Nursery World - Choosing and buying books

Buying books for young children can be a great pleasure, but it can also be a difficult and expensive process. Sometimes it is hard to know whether a book is a 'classic' that will stand the test of time, or one that's been produced in a hurry to meet a current trend. It is a good idea to consider the books that are already around which both adults and children enjoy. A particular author will often write lots of books in a similar way, so if one book is popular often other books by the same person will be too. When choosing books, adults need to think about the sorts of things that individual children are interested in. Children like books about things that they are familiar with and can relate to, for example, babies, toys, animals and families. Individual children may have passions for specific topics such as dinosaurs, monsters or mini-beasts.

A particular author will often write lots of books in a similar way, so if one book is popular often other books by the same person will be too. When choosing books, adults need to think about the sorts of things that individual children are interested in. Children like books about things that they are familiar with and can relate to, for example, babies, toys, animals and families. Individual children may have passions for specific topics such as dinosaurs, monsters or mini-beasts.

It is also important when selecting books to choose those which the adults in the setting enjoy reading. There is no point in reading a book you don't like -you will lack enthusiasm and children will quickly 'switch off'.

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