How to Choose Books for your Personal Little Library
When you mention the word “Library” the first thing that may come to mind is a sturdy building that holds many books. But just like the people are the most valuable ingredient of churches, the books are the most valuable ingredient of a library.
Start by adding your own personal childhood favorites to the library, if not just for the pure joy of it! There is nothing quite so satisfying as reading a book you loved in your childhood - to the children that you love now. You are sharing an important piece of your history with them which makes these books extra meaningful. For these cherished books in your private library, you may want to consider writing a personal note on the inside cover. This note could be dedicated to people in your own family, or to the larger human family.
Beyond the childhood favorites of your own, the next set of books is going to depend on your current situation and your reason for starting the library. If you started a library to read with specific kids, then you will want to add books for that age range obviously. If you are expecting a newborn, then you would buy baby books (which are some of the best books ever!).
If possible, allow the child to choose their own books. In my opinion, this is the secret sauce to get children to read. Even when I read to kids at Pre-K, I ask them for their preferences and suggestions. When I come to school with books they are interested in, the kids are eager to read.
Books on the shelf are pretty, but books in the laps of children is where the real magic happens. So, think about your intended audience and start reviewing books in that age range and interest.
Other suggestions:
If reading with only one or two kids at time, buy sturdy books that kids can hold themselves. In the bookstores, these are usually labelled as “Board Books”. Kids love to hold the books themselves and go at their own pace. This is an important part of the learning process. When they hold the book themselves, they see themselves as readers. Its very empowering to choose and hold your own book.
If reading to a classroom or a larger group of kids, get books that are larger in size with lots of great art or photography and not too many words (depending on the age group). In a bookstore, this would probably be labelled as a "Hardcover”. If different sizes are available, get the largest size. Some kids could be sitting 10 or 12 feet away from you, so the art work should be effective from that distance. Its tough to keep a larger group’s attention, so not having too many words per page helps to keep things moving.
If you don’t know what age range you are going to read for yet, just start choosing books that call to you. You can get Baby, Toddler, and Picture books (all for ages 8 and under), but do not buy early readers or chapter books yet. Once kids can read by themselves, they are going to want to pick out their own books. Then you can continue to encourage them by taking them to the local library or book store to choose their own books.
There are no shortage of places to browse children’s books and get book suggestions, either in person or online. If I come across a book that I love from an author, I will look online or in the library for other works by that author. And of course, I encourage you to browse My Little Library to see if any of those books interest you.
