- 1). Look for an age-appropriate message as the book's focus. Children will lose interest in a book if it is beyond their level of understanding. For example, a book with chapters that involves a plot may not be suitable for a child with a short attention span. And children will be bored by a book about counting to 10 if they have been counting to 100 for a while.
- 2). Randomly select several pages throughout the book, and read through the pages. If shopping at a local bookstore or checking out books from your local library, take the time to scan through books to get a good sense of the language and graphics.
- 3). Evaluate the graphics used in the book. Rule out books that show any hint of violence, suggestive body language or illustrate habits you don't want your child to learn, such as throwing toys at other children.
- 4). Look for children's book authors who have several books published. If authors have a series of books, more than likely their writing style and topics have been popular choices with other parents and caregivers.
- 5). Read book reviews in your local newspaper or in national consumer magazines. Listen to interviews by children's book authors when aired on television or radio. This is especially helpful when evaluating books by new authors.
- 6). Evaluate the safety of materials and construction of the book. For very young children, buy books that can withstand being chewed on or having juice spilled on them. The construction of the book also should have no loose items that can come off and be swallowed. The book should stand up to being dropped, crumpled and being stashed in a diaper bag or purse.
- 7). Let your child help make the selection. If your son is interested in bears and dogs, buy books related to bears and dogs versus sports books. While it is always a good idea to expose children to a wide range of book topics, it is also important to encourage them to follow what interests them the most, and reading is one to do that.
- 8). Evaluate the price of a book. Children's interests change at lighting speeds. If a book will be sufficient for your child only for a short time, spending more than $5 or $6 for the book may not be the best choice. Unless you can reuse the book in your family, it may be more beneficial to find a more inexpensive book that meets all the guidelines listed previously.
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