by Audrey Frederick

Created on: May 22, 2008

How Books Affect Our Children!

How do books affect our children? Books are an open door, a door that leads to endless possibilities and opportunities. Books offer our children a wealth of factual information about any subject on earth. Books can lead a child into the world of adventure, improve their understanding of people and places around the world and lead them on a fantasy trip of pure clean entertainment.

Books have the opportunity to bring the world down to size; most children picture the world as a place so vast, that it is hard to imagine ever being able to go around the world. Non-fiction books give a child information about places and things and how they are. Fiction books allow the child to read about places, times and settings that establish through the individual characters what it was really like to live in a particular era.

Stories and novels give a child a chance to live vicariously through a character's life and enjoy the freedom of pretending to be that person without any danger to them. A book helps to stretch their imagination, to help them think about different situations and how they would handle it.
Mystery books help a child think through the story and try to solve the mystery before the author does. This helps with logical thinking and gives their confidence a boost. What a wonderful feeling it is to solve the mystery before the author has a chance to tell you how it ends.

Television and a steady diet of violent cartoons can bring forth an attitude that may have a negative effect on a child's development, while carefully chosen books can encourage a child to be a kinder and more gentle person, more cooperative with others and a friend to all.

Though reading may be considered a solitary activity, it does not need to be. A parent or grandparent reading to a child gives the opportunity for a special period of bonding. An older sibling reading to a younger one can create a bond that will last a lifetime. Reading to a child allows both the reader and the child to exchange ideas, discuss the story line and even create a new and imaginary ending.

Story hours at school or the library offers a chance for socialization. For some very young children a story hour at the library may be their only opportunity to be with other children that are close in age. This not only offers the opportunity for enjoying a story, but a child will learn to sit quietly and how to behave around other children and adults.

Stories and books allow your child's imagination to

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