The Joys of Reading

Research shows that children who are exposed to books in their homes and classrooms have interest in a wider range of literature than do children from situations where books are given less attention. 

 

Dr. Seuss had the right idea. In fact, being read to by an adult is the factor most important to success in learning to read. Literature provides the reader with experiences with excitement, adventure, or even struggle. Good writing and an interesting story can transport readers to other places or other times.

I developed a love of reading and books when I was a little girl.  One of my favorite stories was, "Twas the Night Before Christmas". I read this book to my dolls and stuffed animals.           I read it to my "class" when I played school. It didn't matter to    me that it was a story about Christmas. I read that book no matter what time of year it was. I really enjoyed that book.  To this day, I can remember the feel of the pages, the colorful illustrations, and the bright red color of the cover of the book.

The book looked similar to the one pictured here. 

Here are some websites to assist you in your search for children's books.

Harper Collins Children's Books 
Harper Collins Childrens Books website is home to classics such as "Where the Wild Things Are", "Charlotte's Web", and "The Giving Tree". The site has lists of new up and coming books, as well as award winning books.

Database of Award-Winning Children's Literature
This website is owned and operated by Lisa Bartle, a reference librarian at California State University in San Bernardino. This free resource is a collaborative database of award-winning children's literature. The website lists the awards and also gives an explanation on the criteria for winning each award. The database is searchable by a number of parameters including: setting, suggested age of the reader, or genre.

McGraw Hill Children's Literature Database
This website is maintained by the McGraw Hill textbook company. It is a searchable database of children's literature. Choose your topic or other search parameters to locate book(s) of interest.