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Finding the Best Books for Your Child By Jay Gabler You’re sitting in a park when you see a mother snatch a paperback book out of her son’s hands. “What are you doing reading this trash?” she asks angrily. “You should be reading good books—quality literature!” Hard to imagine, isn’t it? While this mother’s view was common 50 years ago – many Baby Boomers remember having to hide comic books and pulp fiction from their parents—the world has changed. Walk into the children’s section of a bookstore today and you’ll find everything from fantasy stories to crafting guides to Hannah Montana picture books. There are thousands of quick-read novels in dozens of series – from Beast Wars to Gossip Girl – and hundreds of “graphic novels” that very much resemble those once-scorned comic books. In fact, you’ll even find comic versions of series books: Scholastic has begun publishing graphic-novel adaptations of the Babysitters Club and Goosebumps series. Children’s classics are still there, too – Little Women, Robinson Crusoe – but the line between “quality literature” and “trash” has pretty much disappeared. From most parents’ perspective, this is a good thing. Children who have a wide range of reading choices are more likely to find something they’ll enjoy curling up with – and whether or not they ever trade Disney Princess Fun and Fancy or Spongebob: I Ripped My Pants! for The Wind in the Willows or Treasure Island, children who enjoy reading have more leisure and learning opportunities than kids who only read when they’re forced to. That said, it’s not necessary to completely abandon the idea of “quality” in children’s books. Kids as well as parents have an interest in cutting through the commercial hype and finding books that are absorbing and challenging – and finding books of genuine interest, even if they’re less accessible than the latest TV tie-in or big-name award-winner. Here are some practical tips you and your family can use to find the books your children will most enjoy. Venture off the beaten path While big stores like Sam’s Club and Target are convenient and often have unbeatable prices, their selection tends to be limited and predictable. Chain bookstores like Borders have a better selection, but most decisions about which books they will stock are made on a national level with an eye on the bottom line. Did you know, for example, that publishers are asked to pay for prominent placement on chain store shelves? If a book at Barnes & Noble is shelved with its cover visible, that’s not necessarily because your local bookseller thinks it deserves the exposure. The same principle applies for those bookselling flyers your children bring home from school. Independent booksellers like the Red Balloon and Wild Rumpus have more freedom to stock their shelves with personal favorites from lesser-known authors and smaller publishers. Vary your library visits, too – an occasional road trip to a library you’ve never visited might just introduce your child to a new author or series not available at your neighborhood branch. Seek personal recommendations At your library or bookstore, make a point of talking with the librarian or bookseller to ask what he or she recommends for your child. He or she sees everything that comes in and might just know of a hidden gem that’s just perfect for your young reader. Even at the chain stores, booksellers have some freedom to keep their personal favorites on hand. Use your peers – and your children’s peers – as resources, too. Next time you’re making small talk at the soccer game or stuck in line at Valleyfair, ask the parent next to you what his or her children enjoy reading. Pay attention to publishers You might not pay attention to the names of movie studios or record labels, but it’s worth taking note of which publishers are responsible for the books your children like best. Even in the age of market research and demographic targeting, it’s not unusual for a book to make it into print simply because an editor takes a shine to it—and if your child takes a shine to it as well, he or she might enjoy the other books that editor likes. For example, if your son enjoyed Vivian French’s The Robe of Skulls, you might encourage him to take a look at the other titles on the Candlewick Press Web site. School Library Journal isn’t just for school librarians Booksellers and librarians wait excitedly for each new issue of Horn Book and School Library Journal, the two most popular review journals for children’s books. In-the-know parents go straight to the source—both of these publications contain informative summaries of many more new children’s books than a newspaper or mainstream magazine could ever cover. You might start with Horn Book, which includes reviews of only those books deemed notable by its editors; SLJ, which aims to review virtually everything that’s published, is a little more daunting. Ask your local children’s librarian if you can take a peek at his or her latest copy of Horn Book; annual subscriptions are $34.95 for six issues. Go online Plopping your child in front of a computer screen may seem like the last thing you’d want to do to encourage reading, but school-age children can use the Internet to find a wealth of information about books. Many authors maintain their own Web sites on which they share information about their books and their lives, and some may even respond to readers’ comments or e-mails. Popular books and series have fan-created sites that will vary in quality, but the best among these sites can help children connect with like-minded readers. Commercial sites like Amazon.com can help children find books similar to ones they like—though it’s important to understand that publishers can pay for placement on those sites just as they do at brick-and-mortar stores. Public libraries also have informative Web sites, many with “shopping cart” functions that allow readers to search and request books for loan just as they would order books for sale. Watch for author appearances Many bookstores host children’s authors reading their own work and talking with their fans. Characters can’t walk out of books and shake readers’ hands, but meeting a book’s author can be the next-best thing – it will be an encounter your child will never forget. Ask bookstores to put you on their mailing lists so you can keep an eye out for visits by authors whose books your children enjoy (or whose books they might enjoy, with the proper introduction). When you do meet an author, ask what other books he or she would recommend to young readers. Remember that “children’s books” aren’t the only things children can read Think outside the box: many books shelved outside the children’s section are appropriate for capable young readers. Joining a parent-child book club (or starting a “book club” of two) can be a good way to help children approach and appreciate books with challenging themes or language. There’s also a vast selection of magazines for children of all ages; annual subscriptions to many titles cost less than a single hardcover book. Though it may seem like children are reading less today than they once did, the fact is that we live in a time when young readers have an embarrassment of riches – to sort the gold from the glitter, it just takes a little sifting.
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