Children's Books

You can encourage your child's love of reading with a variety of children's books. Books bring the world alive for children of all ages, and developing regular reading habits will help your child find success in school and throughout his or her life.

You may not realize it, but you can begin instilling a love of reading and books when your child is just an infant. In fact, many expectant parents read to their babies before they are even born! Reading to your child is one of the best ways to help her learn and understand the language that she will one day speak. As you read, speak clearly, sounding out the words, while pointing to the pictures at the same time. Don’t worry if your child doesn’t understand everything you say right away. That’s the whole point of learning. Gradually, she will pick up new words as she grows and develops. You can develop good reading habits using children's books in the following ways:

• Read to your child early and on a regular basis—begin when he is just a newborn or even before he is born!
• Find books that are age appropriate. Your infant will want to look at colorful pictures in black, white, and red, but once she grows into a toddler she’ll enjoy children’s books that feature a variety of pictures and colors.
• Read favorite books repeatedly. I know it might seem as if you’ve read Goodnight Moon a hundred times, but don’t worry, soon your child's literature preferences will change, and you’ll reminisce fondly on those Goodnight Moon days!
• Let your child pick out his books as he gets a little older. This teaches your child ownership of his reading preferences and helps encourage his love of reading even more.
• Visit your local library regularly. Libraries often feature children's story times and summer reading programs which encourage kids to become more interested in reading.
• Buy books as gifts. Books make great presents that last for years and can be passed down from generation to generation. Put your child's name inside the book, along with the date. She'll get a kick out of reading that same book to her children!

Sometimes the easiest way to build your child's personal library is to purchase award winning children's books. There are many different types of awards given to children's literature, including the following:

• ABBY-American Bookseller’s Book of the Year Award
• AFHG-Amelia Francis Howard Gibbon Illustrator’s Medal
• ALAN-American Library Association Notable Books for Children
• BBYA -- ALA Best Books for Young Adults
• CM -- Caldecott Medal
• CH -- Caldecott Honor
• CSKA -- Coretta Scott King Award
• CSKH -- Coretta Scott King Honor
• EAPJA -- Edgar Allan Poe Juvenile Novel Award
• MLPA -- Michael L. Printz Award
• MLPH -- Michael L. Printz Honor
• MFA -- Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature
• NBA -- National Book Award for Young People's Literature
• NBH National Book Award Honor for Young People's Literature
• NM -- Newbery Medal
• NH -- Newbery Honor
• NYTBI -- New York Times Best Illustrated
• SFHA -- Sid Fleischman Humor Award
• SODA -- Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
• TBYA -- Ten Best Books for Young Adults
• TSGA -- Theodore Seuss Geisel Award
• TSGH -- Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor
• WAWA -- William Allen White Award

For a detailed description of these awards and others, click here and be sure to read our article on [Children’s Literature|children’s literature] as well. Don’t just stick to the award winners, however. There are many wonderful books that never win awards or honors. If you and your kids love them, then they really are winners!

You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to buy books for your kids. In fact, the great thing about buying books is that they are typically inexpensive!

• Garage and Yard Sales-These are great resources for finding children’s books. You can often find a variety of books for only a few cents a piece.
• Consignment Sales-Most towns have seasonal consignment sales that are organized by a few moms. Parents bring their children's outgrown clothing, toys, and books to these sales, and you can rack up on books for a fraction of their original cost.
• Book Swaps-Consider starting a book swap with your family and friends. You can trade new and used books with others, creating a sort of rotating library for everyone.
• Book Clubs-Many books clubs will give you several books for the price of shipping and handling, and then you purchase a required number of books over a set period of time. Popular children's book clubs include Scholastic, Children’s Book of the Month Club, and {http://www.booksonline.com/ Books Online].

• Authoritative Parenting
• 3 Parenting Styles
• Children Playing
• Bible Trivia for Kids
• Trivia Questions for Kids

• Disney Princess Coloring Pages
• Teen Birthday Party Ideas
• Pros and Cons of School Uniforms
• Children's Birthday Cake Ideas
• Kids' Hair Styles