by Angie Pollock

Created on: May 26, 2008   Last Updated: June 10, 2008

How a child is affected by a book is all in how a child interprets that the story. When my son wanted to be a fireman, I purchased several books on the subject and we read them together. I saw the fireman's job as rewarding, courageous and respectable but my 5 year old son saw it as scary and decided he would rather be Buzz Lightyear. Of course that was when he was five and now that he is the ripe old age of six, he realizes Buzz is fictional. His ambitions are now to be an astronaut, army guy, policeman and bull rider.

The affect of books on children has been a fascinating subject that I've often pondered. Because I was not encouraged to read as a child and I certainly didn't grow up with books surrounding me, I've tried to do the opposite with my children.

Because I thought books would have all the answers, our very large personal collection of books range on a variety of topics. Every time one of my children would face a new obstacle or had an interest in something new, I purchased a book pertaining to whatever that issue was. We read together and we talk about what lessons the book is trying to teach. This creates a dual purpose for parents as it allows us to help educate as well as spend quality time with them.

Children are impressionable; everything they encounter in their daily lives will have an effect on how they perceive the world. The television shows children watch, the music they listen to and the books they read all create a message for children. However, books can be the most influential, educational and enlightening for young minds.

The theme and message that a book tries to relay to a child can help reinforce good behaviors, educate about the world around them and help children cope with life's realities. The biggest affect I've seen from reading with my children is how books can influence decisions and their way of thinking. Books broaden the imagination and encourage children to think outside the box.

We can try to educate and explain situations until we are blue in the face and a child can still walk away with unanswered questions or can even be confused. You give a child a book about the issue and they walk away with a whole new understanding. It's the act of being able to hold something physical in their hands, see illustrations that explain the text and having an issue explained from start to end.

We should also take into account that children will often not believe or will question information and advice given by an adult, especially advice from parents. Children will be more comfortable accepting advice and information from adults when that advice is reinforced through words in a book. The impact that books have on our children can be an effective tool not only for them but for parents also.

While I'm an advocate for books and reading to children, we need to remember that books shouldn't be used as a substitute for communicating with our children. Books can be used to open the line of communications and should be used as a tool to help answer questions that children may have. While a majority of books are written with the best intentions, a child is affected by books by how they perceive and interpret the story.

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