Books for Younger Children

In my last article, I focused on a list of recommendations for parents whose children have finished reading a specific series and are looking for new reading suggestions. I mentioned a number of great series like “Magic Tree House,” “The Series of Unfortunate Events,” “Dear America,” and books written by Matt Christopher.

In this article, I would like to concentrate on titles that are ideal for little readers just beginning to explore the magic of books. A number of notable books have been written by magnificent authors such as Jan Brett and Margaret Wise Brown. We also have Mercer Mayer’s “Little Critter” books and the “Curious George” stories, which are classics in the children’s literary canon. Every once in a while, young children will request books about specific characters such as “Sponge Bob Square Pants” and “Thomas the Tank Engine.” I am pleased to say that Columbus Public Library does have many books for those who want to read about their favorite character’s adventures.

Dora the Explorer is one of the literary characters that small children, especially girls, like to read. Dora is a young Latina who has a number of adventures with her friend Boots. No matter what she and Boots are exploring they almost always encounter Swiper, who tries to sabotage Dora’s fun. However with help from the reader saying, “Swiper, no swiping!,” the villain’s efforts are spoiled and Dora’s mission comes to a happy ending. With titles like “Dora’s Pirate Adventure,” “Dora in the Deep Sea,” and “Meet Diego!,” children are not only guaranteed fun adventures to read, but will also encounter basic Spanish vocabulary that will strengthen their overall language skills.

A character of great popularity with young boys is “Bob the Builder.” Bob is a construction worker who has a number of adventures on the building site. Along the way, Bob encounters obstacles that hinder the completion of projects he is working hard to finish. But with help from friends like Pilchard and Scoop, Bob is able to get the job done. The message children will take from stories like “The Knights of Fix-A-Lot,” “Muck’s Muddy Day”, and “Wendy Helps Out” is that no job is too big with the help of friends.

So, the next time your little readers are looking for a book starring their favorite characters, be sure to stop by Columbus Public Library and see what we have to offer. I am sure no matter whom your child is trying to find between the covers of a book, they will not be disappointed. If you have any questions regarding your child’s favorite literary character, please feel free to contact me at (402) 564-7116 Opt. 4.