I have always loved to read. I also believe that encouraging the love of reading in a child will positively impact them for their entire lives, even professionally! You, as a parent or significant adult can have a big part in how your children feel about reading by reading good books to them and by having good books available for them to read. In this post I will talk about some of my favorite childhood books.
My Childhood Favorite Books
My favorite books to read as a child are part of a series written by Frank L. Baum: The “OZ” books. The characters in these books transported me to a magical world and I just couldn’t get enough! I am thankful that I still have that book series and although they are a bit advanced right now, someday I will read them to my grandchildren. If you are not familiar with the books and only know about the movie, please check out this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Oz_books. There is a world of difference in the books and the movie!
My Children’s Favorite Childhood Books
As a mama of “used to be” young children, I always loved books about animals…farm animals, mostly. Therefore, a lot of the books I read to my children were about animals. That is interesting to me, considering my first published books were about the animals on my farm! Here are some of those favorite books from my children’s younger years:
Some of these books brought giggles and some were great soothing bedtime stores. Goodnight Lulu is always requested by some of my grandchildren before bed when they stay over with Nana and Grandpa! All the books show love and caring between family members. Barnyard Dance has a WONDERFUL rhythm and is so much fun to clap or stomp to, but definitely is NOT a bedtime story! I wish I could share with these authors how much their books are loved by our family!
Finding Childhood Favorites for Your Children
What makes these books favorites? My answer is: it’s a variety of things: 1) they convey the emotions of comfort and love; 2) children love animals; 3) easy reading so can read them again and again; and 4) adorable illustrations! Maybe farm animals aren’t your thing or theirs. That’s ok! Find books you will enjoy! Find those books that your children will ask for again and again! Set your children loose in a library and see what they gravitate to.
How can you find books your children will look back on with fond memories? Choose books according to your child’s interests or books that take them on an adventure. Bedtime books that are comforting and show love will be cherished when you use bedtime as a chance to bond with your child. Those memories will last a lifetime! Additionally, you can find favorite books for your children by looking back at your own childhood and remembering what you liked to read.
Summary
I hope I have given you some things to consider when it comes to choosing books for your children. Without sounding “salesy”, I would love for you to check out the books I have written. You can find them on the “BOOKS” page, here: https://dianeorrauthor.com/books. There are a variety of books from nonfiction picture books, to rhyming words, to books that will bring love and comfort at bedtime. There I even have an historical fiction chapter book for middle grades. If the children I read them to in the schools, and the reviews from parents are any indication, I feel confident you will find a book that your child will love. Thanks!