Choosing and Using Kids’ Books

Get connected to more great book recommendations and advice on selecting titles from those who know the very best in children’s books—teachers, librarians, literature experts and kids!

Advice for finding good books

• What We Believe Matters Most When Selecting Books (opens in a new window) from experts at The Classroom Bookshelf
• Read what experts have to say in publications dedicated to children’s literature, such as The Horn Book (opens in a new window) and Kirkus Reviews (opens in a new window) of children’s books.
• Where to Find Diverse Books (opens in a new window) from the diverse team at We Need Diverse Books
• Selecting and Using Culturally Responsive Children’s Books (opens in a new window) from the Office of Head Start National Center on Culturaland Linguistic Responsiveness
• A Quick Guide to Selecting Great Informational Books for Young Children

Recommendations

• Award Winning Books includes books recognized by the American Library Association, “best of” lists, and more
• Children’s Choice Book Awards (opens in a new window), the only national book awards program where kids and teens select the winners
• Favorites Awards (opens in a new window) from the Children’s Book Council
• Reading Lists and Round-ups (opens in a new window) from the Children’s Book Council
• Reader’s Choice Awards by State (opens in a new window) that get kids reading, evaluating and voting for favorite book, on the Cynthia Leitich Smith website
• Guys Read (opens in a new window) is the place to go to get book recommendations from teachers, librarians, booksellers, publishers, parents, and guys themselves
• Books for Smart, Confident, and Courageous Girls (opens in a new window) by A Mighty Girl
• 50 Multicultural Books Every Child Should Know (opens in a new window) by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center

If we really want our students to become wild readers, independent of our support and oversight, sometimes the best thing we can do is get out of the way.

Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer’s Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

Accessible formats

For children with print-based reading disabilities, accessible formats provide alternate versions of print-based books that function in much the same way as a print-based textbook. Learn about the different kinds of accessible formats, including digital talking books, enlarged text, electronic publications, and more. 

Audiobooks

Audiobooks are a great way to enjoy a good story and practice listening skills. They are also ideal for sharing, even when there are kids of many ages in one group. Learn more about the benefits of audiobooks for all readers and find Ideas for Teachers to encourage students to become better listeners and readers through audiobooks.

eBooks

Digital stories for children come in several forms, including e-books, enhanced e-books and apps (opens in a new window), and provide different experiences for the reader. Learn more about how to Read an E-book with Your Child and find tips for Teaching with Interactive Picture E-Books in Grades K–6. We also recommend this article, Getting Smarter About E-Books for Children (opens in a new window), adapted from Tap, Click, Read: Growing Readers in a World of Screens by Lisa Guernsey and Michael H. Levine, as helpful for understanding the pros and cons of e-books.

Picture books

Picture books are a wonderful way to share rich language, complex images, and sophisticated ideas with both the young and old. Meet the creators of great picture books in Reading Rockets’ Video Interviews with Children’s Authors and Illustrators, learn more about how parents and teachers can share wordless picture books, and how picture books can help connect kids to people, places, and times they might not otherwise experience.

Nonfiction

Kids are interested in real people, places, and events, yet most kids read a lot more fiction than nonfiction. Introduce kids to a new world of information and help them build essential background knowledge with nonfiction books. Our resources can help you use nonfiction to help turn a reluctant reader into a motivated one!

Graphic novels

Graphic novels tell any kind of story in any genre using both words and pictures and invite readers to take time to explore the pictures together with the text for a rich reading experience. This compelling storytelling format is popular with kids, help foster critical reading skills, and gives struggling readers books they can be successful with. Browse graphic novel booklists and learn more about this unique format.

Poetry

Playing with words and exploring rhythm and rhyme help to build and strengthen kids’ reading skills and boost reading and learning fun. Help kids discover the delight of having words dance in their mouths and tickle their tongues. Visit our National Poetry Month section for poetry resources.

High/low books

High interest/low reading level books can motivate struggling readers by providing books on topics that their peers are reading, but targeted toward their reading level. High/low books can help build reading fluency, vocabulary, background knowledge and interest in reading. Find recommended high/low books as well as links to publishers who offer a wide range of titles in the section High/Low Books for Children.

At home

• Reading Adventure Packs for Families
• Tips for Sharing Books
• Simple Yet Powerful Things to Do While Reading Aloud
• Themed Books and Activities for Summer Reading and Learning (opens in a new window) from Start with a Book
• Creating a Home Library
• A Fresh Look at Your Home Library
• Off the Page: 6 Picture Books and Paired Activities to Try at Home (opens in a new window) (Brightly)

In the classroom

• Reading Adventure Packs: A School-to-Home Project
• Reading Rockets’ Video Interviews with Children’s Authors and Illustrators
• 103 Things to Do Before/During/After Reading
• Reader’s Theater: A Reason to Read Aloud
• Hints on How to Read Aloud to a Group
• Classroom Libraries
• Creating an Anti-Bias Library (opens in a new window) (Social Justice Books)
• Reading Your Way to a Culturally Responsive Classroom (opens in a new window) (NAEYC)

• Book Club Basics (opens in a new window) (NEA’s Read Across America)
• How to Start a Book Club for Kids (opens in a new window) (PBS Parents)
• Video: Parent-Child Book Club (opens in a new window) (PBS Parents)
• The Ultimate Guide: How to Start Book Clubs for Kids (opens in a new window) (Imagination Soup)

• Children’s Literature Association (opens in a new window) (ChLA)
• Minders of Make-Believe: Idealists, Entrepreneurs, and the Shaping of American Children’s Literature by Leonard Marcus
• The ABC of It: Why Children’s Books Matter (opens in a new window) by Leonard Marcus
• Video interview with Leonard Marcus, children’s literature historian
• Video interview with Rudine Sims Bishop, historian and expert on multicultural children’s books