The world of literature for children is blooming and growing. Libraries and bookstores have whole sections devoted to young children, juveniles, and teenagers. The number of options in choosing books can be overwhelming.
At a child’s school library, the librarian selects books that meet strong criteria of literary standards and developmental appropriateness. The collection contains books that integrate into the school’s curriculum thus enhancing and supporting class work as well as books for the pure pleasure and delight of reading for enjoyment. Students choose books that address an interest, help with a research/homework assignment, those recommended by the teacher, librarian, or a peer, or those that is popular.
Choosing books outside of the school library presents its own challenges. The question of how to choose books for a child to support the child’s reading development often arises. One resource for choosing books is a booklist created by professionals who work with children or in the field of children’s services. The books on the list usually must meet the literacy and developmental criteria for children and have undergone a critical review by a group of professionals who specialize in serving children and young adults. Another resource is a tool that generates book lists after inputting the child’s reading level. These are usually commercial sites, but provide a starting point for finding books and most allow for refined searches such as by the readers interests or fiction/nonfiction.
This blog serves as a resource for links to reading list and tools to assist in selecting books to help promote a life long love for reading in children.
Happy Reading!
