Best Children’s Books for Every Taste & Situation

When it comes to your children’s reading habits, we can all agree on so many things:

• Reading is good for kids
• Reading enriches their vocabulary
• Reading stimulates their brain
• Reading makes them knowledgeable
• A child reader becomes an adult reader

But what about children who don’t like to read? Remember J. K. Rowlings’ wise words: “If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.”

The challenge for parents and teachers of a reluctant reader is to find the best children’s books to ignite the child’s love of reading. After all, “the best children’s books” for one child, may hold no interest for another. That’s because the right book depends so much on each child’s tastes, interests, maturity level, and situation.

Children’s books to match their age and maturity level

Children regularly outgrow books. In the words of author and poet Dorothy L. Sayers, “… we surround ourselves with [books], then we grow out of ’em and leave ’em behind, as evidence of our earlier stages of development”. Try to find the right book for their current age or maturity level.

Books to entertain children

When we asked kids what they love about reading, their answers made it clear that they want to be entertained. But different genres can provide different forms of entertainment, depending on their preferences. For example, do they want to laugh? Are they wanna-be sleuths who want to solve a mystery? Do they want to be whisked away to a magical and mythical place? Encourage children to explore different genres to see which ones hold the greatest appeal.

Books about children’s special interests

We’ve all met children who are passionate about a particular topic. Some kids love animals, or a particular species of animal. Others may be obsessed with a particular sport, or a player of that sport. Whatever their interests, try presenting children with a book written around the topic to see if it ignites their passions.

Books to help children navigate challenging situations

As they grow, children are constantly faced with new and unfamiliar situations. The right book can help them make sense of those situations. For example, a child who is bullied (or the one doing the bullying) can be enlightened by a book about kindness. A book about diversity can help children respect and understand the ways in which their new classmate is different — for example in race, religion, or in the language she speaks. In the same way, books about death, divorce or disabilities can help children who are grappling with other challenges in their life.