Raising Book Loving Kids

The ideal books for very small children will have lots of repetition and rhythm. You`ll probably notice that even in the womb, your little one responds to music . . . a well-written baby book has much the same effect.

Simple, bright pictures are also good for babies. While a newborn may have difficulty focusing on a picture, by the time he`s a few months old, he will enjoy looking at the various illustrations and having just one item per page makes it easier to identify the objects in the pictures.

Board books are great for tiny hands to grasp, too and will permit the best loved books to be handled by your baby as he grows.

Not sure which books would be good for your under one year old? Don`t worry, here are some of the best books for this age group.

Goodnight Moon The board book version of this classic bedtime story makes it ideal for little hands to practice turning pages on.

Open the Barn Door (A Chunky Book(R)) A fun story to help babies learn about animals and the sounds they make.

Pat the Bunny (Touch and Feel Book) This fun book lets your baby interact with it. There`s a mirror to look into, a fuzzy bunny to pat . . . it`s tons of fun for babies of all ages!

My Very First Mother Goose Who doesn`t love Mother Goose? These simple rhymes are a lot of fun for babies, my sons still love to read them!

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (Baby Board Books): Give your little one a head start on learning body parts with this simple, cheerful board book.

By the time your baby hits 18 months, he`s ready for something a bit more advanced than Mother Goose. Now it`s time to branch out a bit more and look at some fun learning books.

Kids this age love books that have repetition because it lets them repeat the refrain over and over again. You`ll find your toddler "reading" to herself often and getting quite a few of the words right!

While you should certainly still read to your toddler or preschooler, make sure their books are within reach of little hands so they can get them down, too.

Look for fast paced books with fun pictures and lots of action. Don`t make the mistake of opting for books that are too simple, by the age of two, your child should be able to sit through a fairly long book and be quite interested in the whole thing. Even if you think it might be a bit beyond your toddler, read it anyway.

Your toddler will likely be able to help you pick out his favorite books and the library is the ideal place to try out new ones before making an investment that your child might not like too much. However, here are a few books that pretty much every toddler loves!

Green Eggs and Ham (I Can Read It All by Myself Beginner Books) A classic Dr. Seuss book that is sure to please picky eaters everywhere.

Franklin Books Franklin is a turtle who runs into common issues faced by preschoolers, lying, meeting new people, etc.

Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You : Dr. Seuss's Book of Wonderful Noises (Bright and Early Board Books) A fun sounds book that is great for toddlers who will love to repeat all the noises included in this book.

Ten Little Ladybugs Good for learning about counting, the illustrations in this book are quite lovely, too.

The Jolly PostmanEvery little one enjoys taking the individual letters out of the mailman`s bags and reading the letters people have written.

While reading to your kids is a great way to get them interested in books, the way you read is also important. Here are a few tips to make books really come alive for your little one.

• Sit with your child on your lap. This makes story time extra special and your child will always associate books with feeling cozy and loved.


• Use voices. Don`t worry about sounding silly . . . put on a British accent or make the ants speak in high, squeaky voices. Your children will love it.


• Discuss the book. Ask your toddler what he thinks will happen next or why the turtle is crying. Not only will you gain some interesting insights into a young mind, your child will learn to reason and predict.


• Point to the pictures. From birth, you can do this. When you are reading about the elephant, point it out. This helps to build vocabulary and helps your little one understand the connection between the text and the illustrations.

None of these techniques takes more than a minute or two extra and they will add a whole new appreciation for books.

With the economy the way it is these days, you might be thinking you can`t afford to buy books. But can you afford NOT to? Kids need to be surrounded by the written word, but that doesn`t mean you have to spend a fortune. Here are some quick ideas for finding books on the cheap. (of course, you can always hit the library, too, for totally free books!)

- Garage sales are wonderful places to find books. Most people who are selling off books are selling a lot at a time. Ask if you can buy the whole box for a discount. You can often get them for just a few dollars.

- Libraries get rid of their older books every so often and usually sell them for pennies. They will be used, but let`s face it, your kids are going to use them, too! Talk to all the libraries in your area and find out when they`re holding their sales . . . then stock up on boxes for all the great finds.

- Schools also get rid of their books on a periodic basis. This is the perfect opportunity to find some more "educational" books, if that`s your thing. Best buys include English readers for all ages which are packed with stories and poems and fun illustrations. We have quite the collection of these in my home!

- Friends and family are also good sources for free books. Just let them know that you`d appreciate it if they gave books instead of battery operated toys this Christmas. Your kids will be entertained for far longer.

- Amazon and other online bookstores offer used books for a drastic discount. These can be a great way to save money.

- Scholastic offers major discounts on bulk orders and they have great offers like 100 books for $150 . . . a bit of an investment at first glance, but really, $1.50 per book is not bad! Order their catalog on their website.

My mother read aloud to us for years. While we enjoyed reading on our own, as well, there was just something wonderful about sitting and listening to her voice tell the story of Narnia or any other of a number of chapter books that we read.

There`s absolutely no reason to stop reading to your children at a certain age. In fact, as they get older, it may be one of the few methods to bond with them. Choose books that your older children enjoy listening to and make it a daily routine to read a chapter.

Even teens can enjoy the tradition of reading books together, so don`t stop until you`ve been asked to and even then, leave the door open for picking up a book again later on, should it ever be requested.