Blogging A to Z: Grow
To encourage kids to be lifelong readers, make sure to include books for your kids to grow into! When you’ve got an itty bitty baby at home, make sure you have picture books incorporated on your shelf too. When your toddler starts obsessing over transportation vehicles, fill those shelves with great books about things that go. Feed their passion with fiction and nonfiction titles. Don’t be afraid of a book with a bigger vocabulary or more pages. Here’s a tip from a long-time storyteller – you don’t always have to read a book cover-to-cover. Pour over a few pages, find your favorite illustrations, break them into smaller chunks. Big books don’t have to be scary, allow your kids a chance to explore.
Your preschooler might not be ready to read a 300-page novel, but if they love to snuggle and really enjoy reading together, you could try an early chapter book like Princess in Black by Shannon and Dean Hale. Or even a longer picture book, check out Patricia Polacco for some amazing work. Maybe you have a little one that is forever bouncing off the walls, that’s okay too. You can also try audiobooks to listen to while you’re playing or crafting or running errands in the car.
Nonfiction Books
But, what I really wanted to focus on today was to encourage families to embrace nonfiction books into your personal libraries. If the first thing that comes to mind when I saw nonfiction is yellowed pages, a musty smell, and pen and ink drawings, then you need to check out nonfiction today! Nonfiction nowadays is so accessible to kids. It incorporates primary sources, illustrations, graphs, font changes, boxes, callouts, and a number of other tools to create amazing books that kids want to read. As I mentioned before, if your kid is passionate about something, see if you can track down an age-appropriate nonfiction book about the topic. If you’ve got a kid who loves to ask questions, jot down a few of them and go to the library together to find the answers.
Today’s book list is all about nonfiction! There are kids who will always prefer nonfiction over stories – and that’s okay! Nonfiction reading allows kids to explore new ideas, learn about their passions, and build new vocabulary. And what’s great is that nonfiction isn’t just for older kids anymore, there’s amazing nonfiction titles for little readers!
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Book List #7 – Grow
- Being Frog by April Pulley Sayre
Learn about the life cycle of a frog with gorgeous photographs and wonderful vocabulary! - Beware of the Crocodile by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura
Crocodiles have sharp teeth and are definitely scary, but there’s also a lot you might not know about them – learn more about crocodiles in this fun book. - B Is for Bulldozer: A Construction ABC by June Sobel, illustrated by Melissa Iwai
If you’ve got a construction-loving kid, this is a must-read book. - A Butterfly Is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston illustrated by Sylvia Long
One in a series, this is a book that begs to be poured over as you learn about the tiniest of butterflies and the largest! - Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building by Christy Hale
I love this book about building – a perfect title for kids who love to build with blocks. - Hey, Water! by Antoinette Portis
A little girl learns about the water cycle as she searches for water around her community. - Mama Built a Little Nest by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Steve Jenkins
With rhyming text, this book shares all the different ways birds build nests for their babies. - Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
I love this series by Kate Messner, kids get a chance to discover a world hidden underneath their feet. - A Seed Is the Start by Melissa Stewart
Photography is combined with lyrical text to share with kids how seeds grow. - Skyscraper by Jorey Hurley
Watch a skyscraper being built by fourteen different types of trucks! - What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins, illustrated by Robin Page
Steve Jenkins and Robin Page are a nonfiction power couple creating amazing books that are so accessible to young kids! - When Sue Found Sue: Sue Hendrickson Discovers Her T. Rex by Toni Buzzeo, illustrated by Diana Sudyka
Dino-loving kids will love to learn about the largest and most complete T. Rex skeleton discovered by Sue Hendrickson.
If you’re interested in purchasing any of the titles on this list, please use my affiliate link for Bookshop.org. When you purchase from this link, I will earn a commission as an affiliate.
For the month of April, I’ll be sharing early literacy tips and book lists as part of the Blogging A to Z Challenge. Learn about the importance of early literacy and ways to incorporate tips and tricks into your family’s daily routine. Developing language skills before kids head to school helps them to be ready to learn when they reach school-age. In addition to great content, you’ll also get a new book list for each letter, resulting in over 300 board book and picture book suggestions for your family to enjoy!
