Finding the Perfect Book

Each year, about 20,000 new children’s books are published in the United States.  In this sea of choices, how can we help match kids with the books that are right for them?  How do we know if a book is a good fit?  

Matching kids with the right books is an art, not a science, but there are some general guidelines you can use to help you narrow the field.

Interest

Most importantly, the right book for your child is the one they are interested in reading.  Children who love books are significantly more likely to become strong readers than those who don't enjoy books.  Let your child choose books that they are excited about.  If your child loves dragons, read about dragons!  If they only like to read non-fiction, that’s great!  You can encourage wider reading by peppering in your own selections, but make sure your child has a steady diet of books they’re excited about.

Book Types

Children’s libraries and bookstores are usually organized by book type.  Understanding what to expect in each section is a first step in finding the right book for your child.

Picture Books - Many adults are surprised that picture books are not necessarily written for children to read themselves!  Picture books are usually written to be read aloud to children.  They can include a huge variety of vocabulary.  Some are very accessible for young children to read themselves, and some are shockingly difficult.  

Decodable Readers - Decodable readers can be hard to find in libraries or in commercial bookstores.  They are generally written to go along with a specific reading curriculum, and are written to only include concepts that students have already learned at that point in their journey.  These are often the best way for kids early in the learning process to practice independent reading, but they can be expensive and more difficult to find. At Helix, we use decodable readers for practice in the classroom, and send them home with students to practice over breaks.

Easy Readers - Easy readers are simple stories, written with limited vocabulary for children that are starting to read on their own.  These books come in different levels, from those that are accessible for kindergarten-level readers to more complex books designed for second or third grade abilities.  They generally include 2-4 sentences on each page and pictures on every page.  These books often come with some sort of leveling system, but these vary between publishers and can be hard to compare.  When you find a great fit from one publisher, online research can help you find similar titles from the same publisher.

Early Chapter Books - Early chapter books are designed to be the next step beyond easy readers.  These books contain shorter chapters and simpler vocabulary than general children’s novels.  They are designed for kids who are reading easy readers independently and starting to build the stamina for longer books.  They include some illustrations, but begin to incorporate longer sections of text.  Some early chapter books are appropriate for first-grade level readers, but most of them are written at a second or third-grade reading level. Early Chapter Books are often written in series. This is great for young readers! Once you find a series they love, there are often 20+ books to enjoy!

Children’s Nonfiction - So many kids love reading nonfiction, but finding the right nonfiction book can be a challenge.  The children’s nonfiction section often includes everything from very simple kindergarten-level reads to books that are aimed toward middle schoolers.  They can have varying levels of appropriateness for young children.  In general, it is helpful to know that nonfiction books tend to be slightly more difficult to read than a comparable-looking fiction story.  Similar to easy readers, it can be helpful to find a particular publisher or series of nonfiction books that work well for your child, and then explore the whole series.

Chapter Books - Children’s chapter books can be targeted toward kids from around a third-grade reading level through middle school.  They can also have varying levels of appropriateness for young children.  They generally phase out illustrations, with many more words on the page.  

Graphic Novels - Graphic Novels are written in a comic book style, with the story told primarily through illustrations with text boxes.  They can be a fabulous tool for engaging reluctant readers, and some of the most innovative, interesting storytelling in children’s books is happening in graphic novels.  Sometimes graphic novels are seen as less serious or worthy than traditional chapter books, but that is an unfair oversimplification. However, just like the nonfiction and chapter book sections of the library, you will find a wide variety of books here, both in terms of readability and appropriateness for young readers.

Reading Level

Choosing books at an appropriate reading level can be really challenging for kids, but it can also be crucial to helping kids feel successful as readers.  As kids build their reading abilities, sometimes their reading interest outpaces their abilities.  To read and understand a book independently, you generally need to be able to read at least 95% of the words on the page.  To read and understand a book with support, you still need to be able to read at least 90% of the words on the page.  Kids often need support to identify books at this “just right” level.

One simple test that kids can apply for themselves is the “five finger test.”  When your child selects a book, ask them to choose a random page to read out loud.  Each time they struggle with a word, count one finger.  If they stumble over five or more words, that book is likely too challenging right now.  If they stumble over 2, 3, or 4 words, the book is likely a good fit.  If they don’t stumble at all, or only stumble over one word, it might be a bit too easy.  Of course this isn’t a perfect test, and it may not work well for easy reader books with only a few words on each page, but it is a great guideline that is simple for young readers to implement.

Most of the time, we want to encourage students to tackle challenges and push themselves, but we need to exercise caution when pushing kids to read books that are too challenging for them.  When kids try to read books that have too many unfamiliar words, they are much more likely to get frustrated and shut down.  Students are unlikely to comprehend text if they can’t read at least 90% of the words.  Kids are also likely to switch to looking at the pictures and making up a story to go along with them if they don’t feel capable of reading the words on the page.  This can weaken the understanding that reading comes from the words on the page.  We want students to understand that looking at the pictures and making up your own words is a fun thing to do, but it is different than reading.  To keep kids rooted in the words on the page, we want to make sure those words are accessible to them.

What about books that are too easy?  Repeated reading of books that might feel “too easy” is actually great for developing readers.  Kids build fluency when they reread familiar books.  This means that they can read more like they are telling a story, and less like a robot.  Kids build fluency with familiar books first, and then extend that learning to new texts.  Fluent readers have much stronger reading comprehension, so we don’t want to cut this process short!  Kids love to re-read familiar books, and it is great practice, too!

Recommendations

Luckily, none of us are on this journey together.  There are lots of great resources out there to help match your child with the perfect book.  Children’s librarians and the staff of local children’s bookstores are invaluable resources.  Another resource that I often turn to is the SubReddit “SuggestMeABook.”  You can post a few book titles that your child has enjoyed and add any specifics about what you are looking for.  You can expect to get dozens of recommendations, and many come from teachers, librarians, and other knowledgeable parents like you.

Finding a book that clicks with your child can take time, effort, and a lot of patience, but it pays off. Together, we can connect students with the books that help them to thrive!