Queen of talk Oprah Winfrey has put together a list of age appropriate kids reading books to enjoy reading with your kids, or, for older children, for them to read, based on recommendations from the American Library Association.
The books are sorted by category: infant to 2 years, 3-5 years, 6-9 years, 10-12 years, and 12 years and up. The lists include both new releases and classic stories for kids (including the current favorite in our house, “Goodnight Moon“) of all ages.
Also included are tips to get your kids interested in reading. One of my favorites: Reading isn’t only about books. Just as you’d hunker down with your favorite magazine, encourage your kids to read everything they can, including comic books and jokes; even game directions will make a difference.
This statement reminds me of when our daughter was an infant — we would read anything with words and within reach to her, such as the back of a cereal box, a magazine that might be lying around, or even the warning label on her crib. Later, we progressed to the labels on her baby food jars, telling her all the details of the nutritional information she was getting from eating a jar of pears or prunes, and the ingredients therein. The reading material may not have been the most “age appropriate” at the time (lots of big words on some of those baby food jars!), but we did find that reading out loud to her would certainly get her attention — and it was a good way to show her the importance of language.
What’s your favorite children’s book, either that you read to your own kids or from your childhood?