Shultz, John A.

Texas A&amp;M Repository

L-703SELECTING BOOKS FOR SCHOOL-AGE CHILDRENBooks for a child's own bookshelf should bechosen thoughtfully because the books are impor-tant to the cllild. Many will be read again andagain; other will be kept at hand because of somedeep feeling about the book. Only a few will beread and discarded.Whether to select beautiful and expensive edi-tions or to spread the book budget over a greaternumber of less-handsome books depends on theindividual child and the family. Some chilrden aremore sensitive than others to the beauty of a bookor its illustrations. Some children just like the feelof a book. Others hardly seem to notice the way abook is made - the story is all that interests them.Children differ in their reading needs and inter-ests, just as they grow and develop differently anddo not reach the same stage of development at thesame time. The following suggestions for selectingbook should be used merely as a guide and notas a set of hard an'd fast rules.Kindergarten and Primary Years (5-7)Going to school means wider horizons in a moresocialized setting. Interest in picture books con-tinue , but may now center on people. The childlikes realistic stories about his immediate world ofhome, school and community; stories about real-lifechildren; about a street like the one where the childlive; about the farm; about supermarkets; aboutairplane trips. Simple stories about magic and non-sense, humor, adventure and poetry are also ofinterest at this age.Intermediate Years (7-10)The range of interest is now wider and the spanof attention is longer. Youngsters are interested inlonger stories or books about people and customsoutside the in1mediate environment - regionalstorie, stories about other lands, historical and folktale. Reali tic stories about boys and girls in whichadult playa part and with a relatively complicatedplot are favorites.8.1Interests of boys and girls may show some dif-ferences. However, boys and girls will enjoy adven-ture stories, sports stories, science narratives, biogra-phies and histories.Preadolescence (10-12)Specialized interests become more defined. Boysare often interested in sports stories, westerns andbiographies of athletes, aviators and similar llerofigures. Girls often turn to biographies of women,books about girls like themselves, career novels, aswell as sports and adventure stories. Both boys andgirls enjoy stories of myths and legends..Adolescence (13 and over)Teens may be physically mature but lack adultexperience. They are idealistic, striving to under-stand the world around them and to find a placefor themselves in that world.Books that deal with moral and philosophicalproblems and with social questions are of interestnow. Reading interests and tastes of both boys andgirls are largely at the adult level, but both stillneed books that help bridge the gap between child-hood and adulthood - books on understandingthemselves and others, on college life, and on ca-reers. Their interest in books about sports, adven-ture and science biographies may continue through-out adolescence.Children's Book SetsQuite different kinds of book sets are availablefor both pleasure and information. Some offervaried collections of stories or verse, along withsuggestions for arts and crafts and play activities.Reference sets or encyclopedias are especially valu-able during the learning years.Before buying a book set, parents need to haveclearly in mind what they want the set of booksto do for a child. Parents need to remember thatthey will want to buy other books as well to meettheir children's changing needs and interests./e a Agricultural Exten ion Service. he Texas A&M Univer ity System. Jo n E. Hutchi on, Direc or • College S a 'on~---T'---- --_-..</"-----Book Clubs and LibrariesBook clubs that make a careful selection ofbooks offer a valuable service. They bring newbooks to the young reader throughout the year.ot all the books that boys and girls want toread need to be bought. Young people can behelped to learn how to make full use of the publiclibrary, the school library or the bookmobile.Guides to Book SelectionThe e q uali ties to look for in books for school-age children have been adapted from criteria devel-oped by the Child Study Association of America.inceTity. Children's books should take theyoung reader seriou ly, neither talking down to himnor over hi head. The author must put the ring oftruth into the story. An author must convince thereader that he or she believes in the story andunderstands the subject.A uthenticity. A sense of time and place is es-sential. Historical stories and biographies ba edon real characters and events, while they may takeliberties with dialogue, must be authentic as faras the facts are known. Unsavory and gruesomedetails are sometimes essential to he story butshould be tempered to the age of the expected childreader.CTedibility. Plot and characterization must beconvincing and the motivation believable. Even infantasy and science fiction, the premise and plot~ developlnent must be credible once the setting habeen accepted.Entotional Impact. Books with emotional im-pact close to children's own lives, whether as fan-tasy or reality, need to-be suited to the maturity ofthe intended reader.Writing Style. This should be good within thestandards of its area. It must effectively pre ent itsmaterial, plot and characters.Reader Interest. The book should have su-tained interest and reader appeal. Of course, nobook can be expected to appeal to all readers with-in a given age group.Age Suilability. Often an age range is given inchildren's books or on the di play shelf. Use thismerely as a reference point, for children vary widelyin their capacity and interest at any given age.Select Books With These Points in Mind• Select for the particular child and his specialinterests.• Consider the education and information avail-able in the book.• Evaluate the variety of the story content.• Consider the appearance of the book.• Consider the art, graphics and color utilizedin the book.AcknowledgmentInformation in this publication was reprinted from Selecting Books forSchool-Age Children by John A. Shultz, assistant professor of FamilyLife Extension, University of Illinois, College of Agriculture. Revisedby Extension family life education specialists, The Texas A&M Uni-versity System.Edu ational program conducted by the Te as Agricultural Extension Service serve people of all ages regar-dle s of socio-economiclevels~ race~ color, sex~ religion or national origin.Coop rati e Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, The Texas A&M University System and the Unit d Stat sD parttnent of Agriculture cooperating. Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8, 1914, as amended, andJune 30, 1914.5M-5-75, Revision FLE 5

Selecting Books for School-Age Children.

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Selecting Books for School-Age Children.

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Selecting Books for School-Age Children.

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Texas A&amp;M Repository

Texas A&M Repository