Reading for Children

Should you read to your baby before they can understand the words? YES! It is never too early to show your baby books and talk about the pictures. Cuddle your baby on your lap and look at books together. This will teach them that looking at pictures and hearing stories are fun

Often babies put everything in their mouths you can give them cloth or vinyl books that can be washed. Sturdy cardboard books are also good for babies to handle. Some are touch and feel books with different textures. Some books have flaps, cut-aways, pop outs, sparkly or mirrored inserts that invite interaction. You can point and ask questions "Where's the dog?" so your baby begins to point at the pictures. As they get older they can turn the pages. Try to do this a few times a day just for a few minutes at a time, as long as baby is interested.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Eric Carle

Possum Magic. Mem Fox

Where is the Green Sheep. Mem Fox

Dear Zoo. Rod Campbell

I Went Walking. Sue Machin (few words)

Owl Babies Martin Waddell

We're Going on a Bear Hunt. Michael Rosen

Where the Wild Things Are. Maurice Sendark

Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy. Lynley Dodd (rhyming)

Time for Bed. Mem Fox

Toddlers like short, simple stories often with repeating words. When they hear their favourite story many times they know what comes next. Books with rhymes are fun eg the Dr Seuss books like Mr Brown Can Moo Can You? Let the children do the sound effects - quacking, mooing, etc.

The most important way to prepare your child to be a reader is to read to them every day. Your preschooler probably enjoys climbing onto your lap to listen to their favourite book. Reading is a special time together. Repeating the same story helps them to learn, even though you may get a little tired of the story. Soon they will be able to tell you the story and pretend to read the story. Beware, there will be howls of protest if you try to finish early by skipping a couple of pages in a story. They can't be fooled.

Wombat Devine Mem Fox

Pete the Sheep. Jackie French

Edward the Emu. Sheena Knowles (rhyming)

Diary of a Wombat Jackie French

The Giraffe Pelly and Me. Roald Dahl

Rose Meets Mr Wintergarten. Bob Graham

The Waterhole. Graeme Base

Olga the Brolga. Rod Clement

Rumble in the Jungle. Giles Andrea

The Little Yellow Digger. Betty Gilderdale (rhyming)

Mr McGee. Pamela Allen

About the time children start school they may be ready for chapter books, though there are no hard and fast rules. You may read a chapter or two each night with them. Finding the right book is critical. There is a book that will interest them - some are harder to find!

Charlotte's Web. E B White

Lion the Witch The Wardrobe. C S Lewis

Storm Boy Colin Thiele

Muddleheaded Wombat Ruth Park

Tashi Anna Fienberg

Stinky Cheeseman and other Fairly Stupid Stories. Jon Scieczka

By Middle Primary stage these newly independent reading children may enjoy reading on their own books such as:

Flat Stanley. Jeff Brown

Emily Eyefinger Duncan Ball

Fantastic Mr Fox Rahl Dahl

Captain Underpants series Dav Pilkey

Goblin in the Bush. Victor Kelleher

Horrible History series. Terry Deary

Rotten School series. R L Stine

Just Tricking Andy Griffiths

What Bumasaur is That? Andy Griffiths (a boys thing!)

Animalia Graeme Base (puzzle book)

What a Joke. Philip Adams (humour)

Upper Primary Children enjoy longer more mature stories, from the weird and wacky to high adventure to true stories

Rowan of Rin. Emily Rodda

Selby series. Duncan Ball

James and the Giant Peach Roald Dahl

Sucked In Paul Jennings

Keys to the Kingdom series Garth Nix (fantasy)

Hatchet. Gary Paulsen

Truck Dogs. Graeme Base

Power of One - Young Readers Edition. Bryce Courtenay

Pagan's Crusade series. Catherine Jinks

Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Paterson (new movie)

The Snow Pony. Alison Lester (girls love stories with horses)

Teenagers are learning to be their own person. Sadly for some parents, especially of boys, parents are the worst ones to choose a book for teenagers. It is best to be a supporter and be there when asked, otherwise leave them to it.

Tomorrow When the War Began series John Marsden (some violence)

Lockie Leonard Legend. Tim Winton

The Cay Theodore Taylor

His Dark Materials series. Philip Pullman (fantasy)

The Hobbit J R R Tolkien

Harry Potter series. JK Rowling

Guinness Book of Records

It Ain't Necessarily So Bro Dr Karl Kruszelnicki (wacky science facts)

There are many adult books that are suitable for teenagers

Ice Station series Matthew Reilly (boys)

Lionheart Jessie Martin (first boy to sail solo around the world)

Soldier Boy the True Story of Jim Martin Anthony Hill (teenage soldier World War I)

Romulus My Father Raimond Gaita (migrants biography)

Looking for Alibrandi Melina Marchetta

Jillaroo Rachel Treasure

The Book Thief. Marcus Zusak

No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series Alexander McCall Smith (Africa)

Tales of Otori series Lian Hern (historical Japan adventure)

The staff at Book City Orange are here to help you and your children with your book selections. Margaret is a qualified teacher and has children of her own. Erin is also a qualified teacher and is about to have a child. We have a huge range of children's books. We sell books to many of the local schools.

Let us help you.

If you want more information refer to:

Reading Magic by Mem Fox

The Reading Bug by Paul Jennings

Boys and Books by James Moloney

Book Crush by Nancy Pearl