How to Choose the Best Books for Your Children

The world is different now. And so are the reading habits of kids.

Back in the day, children would read great literature, explore outside and use their imaginations.

But now children are more often seen…

with their noses in a phone or video game, instead of a good book.

inside their homes watching tv, instead of romping around, out of doors.

However, this does NOT have to be our children.

Our children do not have to the be ones with a phone or Ipad with them at all times.

Our children don’t have to be the ones inside playing video games or watching tv all day.

No. We can change this trend. We can influence and raise our children to be different.

So, let’s talk about reading books today, shall we?

First of all, there is value in great books and even the classics that we should not lose.

They teach children not only the morals and values they need to know as a member of society, but also, great books teach them how to read critically and analytically.

Kids are growing up even faster these days and the world seems so fast paced, am I right?!

But it’s up to us as homeschooling parents to instill a love for reading books in our children, and we can do this by first READING TO THEM and then placing great books in their hands!

“What we put into our minds is just as important as what we put into our bodies. Just as we should strive to fill our bodies with wholesome food, we should fill our minds with wholesome words, ideas, messages, and stories.”
– Jenny Phillips

Now, something I learned from Jenny Phillips a few years ago was to rate books as such:

1. First we have, Rollercoaster books.

Rollercoaster Books are: Books that have a thrill, are funny and exciting, but with no moral values taught. These books are neither good, nor bad, however, they are just exciting and give you that thrill, aka, like on a rollercoaster.

2. Next we have unworthy books.

Unworthy books are: Books that are morally wrong, have bad language, convey bad images, contain things that go against the Bible, disrespect to parents or others, and the such like. These are books we DON’T want our children reading, nor should we be reading them.

3. And then lastly, we have good and beautiful books.

Good and Beautiful books are: Books that have strong morals, teach worthy thoughts, have respect for others, conveys good images and thoughts, uses great language, etc. These are the books we WANT our children to read.

So, here’s how we handle books in our house and homeschool

We let our kids choose a few of their own “rollercoaster books”, but we limit these. It’s okay in moderation.
Unworthy books are NOT allowed.
Good and beautiful books are what we strive for. Most of the time, I am recommending these types of books to my children, and at times, they have even found a some at the library on their own.

And here’s a few things you can do to prepare your children for reading great books:

Expose your children to different types of books in order to help them develop a love for reading. Don’t stick with only their “favorite” types of books.
Start by reading to your kids before their bedtime. This will help them associate books with sleep so they can read on their own at night as they get older.
Read a variety of books, not just kids’ books or classics. Introducing your children to new genres will help their imagination grow. Keep them clean though!
Create an environment for reading. Have a nice comfy chair or space where your children can snuggle down with a good book. The couch always works great too!