Anne Frame wrote the introduction.
Welcome, readers, to the first column featuring a variety of books, ideas, and happenings–written by a variety of guest authors. Jessica Wroble starts this new journey into the multitude of facets and offerings of Odell Public Library, 307 S. Madison Street, Morrison, IL.
Wroble grew up in Morrison and is a product of its school system. She is a Reading Specialist in the Milledgeville[,IL,] Public Schools, is married to Jason Wroble, and is mom to Cohen, age 8, and Winnie, age 4. As both a mom and teacher, Jessica is literate in what children like to read.
Odell Public Library Board recently welcomed her as a new Board member. Below is Wroble’s column on recommendations for children’s books.
Books: The Gifts That Keep on Giving
A Book-Buying Recommendation Guide for Parents and Grandparents
As a parent and teacher, my life is consumed by books. Lucky for me, most of my time is spent reading children’s books, which are my absolute favorite pieces of literature! I am always on the lookout for new and exciting books to recommend to others to read or to gift. I also enjoy picking out books to read aloud to my students and children.
Sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts one could ever give. Whether it is a book the child will be reading independently or one that someone will be reading to them, gifting a book to child is helping encourage and develop reading skills they will use for a lifetime.
When shopping for the littlest readers, think about books that are well-constructed, brightly colored, and interactive. Flaps, pulls, and pop-ups tend to keep a child wanting to read the book over and over again. Eric Hill and Karen Katz both offer wonderful flap books for children at this age. Consider picking books that highlight colors, shapes, letters, and numbers. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell and books like Press Here and Mix it Up by Herve Tullet are always well-loved by the little ones.
Early school aged children love to laugh and be entertained by books. If you want an author that does this exceptionally well, look for books by Mo Willems. He writes the Elephant & Piggie series, as well as the Pigeon books. Beginning readers who rely on pictures and rhyming to help them read will love the Old Lady books by Lucille Colandro. She has a book for nearly every holiday and topic. Do you want to help your little reader feel and sound like a real brainiac? The Fancy Nancy series by Jane O’Connor does just that, with so much whimsy.
Children who have moved from learning-to-read to reading-to-learn, are typically ready to enter the world of chapter books. Luckily for them, there is an abundance of great series written for this age group. For readers who love non-fiction books, the Who Would Win series by Jerry Pallotta would be a great fit. It highlights various animals and debates the question “who would win?” in an epic battle.
Students who appreciate non-fiction, but prefer fiction books, will love the ever-expanding I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis. This is well loved by both boys and girls of this age group. It transports them to various historical events and explains how the lead character makes it out alive. A few of the I Survived titles have been turned into graphic novels for readers who enjoy this genre.
If you are looking for graphic novels, the popular series from the 90s, The Babysitter’s Club, has been revamped for today’s readers. Raina Telgemeier has transformed the first eight titles in the original series into graphic novels.
Many times, parents, grandparents, and teachers stop reading aloud to children once they have learned to read. Reading aloud to children teaches them “how” to read even when they know how. When you read aloud to a child, you are showing them how to be fluent, how to question, how to connect to a book, and how to comprehend. These are many of the important skills needed to be a lifelong reader. Think about buying one of your beloved childhood favorites to read to the special children in your life. One of my favorites to read aloud is The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak.
Reading with your child also presents the opportunity to discuss feelings, emotions, and the world around you! If you are pondering a purchase for the child in your life, consider a book. It truly is a gift that keeps on giving and will last him or her a lifetime.
