I am a library nerd.  In fact I am such a library nerd that every time my husband and I look at potential places to live in the future, I have asked if there is a library in the town/city.  I think it started when I was little.  When my dad was still in school and my parents could barely afford food, my mom would put my brother and I in a stroller and walk nearly a mile to the library (rain, snow or shine).  My mom would pile a whole bunch of books into a bag and then walk us back home.  We would all lay on her bed and she would read stories to us.  To this day, my mom still loves children’s books.  Every time I visit home she has more of the latest and greatest in children’s literature.  I think I learned to love reading from her.

The problem is now I have a four-year-old and a two-year-old and sometimes they don’t really like to read the same things.  Also, if I’m honest, the library can be daunting.  There are so many books to choose from and I never know which ones to get.  I have had several mom’s express the same thing.  They aren’t sure which books their kids will enjoy and the amount of books available can be overwhelming. Over the last several years I have experimented A LOT with children’s literature and have found several things to be helpful when choosing books for toddlers.

READ FOR ENJOYMENT

Educational books are awesome, but if your kids hate them, don’t cram them down their throats.  For awhile I would get books on all sorts of educational things because I felt like all literature should be a learning experience.  When I did that, my kids didn’t really want to read and to be honest, neither did I.  Now I let them choose their own stuff (especially my four-year-old) and then I grab a couple of books that I think they would enjoy or could benefit from.  I read once that the most important thing is that your kids learn to love reading.  That is my focus now.  Rather than cramming down information they hate, I just read things I know they will enjoy and that entertain me as well.

FIND FAVORITE AUTHORS

Usually if my kids love one book from an author, they love all the rest of their books.

APPEAL TO ALL AGES

There are certain books that appeal to all ages.  This is an experiment I have done and have found several authors that both Jack and Nora LOVE.  The vocabulary is age appropriate for Jack, but the pictures and storyline are just as appealing to Nora.  It has been awesome to have both of them invested in the same book.

EXCITEMENT IS CONTAGIOUS

When it comes to choosing books your toddlers will love, you are a big part of the equation. If I enjoy the book, usually my kids do too.  I have noticed when I find something that I think is super entertaining, funny or witty, I just have more fun reading.  Which probably makes reading time a lot more fun for my kids.

My goal for my book lists are to experiment with different authors and to see which books appeal to both of my toddlers as well as other mom’s with toddlers.  I will do highlights on these authors and what their books are about and will connect you to their author websites for even more information.  So if you are looking for good reads with your kids . . . stay tuned!!