by Carol Flett

Created on: September 04, 2010

Such a huge assortment of books exists for young children that choosing the right ones can seem as daunting a task as that of finding buried treasure.  But by choosing wisely, with careful attention to content, age level, and the children's interests, and by searching in the right places, you will be able to uncover those treasures that will help the children in your care grow in knowledge and maturity.

If you do a random check of books available for children by browsing through the library or the internet, you will find an enormous range of subjects, styles, sizes, and content. From this vast store house, you will need to narrow the selection down, and eventually choose what will be most beneficial to each child.  Even if you plan to let the child do the choosing, you need to do your homework first, making sure that all their options will be suitable. You are the one with the wisdom to understand values and concepts, and you may some day be dealing with the product of the books that were chosen.

A child is an absorbent sponge. What that child reads or hears in early life plays a huge part in the development of character. Children are imitators. They will imitate the characters in the books they enjoy. If you do not want them to be destructive, do not choose books with destructive characters. If you want them to be kind, find books about kind children, or animals, or things. Choose books that will lead them, by example, to become the adults you wish them to be.

Pictures in children's books are important as well. Do you want the child to grow up loving beauty or ugliness? What you choose now will affect their future taste preferences. Pictures have the power to create feelings of peace or confusion, happiness or anger. Choose peace and happiness.

You will, no doubt, be choosing books for a variety of different purposes. But whether you are looking for a book to entertain, or to educate, the criteria should be the same. Even books written primarily to teach reading skills should be chosen carefully. Will the ABC book turn the child into an untamable monster, or will it produce a delightful charmer? You have the choice.

Consider the ages of the children. If they are learning to read, check the word level of the content. Choose some very easy books to build their confidence and some more difficult ones to challenge them, but don't stop with books they can read for themselves. Choose some books beyond their capabilities and present vocabulary, and read

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