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Interesting question smaug Send a noteboard - 11/02/2010 10:14:24 PM
Congrats again on the grandson :)
I can only really speak of my experiences, but since I love reading they might be relevant to the survey ;)

What do you think are the best books for babies?

The simple, learn-to-talk-and-read kind with rhymes, bright colors, simple sentences, concepts like "bigger than" or "behind" etc. I think D Seuss, Richard Scarry, Sesame Street and so on are all good. The "Mr Men and Little Miss book collection is also fun for little kids.

The best books for children learning to read?

I don't remember learning to read, but said Mr Men and Little Miss books are probably good, also the Golden book collection and things like the Berenstein Bear family...

The best books for older children?

Here I suppose it starts becoming a question of interest. As a kid of about 7-8 I loved science and history books, the kind with pictures of artifacts and maps and schematics and simple experiments. As I got older I switched over to novels like the Hardy boys and Nancy Drew, and gradually found my way to SF/F through Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series, Lloyd Alexander's Prydain chronicles, and The Hobbit. Then by 12-13 I graduated out of the kid's section.

Books that you read over and over and never seemed to tire of?

For a couple years, LotR, but now I haven't re-read a book in years. Too many new things to discover, to be wasitng time on something you've already read.

Books that actually taught something?

All of them! First you learn to read, then you learn facts and history and science, then you learn how other people see the world. In the very worst case, you learn never to read a certain author again :P

Most importantly, what books instilled a love for reading in you?

I can't remember, so probably one of the early ones :P
Neutral Observer
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What books would you consider essential to a children's library? - 10/02/2010 08:25:07 PM 1712 Views
It's difficult because "children" are "children" from age 0 to roughly 12. - 10/02/2010 09:10:16 PM 1208 Views
I loved "Cars, Trucks and Things" - 11/02/2010 06:26:01 PM 1171 Views
She's coming up on 14 months... - 11/02/2010 07:24:30 PM 1142 Views
No I hadn't looked. She is adorable. Great picture! - 11/02/2010 07:27:34 PM 1259 Views
A few random suggestions for younger kids... - 10/02/2010 09:12:54 PM 1198 Views
Thank you for the suggestions and for adding your children's ages. - 11/02/2010 06:29:33 PM 1168 Views
Now there's a good question. - 10/02/2010 09:47:39 PM 1333 Views
I can see now that this is going to be one of those posts that I actually copy out the answers on - 11/02/2010 06:44:19 PM 1145 Views
Since most of the names mentioned elsewhere are unfamiliar to me, that seems logical. - 11/02/2010 09:33:12 PM 1280 Views
Like I would let my kids or grandkids touch that book?! - 11/02/2010 10:29:13 PM 1269 Views
I pulled those books out a year or two ago to see if it was as beautiful as I remembered. It was. - 12/02/2010 02:40:20 AM 1268 Views
Are you into art, Ghavrel? *NM* - 12/02/2010 04:04:54 AM 492 Views
Eh. I like pretty things. - 12/02/2010 06:27:22 AM 1099 Views
One of the characters in the book says as much at one point. - 12/02/2010 12:08:16 PM 1202 Views
Doesn't stop those of us who're forgetful - 12/02/2010 03:02:21 PM 1170 Views
Steven King!!! - 10/02/2010 10:20:27 PM 1337 Views
Madeleine L'Engle - 10/02/2010 10:27:38 PM 1196 Views
I have not heard of it. I will be watching for it in the antique section. Hehe - 11/02/2010 07:05:45 PM 1216 Views
A Wrinkle in Time is worth reading just for yourself. It's one of those books. *NM* - 11/02/2010 10:17:10 PM 615 Views
absolutely! It's a wonderful book *NM* - 12/02/2010 04:44:20 AM 603 Views
Yes. Agree. *NM* - 12/02/2010 10:07:34 AM 627 Views
Thirded, fourthed, or whatever number follows how many people have nominated this. - 12/02/2010 10:57:58 PM 1141 Views
Yes yes yes, fourthed - 13/02/2010 09:29:51 PM 1236 Views
I'm not sure what it was about the reread... - 18/02/2010 05:50:55 AM 1342 Views
+∞ - 01/03/2010 09:50:36 AM 1324 Views
A Swiftly Tilting Planet is my favorite.... - 26/08/2010 06:48:29 AM 1380 Views
Peter Pan. - 10/02/2010 10:34:42 PM 1253 Views
Sounds like children's books don't have national boundries. - 11/02/2010 07:25:04 PM 1277 Views
Sounds like some of them do. - 11/02/2010 08:11:36 PM 1332 Views
Yeah, I really wouldn't classify Asterix as children's books particularly... - 11/02/2010 09:24:15 PM 1316 Views
Multi-level is the best way to describe them. - 11/02/2010 09:38:38 PM 1316 Views
True. We have an entire book about all the references and puns. - 11/02/2010 09:56:13 PM 1208 Views
I read it about twenty years ago - 12/02/2010 01:20:16 PM 1285 Views
For "older" children definitely Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. *NM* - 11/02/2010 01:11:09 AM 639 Views
Another vote for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory noted. *NM* - 11/02/2010 07:28:21 PM 558 Views
Oz books! Oz books! - 11/02/2010 05:04:42 AM 1282 Views
My daughter would agree with you - 11/02/2010 05:29:32 AM 1205 Views
Just buy lots and lots and you should be OK - 11/02/2010 05:24:23 AM 1128 Views
Re: Just buy lots and lots and you should be OK - 11/02/2010 05:26:29 AM 1152 Views
or if you really like to read you can just read my post twice - 11/02/2010 05:30:10 AM 1206 Views
Ohh, grandson. - 11/02/2010 01:20:44 PM 1206 Views
Shel Silverstein! - 11/02/2010 01:30:46 PM 1125 Views
Shel Silverstein is great (even if iirc I only ever read her in translation). *NM* - 11/02/2010 01:33:14 PM 632 Views
He's a boy. You should listen to him read some of the poems. - 11/02/2010 01:50:16 PM 1281 Views
Wait, Shel Silverstein is a man? How shocking. - 11/02/2010 02:25:37 PM 1223 Views
I am going to have to check Siverstein out. Children's books <b>and</b> A Boy Named Sue? - 11/02/2010 07:46:02 PM 1140 Views
Yes. Children LOVE him. - 12/02/2010 10:09:38 AM 1330 Views
~peruses shelves~ - 11/02/2010 02:19:11 PM 1181 Views
nuh uh. - 11/02/2010 02:22:35 PM 1267 Views
Shoulda known, really - 11/02/2010 02:24:25 PM 1170 Views
A few for different ages - 11/02/2010 04:23:22 PM 1286 Views
Oh god, I could go on and on. You see...my mom teaches 1st grade... - 11/02/2010 08:04:04 PM 1230 Views
Please do! - 11/02/2010 08:27:40 PM 1255 Views
books are the best heirlooms. - 11/02/2010 08:58:58 PM 1129 Views
Another vote for Babar! - 11/02/2010 09:36:19 PM 1077 Views
is it a european book? - 11/02/2010 10:33:29 PM 1067 Views
French, afaik, as are the animated movies. - 11/02/2010 10:34:17 PM 1146 Views
An answer of a different sort - 11/02/2010 09:52:51 PM 1220 Views
If I have to splurge I will splurge. - 11/02/2010 10:41:39 PM 1248 Views
Re: If I have to splurge I will splurge. - 12/02/2010 11:50:37 AM 1287 Views
Interesting question - 11/02/2010 10:14:24 PM 1275 Views
You had the best answer for one of the questions. - 11/02/2010 10:49:10 PM 1096 Views
Judy Blume, for the early double digit years *NM* - 12/02/2010 07:57:23 AM 576 Views
I like many of the ones recommended so far. - 12/02/2010 11:06:27 PM 1366 Views
I'm so glad you asked. ^_^ - 26/08/2010 07:21:05 AM 1414 Views
Re: What books would you consider essential to a children's library? - 26/08/2010 10:00:03 AM 1038 Views

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