How do I choose the best books for my child?

Getting your child interested in reading is half the battle but you also want to make sure that you are maintaining that interest by choosing the best books. You also want to select books that are educational and of value. So, how do you know what to look for?

Make sure it is the right reading level for your child

It’s important that you choose a book that is suitable for their age and reading level. You don’t want to choose a book that won’t stimulate them and you also don’t want to choose a book that is too difficult as this will be off-putting. For instance, for toddlers choose books that are made of durable cardboard and have a wipeable surface. A book that has a good mixture of words and pictures is important for a child of four or five as you can read this together. While a book has a good sized font is good for an eight year old as he will be able to read this himself.

Consider what your child will learn

For toddlers, it’s easy to pick up books that will teach them about animals, friendship, values and how to know their ABC’s but for older children it can be trickier. The best thing to do is to let his interest guide you and select books that you think will increase his vocabulary and his interest on a particular subject.

For younger children, choose books that have appealing pictures, colours and interesting subject matter. When considering a book, think about whether the images are eye catching and does the story hold your attention.When your child is older you can work off books he liked before and find a similar title.

Don’t be afraid to ask your librarian or a sales assistant for a recommended title as they will know what is popular.

Also, you can check out our list of top 100 children’s books

More questions

How do I choose the best books for my child?

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