Books for Children

Early Childhood Educ J (2008) 35:489–494 DOI 10.1007/s10643-008-0236-5

Selecting Books for Children Birth Through Four: A Developmental Approach
Julie Dwyer Æ Susan B. Neuman

Published online: 22 February 2008 Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2008

Abstract The selection of books to read to young children matters enormously in the role books play for enriching children’s lives. This paper reviews the scientific evidence for the appropriate selection of books, and argues that care in selecting books targeted to children’s developing skills will enhance the power and the pleasures of reading to young children. Keywords Book reading Á Storybook Á Young children Á Literacy Á Achievement Á Development Á Children’s literature Á Vocabulary Á Knowledge Á Caregiver Á Parents

The early years are a time of joy and great learning for young children. These are the years when children begin to learn to interact with print, and experience the delights of being read to. Today, a superabundance of wonderful books awaits them due to the virtual explosion in publishing for the very young. Nevertheless, whether children benefit from this vast array of books depends upon the adults in their lives: why, how, and what caregivers read to young children matters enormously in the role books will play in enriching children’s lives and later school achievement (Neuman and Wright 2007). The purpose of this article is to review the scientific evidence for the appropriate selection of books to read to young children at different developmental levels. We
J. Dwyer Á S. B. Neuman (&) School of Education, University of Michigan, 610 e. University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA e-mail: [e-mail] J. Dwyer e-mail: [e-mail]

believe that care in selecting books targeted to children’s developing skills and understandings may not only enhance the power, but the pleasures of book reading for young learners. Shared book reading is the single most important activity for helping

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