There are many fabulous books for reading aloud and for kids to read by themselves. Here are some tips on finding fun books for the kids in your life.
Finding Fun Picture Books to Read Aloud
Below are some places and ways to find fun story books for reading aloud to kids.
My top tip is to use the Amazon.com Listmania function. Check their picture book lists. To narrow down the choice include an additional word when searching; search on a phrase such as picture books dogs.
A number or worthy publications and organizations produce lists of the best picture story books:
- The American Library Association (ALA) awards the Caldecott Medal annually to the artist of the most distinguished illustrated American book for children. Here are the Caldecott Medal Books at Amazon.com.
- The New York Times publishes a bestseller list of illustrated children's books. Find New York Times Bestselling Illustrated Books for kids at Amazon.com.
- The International Reading Association produces a list called Children's Choices which contains top books chosen by children themselves. Books are for grades Kindergarten and above. Access a partial list at their site www.reading.org.
- Usborne books has a wonderful range of hardback picture story books for kids, most of which sell for just $9.99 each. There are classic stories like The Gingerbread Man and titles which explain everyday things like rain, snow, and sun. Find Usborne Picture Books or Award Winning Fun Books from Kane Miller.
- Take children to story time at your local library and talk with the children's librarian. This is a great way to find the best books.
- Reading aloud is not just for young children. Children of all ages become better readers through listening to stories. The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease explains the incredible importance of reading aloud to children and provides a Treasury of Read-Alouds with 100 pages dedicated to what to read to kids. I truly mean it when I say this could be the most important book you'll ever read. It's available on tape for parents who are not readers and on Kindle so you'll have it with you.
Finding Fun Early Reading Books
When children are ready to start learning to read for themselves they need books in the category called early readers. While early reading is a critical step in reading development, and one which you can help with at home (rather than assuming that school will take care of it), not all early reading books are created equal.
You can recognize early reader books by the fact that they state a Level number, either on the cover, or on the back, starting at Level 1, or sometimes A. They go by various names (more information on that below). However, some beginner readers are just not popular with kids themselves. Some series don't make a great deal of sense as stories; here are some ideas for fun series early reading books which children do enjoy.
- Arguably the most popular range of early reading books comes under the Dr Seuss label. A Dr. Seuss's Beginner Book Collection makes a wonderful gift for a child taking the first reading steps - definitely fun books!
- Usborne books publishes three series of reading books. The easiest are Usborne First Reading, starting with Level 1. These are really nice because they are colorful and come in a quality hardback binding for a surprisingly affordable price. They teach to the very earliest reading needs. Some children move through this stage quickly. However, the books are attractive enough to warrant rereading after the child has mastered the words.
- After Usborne First Reading comes Beginners' Reading. Level numbers in Beginners Reading correspond to school graded reading levels - level 1 is readable by a child who has mastered reading at a mid-to-late first grade reading level. All kids move at their own pace, so it's a relative measure and it's best not to explain it to a child, lest they become discouraged.
- Usborne Young Reading series books use the same leveling system as the Beginners Reading, but the topics are different - they are in a story format rather than factual, non-fiction books. Many of them are classics, such as Alice in Wonderland, and some come with an accompanying CD. The CD format is especially helpful for children who prefer to teach themselves, and is useful for some time before the child is ready to read the book by themselves (from about age 4 up).
- Of the remaining early reading series of books I do not recommend Bob Books. After talking with many parents of kids learning to read, no parent ever told me that their child loved the Bob Books. Other series to check are Brand New Readers by Candlewick, Rookie Readers by Children's Press, and I Can Read books by HarperCollins. These all count as fun books!