"My child hates books", says Liza to me with a heartbroken voice then she continues disappointedly, "what should I do?" I could talk about this topic for hours, but here are some first thoughts for those parents who don't know what to do. Keep in mind that this is not a question that can be answered fully without having the whole background of a family and the child's personality.
So which book will change everything and do its magic? Or, how do you get to choose the best one(s) for your own child?
Sure, the options out there are numerous and the last thing you want is to feel overwhelmed by all this plethora of books. Let's take a deep breath first, shall we?
My strongest recommendation is, first and foremost, to encourage a book lover attitude by just visiting spaces that are full of books -it may be your local library or your local independent book store. I cannot stress enough how important is to inspire the young reader to feel comfortable with the sounds, the smells and the overall experience of a book store / library.
The first step is to spend some time in these spaces and, perhaps, create a ritual. It is ok if you join an activity that is offered in spaces like these (storytelling, creative writing) or even just show up and play on the floor. Spend some time there. Feel comfortable. Make the space yours. This way, your little sunshine will certainly feel the need at some point to make a choice –pick a book. Encourage this choice even if it doesn’t seem attractive to you. The key here is to generate a positive, confident attitude towards reading in general. Needless to say, that this will happen faster if you are also a person who reads –your child sees you every day, right?
Which book is perfect for my child?
Don’t think about this at this point. Again, the goal now is to attract a new reader to open a book. If you go to the section of a bookstore that is for your child’s age, there is no way to go wrong. Go with the flow for now.
Now, I cannot imagine my life without books. Can you? All this compact energy, all this knowledge and imagination contained in symbols we all agreed to use as letters. All these colors and shapes that make an illustration pop and shake your heart.
Here are some of my favorite books for kids, enjoy!