What to Read and When

Many parents may be asking themselves, "How do I know what to read to my child at what age?" Luckily people like Mem Fox and Jim Trelease have created suggested reading lists to get you started. Keep in mind that these lists aren't all encompassing, as there is such a vast array of children's books available.

Twenty Books that Children Love (Compiled by Mem Fox)

• I Went Walking by Sue Machin, illustrated by Julie Vivas
• Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
• Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You See?  by Bill Martin, Jr., illus. by Eric Carle
• Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
• Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
• Where's Spot? by Eric Hill
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
• Owl Babies by Martin Waddell, illus. by Patrick Benson
• Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy by Lynley Dodd
• Rascal the Dragon by Paul Jennings, illus. by Bob Lea
• Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
• Wombat Stew by Marcia K. Vaughan, illus. by Pamela Lofts
• Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen
• Dr. Seuss's ABC by Dr. Seuss
• Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
• We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, illus. by Helen Oxenbury
• Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins
• The Elephant and the Bad Baby by Elfrida Vipont, illus. by Raymond Briggs
• Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst, illus. by Ray Cruz

Age Appropriate Suggestions

(The description of age appropriate books come from Julie Dwyer and Susan B. Neuman's article, Selecting Books for Children Birth Through Four: A Developmental Approach. The book title suggestions come from Jim Trelease's The Read Aloud Handbook.)

Infant to Toddler

Children from birth to 12 months old will revel in exploring books with all of their senses: especially sight, touch and taste! The most appropriate books for this age group will be made from cardboard or vinyl, providing thick, easily-turned pages. Books made from cardboard and vinyl hold up better against the wear and tear of babies chewing on the corners. Contrasting colors, and bright images with small amounts of large text are best for this age group. (Dwyer 494)

Suggestions from The Read Aloud Handbook

• The Everything Book by Denise Fleming
• Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, illus. by Clement Hurd
• The Neighborhood Mother Goose photographed by Nina Crews
• Please, Baby, Please by Spike and Tonya Lewis Lee, illus. by Kadir Nelson

Toddler to Preschool 

Children from 12-36 months are becoming better at handling books. Children in this age group will still benefit from sturdy cardboard books that can withstand being tossed around and chewed on. Books that showcase things the child sees in their everyday lives such as foods, toys and faces encourage a connection between illustrations and real life objects. Books that have items labeled for the child to point to and name are great for this age group (Dwyer 491).

Suggestions from The Read Aloud Handbook

• Read Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young Collected by Jack Prelutsky, illus. by Marc Brown
• The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss
• Good Job, Little Bear (Series) by Martin Waddell, illus. by Barbara Frith
• The Napping House by Audrey Wood, illus. by Don Wood
• The Story of Little Babaji by Helen Bannerman, illus. by Fred Marcellino
• The Very Hungry Caterpiller by Eric Carle

Preschool to First Grade

Children older than 37 months are ready to begin reading narrative stories. During this time, parents should shift from books that have labeled pictures to narrative stories. Informational books written in age-appropriate language are great for answering all those "why?" questions preschoolers have (Dwyer 493).

Suggestions from The Read Aloud Handbook

• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr., illus. by Eric Carle
• The Complete Adventures of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
• Harry in Trouble (Series) by Barbara Ann Porte, illus. by Yossi Abolafia
• Grandma's Bears by Gina Wilson, illus. by Paul Howard
• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff, illus. by Felicia Bond
• Stuart Little By E.B. White

Children from second grade and up will have developed different levels of reading skills. To choose appropriate books, ask your child's teacher if your child has been tested to determine his or her reading level. The teacher should be able to give you some insight as what types of books will be best based on your child's reading level.

Second Grade to Fifth Grade 

Suggestions from The Read Aloud Handbook

• Aesop's Fables by Jerry Pinkney
• The Last Princess: The Story of Princess Ka'iulani of Hawai'i by Fay Stanley, illus. by Diane Stanley
• Me, All Alone, at the End of the World by M.T. Anderson, illus. by Kevin Hawkes
• Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein (nonfiction) by Don Brown
• Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate Dicamillo
• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

 Fifth Grade and Up

Suggestions from The Read Aloud Handbook

• Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, illus. by Charles Keeping
• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
• Adam Canfield of the Slash by Michael Winerip
• The Call of the Wild by Jack London
• Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling (Second grade and up)
• Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt