Book Recommendations By Age

Guest post by Jenny Silverstone at Mom Loves Best

When you’re looking for books for your child, you need to not just consider the type of interests they have, but also their reading level. If you find books that are too hard for them to tackle, they’ll lose interest quickly and it will add to their frustration.

Here is how you can determine if the level will be good for your child:

• Most children’s books have the reading level listed on the front or back cover.
• Look at how difficult the words are. If you’ve been listening to your child read, you should be able to tell if they’ll be able to handle it.
• Use an app to help you determine the level. With apps, like Literacy Leveler, you just scan in the ISBN code on the book, and you can look up the reading level online.
• Ask for recommendations from teachers, fellow parents, and librarians.
• Use the Accelerated Reader website to find out the difficulty level of a book.

5 Great Picks For Babies

1. Peek-a-Boo Forest: This book is short and sweet, just like your infant’s attention span. It is only six pages and has bright pictures and patterns to interest your baby. It has cloth pages your baby won’t be able to chew through and peek-a-boo flaps that will assist your child with hand-eye coordination.
2. Just Like…the Animals: The bright pages include little surprises your child will love, like a mirror, sounds, and peek-a-boo features. The fabric pages are non-toxic. The book comes with a carrying handle you can attach to a car seat or stroller.
3. Mama Loves You So: This book has sweet pictures of people and animals with their babies. The pictures are vibrant and appealing. With the sentiment of this book, you’ll love it as much as your child does.
4. Go, Dog, Go!: This classic shows dogs riding in cars and all kinds of colors of dogs. The words are so few and simple, your baby definitely won’t be bored.
5. Goodnight Moon: With simple illustrations and the lead character of a bunny, this book has been a family favorite for generations.

5 Book Picks For Toddlers (Ages 2 To 3)

1.  Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed: Your toddler will love these mischievous monkeys who keep falling off the bed one by one and getting hurt. This is one you’ll likely have to read repeatedly to your child, and possibly sing.
2. The Very Hungry Caterpillar: This has been a bestseller for generations. This book will entertain your child as they watch the hungry caterpillar eat their way to their ultimate destiny.
3. I Love You Through and Through: This book shows the unconditional love between parents and their children. Your child will love all the snuggles and kisses that are sure to accompany the reading of this book.
4. Dr. Seuss’s ABC: This classic will help teach your child letter recognition and sounds while they’re having fun. They’ll be totally entertained and they won’t even know they’re learning.
5. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: This book may end up driving you crazy, but your child will likely love it. It’s about letters climbing a tree in the order of the alphabet. It doesn’t sound like an epic book, but kids can’t get enough of it.

5 Book Picks For Preschool (Age 4)

1. Green Eggs and Ham: Kids never get tired of reading Green Eggs and Ham. They love the anger of the main character as he vehemently denies he’d like the taste of green eggs and ham and then later eats his words as he discovers he really does.
2. It’s Christmas, David: Kids love reading about troublemakers, and it seems as if David is always up to something. They’ll laugh their way through this book and will feel happy at the ending.
3. Giraffes Can’t Dance: This book is sure to make your preschooler laugh with its funny illustrations. But they’ll appreciate how the giraffe never gives up on himself and isn’t afraid to be himself no matter what.
4. The Night Before Preschool: Billy is so anxious about preschool that he can’t seem to go to sleep. If you have a child who is nervous about preschool, this is a great book for your child. It’ll make them feel much better about their upcoming new experience.
5. Bunny Cakes: Bunny Cakes is a funny book starring rabbit siblings Max and Ruby. Your child may be familiar with Max and Ruby through their popular cartoon which still sometimes shows repeats on television. In this book, the siblings have different approaches about which kind of cake they’d like to bake for their Grandma.

5 Book Picks For Early Elementary

1. Oh, the Places You’ll Go: This Dr. Seuss book contains a powerful message about soaring to great heights. It will be a book that has meaning throughout your student’s life, even in high school, college, and the start of their first job.
2. Magic Tree House #1: Dinosaurs Before Dark: The adventures of Jack and Annie in this series has enthralled early elementary students for years. If your child likes this book, they’ll have a bunch more in this series to read.
3. The Adventures of Captain Underpants: If your child hasn’t managed to find their niche of books yet, you might need something sure to get their attention. And this book can do it — you’ll likely have their interest the second they see the cover.
4. Pirates Don’t Change Diapers: Pirates are the biggest and baddest men around, but when you factor in babysitting duty, watch them cower. And your kids will eat it up.
5. The Chocolate Touch: To most kids, a book about a boy who can turn everything he touches into chocolate sounds like a great fantasy. But there is such a thing as too much of a good thing as this book will teach.

About the Author:

Jenny Silverstone is a professional writer, editor, and most importantly, the loving mother of two. Jenny created Mom Loves Best to help the other moms like her who are struggling and trying to do their best but feel totally overwhelmed.