Part Two: Choosing Children's Books

It has always seemed clear to me that a good book for children must be a good book in its own right. - John Rowe Townsend

The Biblical wise man Solomon said, "There is no end to the writing of books" (Eccl. 12:12). Solomon wrote that about 3,000 years ago, but he could have been talking about children's books in the twenty-first century! With about 40,000 children's books in print, and roughly 4,000 new books published each year, choosing books to read to your child may seem like an overwhelming task. Don't despair; it's not as difficult as it may seem. Here are a few general guidelines to help you:

The best way to know which books your child will enjoy is to read children's books-lots of them.

Choose books you enjoy, and trust your judgement.

Avoid books that are too cute, too boring, too preachy, or too condescending, or those with explicit themes. Implicit themes are more effective and more memorable. In "Choosing Books for Children" (Delacorte, 1990) Betsy Hearne writes, "In general, the less a moral shows through, the better."

Read many different kinds of books to your child and don't expect her to enjoy every book you choose. In "American Library Association Best of the Best for Children" (Random House, 1992) Denise Perry Donavin quotes Maurice Sendak: "'Why would any one book be good for all children? That's silly. No grown-up book is good for all people.'"

Read old classics as well as new treasures. Books give young children a picture of their world, so as Alice Dalgleish says in "First Experiences with Literature" (Charles Sribner's Sons, 1932), "We need to keep the best of the old, and add to it the best of the new, for literature must reflect life and to reflect it truly it must keep pace with our ever-changing world."

Hundreds of books receive awards or special recognition each year. Award-winning books usually hold to a high standard of literary and artistic excellence, but don't limit the books you choose to award winners. Many excellent books for children are runners-up or receive no special mention at all.

Read books about children's books. For in-depth study, read Zena Sutherland's "Children and Books," the leading textbook on the subject. Other favourites include "The Read-Aloud Handbook" by Jim Trelease (Penguin Books, 1995), and "Honey for A Child's Heart" by Gladys Hunt.

Make the children's room of your library your second home. Get to know the librarians and ask for recommendations. Popular books are usually checked out as soon as they are returned, so reserve books if you can. If you have Internet access, you can often reserve books from home-a lifesaver if you have an infant or toddler! Alternatively, you could schedule an afternoon or evening to visit the library without children in tow to spend some time familiarizing yourself with the best in old and new children's books.

Visit your local bookstore and browse the shelves of the children's section. Be cautious when asking for recommendations. Many clerks aren't experts on children's books and may simply recommend what everyone else is buying. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but bear in mind that today's buying trends tend to be based more on advertising and popular culture than on quality.

When choosing picture books, look for text written in a simple and direct style, with solid characters who will retain your child's interest after many readings. A good picture book combines action, word play, humor, and poetry, and contains high-quality art that perfectly complements the text in mood and subject matter. A picture book's illustrations are very important, because young children usually pay more attention to its pictures than to its words.
Ultimately, a good book is one that children will read and enjoy. Knowing how to evaluate and choose books that your child will enjoy will help him learn to love books and develop a lifelong habit of reading for knowledge and pleasure, and that's both a privilege and a responsibility that parents shouldn't take lightly.

Next: Reading to your child