by BETH
The “children’s book blog” was created to help Southborough parents find books they would enjoy reading to their children. (Scroll down for more on my background “expertise”.)
Books recommended in the posts are available either through the Southborough Public Library, or their interlibary loan program.
In addition to finding books just for fun, I highlight books on (hopefully) helpful topics.
Great reads for fun:
For toddlers- For preschoolers
- Princesses of the house
- What Little Boys are made of
- Bedtime books
- Fooling around with books
- Tall tales
- Authors to curl up with
For a purpose/educational:
- Getting ready for preschool
- Getting ready for Kindergarten
- Encouraging good behavior
- Science and nature
- From ABCs to Learning to Read
- Counting and math
- Poetry for the non-poetry-lover-parent
- More children’s poetry that could convert the non-poetry-lover
- Teaching appreciation
- Healthy eating
- For new or expectant siblings
- Remembering those who still serve (military and their families)
Seasonal themes:
- Time to Gobble (Thanksgiving)
- Tis the season to read jolly (Christmas)
- Fooling around with books (April Fools Day)
How I got started
My children and I used to read so many picture books, that it was suggested I start a blog about my favorites.*
I believe the key to encouraging reading in children is enjoying it yourself.
I hate reading books that are boring, trite or annoying, no matter how much my kids love them. (Yes, I mean you: Barbie, Thomas, Strawberry Shortcake and Disney paperback sequels/prequels, and even the ever-adored Dora and Diego books – though some of those Dora/Diego are good beginner reading books).
When my son was an infant and daughter was a toddler, I found that reading to her was the best way to keep her happy while I fed him.
Since that seemed like a never ending occurance (and reading the same book over and over made me crazy) I developed the habit of reading about 20 picture books a day. This fed first Cassie’s and then Michael’s avid reading habit and constant desire for “new books”.
I began to use children’s books to deal with parenting issues, encourage learning, etc. I found myself becoming an “expert” on finding books through the library that fit those needs. So, I started applying that to my blog posts. I hope other parents find these books helpful, too.
*Initially, this blog was written for the Southborough Library’s website and re-run on My Southborough. When the Library’s website was revamped, it became too difficult for them to manage a “blog” on the site. I created this linked page to help fill that gap.
Click here to access the Southborough Library website for information on their resources and catalog.
(Photos by Susan Fitzgerald)