Choosing Books For Children

When it comes to choosing books for children many of us can feel very lost and overwhelmed when it comes to all the choices available either for children of our own or of our friends or family. Children are notoriously picky but when it comes to a really good book it’s easy for it to be well loved if you select an appropriate one - the trick is knowing what will work for a specific child and how to narrow down your options. Children want books that will have the same effects that a good book does on any adult - there is little in the way of differences between how they select books from how we, as more astute readers do. Remember that children like the same things in their books that we do. They want to read things that are engaging, interesting, have good stories, and - in the case of picture books - have beautiful illustrations. While their tastes and interest will vary as much as an adults would it can be easy to pick out a book for a child if you remember to choose it the same way you would choose a book for yourself.

For example, when in a bookstore and looking for a children's book it’s common for parents or well-wishing friends to simply ask a bookseller what’s popular within a certain age range and then purchase the book that has had the most success with that particular group but this is almost never something we would do for ourselves. If we decided to go to a fancy restaurant and order a meal we wouldn’t base it off of what was ordered the very most. Knowing a few of those most popular dishes might help us narrow down a selection or give you an indication of what’s in season but it may be completely off from your palate and particular suitability's. Instead you would look for dishes that appeal to you and your tastes - regardless of what others around you are eating. This holds true for books as well. While it can be interesting to make our way down the New York times bestseller list just to see what all the fuss is about it’s far more likely that we’ll discover books we like all on our own.

Children are much the same way. Pay attention to the section they gravitate towards in a bookstore and see what captures their eye. Watch for patterns and similarities in the books they look at and pull from the shelves. By doing so you’re a great deal more likely to do well when picking something out for them yourself. If you’re entirely unsure as to what a child might choose then think about their interests. Are they constantly outside, having to be drug in by their parents for bedtime? Then try adventure stories about far away places. Do they play dress up and hold tea parties day in and day out? Then you’ll be better off with stories of princesses and their princes. Younger children tend to be fond of animal stories (bugs and dinosaurs do well with the boys while kittens and puppies are more of a hit with young girls) but there are no hard and fast rules. Each child is individual and will have unique likes and dislikes. Make sure that the book you pick is interesting and has good illustrations if they are included. If it doesn’t work out then next time you’ll know what not to get.