Raising Lifelong Readers : The Best Children's Books

K-12 Learning, Education
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Raising Lifelong Readers, Part 2

As I have previously stated, I truly believe that reading is a necessary part of growth and development for each child. Reading allows children to use their vivid imaginations and spend time in a different world. Reading helps children to develop their vocabulary and gives them the opportunity to ask questions about the world around them.

Now, while I think that almost all books are beneficial to a child in some way, (whether it teaches him or her new words, colors, or even what type of books he or she does not like) I also believe that some books are better than others. Since I have shared my feelings about the importance of reading, I would also like to share the children’s books that are at the top of the “must read” list this year.

This list was compiled by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). Each year a committee from the ALSC decides which children’s books decide to make the list by determining which books are “notable”. According to the ALSC website this is called “Notables Criteria.” The site defines Notables Criteria as the following: “Worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, and outstanding. As applied to children’s books, notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (birth through age 14) that reflect and encourage children’s interests in exemplary ways.” -Association for Library Service to Children.

Ok. Drum roll please…..

Here are a few of children’s books that the ALSC chose to make the list:

-Orange Pear Apple Bear. By Emily Gravett

-A Good Day. By Kevin Henkes

-Mother Goose Numbers on the Loose. By Leo Dillon and Diane Dillon

-Good Enough to Eat. By Brock Cole

-Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale. By Carmen Agra Deedy

-Little Rat Makes Music. By Monika Bang-Campbell

-Fred Stays with Me! By Nancy Coffelt

-When Dinosaurs came with Everything. By Elise Broach

-Nothing. By Jon Agee

-Hello, Bumblebee Bat. By Darrin Lunde

The complete list is shown at:

https://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/childrensnotable/notablecbooklist/currentnotable.cfm