magic School Bus. If your child is having difficulty making the transition from picture to chapter books, try those with easy-to-read, large-print text and illustrations on each page. Also try series fiction like Harry Potter or the Powerpuff Girls, and humor stories like Captain Underpants.

Extending the Fun

• When reading to your child, talk about the illustrations, storyline, and characters. Read the text and point to each word, bringing the story off the page with a dramatic reading style. Ask him questions about the story and to predict what will happen next.
• Stage a puppet show based on a favorite book with your little one. You can share storytelling and puppeteering duties and put on a performance for the entire family. Don't forget to record it!
• Encourage your child to think of books as entertainment by renting a movie version of a treasured tale or going to see a live performance starring a favorite character.
• Develop your older child's writing skills by asking him to write a short sequel to a beloved chapter book. Challenge him to illustrate the cover!