Choosing Books for Children: A Commonsense Guide

by Betsy Hearne, Deborah Stevenson

If you have ever stood in the children's section of a bookstore or library wondering how to go about matching a book to the age, abilities, and interests of a particular child, Choosing Children's Books is for you. Renowned children's librarian and children's book review editor Betsy Hearne offers practical guidance on sorting through the bewildering array of picture books, pop-up books, books for beginning readers, young adult titles, classics, poetry, folktales, and factual books. Each chapter includes an annotated list of recommended titles.
A gold mine of commonsense, sound advice, this newly revised and completely updated edition of Betsy Hearne's classic guide is an indispensable tool for choosing books for children of all ages.
Newly available in paperback, this revised and updated third edition of Betsy Hearne's classic guide stands as the lodestar for navigating through the bewildering array of books for young readers. Hearne surveys everything from picture books, pop-up books, classics, and books for beginning readers to young adult titles, poetry, folktales, and factual books, with an annotated list of recommended titles accompanying each chapter. A gold mine of common sense and sound advice, her guide remains an indispensable tool for choosing books for children of all ages.
 

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Parenting

248 pages, Paperback

First published July 21, 1982

About the author

Betsy Hearne is the author of numerous articles and books, including Choosing Books for Children: A Commonsense Guide, the folktale anthology Beauties and Beasts, fiction for both children and young adults, and picture books—one of which, Seven Brave Women, won the Jane Addams Children's Book Award. The former children's book editor of Booklist and of The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, she has reviewed books for almost forty years and contributes regularly to The Horn Book Magazine.

Hearne was the former Director of The Center for Children's Books and a professor emerita in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she taught children's literature and storytelling for many years.

Reviews

[Erica Nicol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Betsy Hearne is my Yoda of children's literature. While the bibliographies in this book are now dated (dated, but still highly useable), the principles and suggestions for choosing books are excellent and extremely helpful. Hearne's writing is engaging, encouraging, and highly readable. If you don't have much experience reading or selecting children's books, this is an excellent starting place. And if you do have experience, this is still an excellent reference to keep around.

[AnnaBnana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obviously the bibliographies are a little dated, but the things worth considering when choosing good children's books don't change. Really super.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hearne has her finger on the pulse of children's literature. Her reviews and recommendations are spot on.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great reference!

[Kathleen]

Advice for selecting books for children. Easy to follow chapter guides.
Controversial Children's Books chapter

[Gerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

very informitive

[Rebecca Little · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gave me a list of books to get out of the library for my girls. A great reference.