How to Choose Literary Classics for Your Kids

Some of the best-loved characters of children's literature are found in the pages of classic books, including Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Huckleberry Finn, and many more. Here are some hints to help you choose classics that your children will love, and that you might want to read all over again.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bookstore Gift Certificates
• Children's Books
• Library Cards

1. Consider your child's comprehension and maturity level. Read a few pages from the middle of each book you are considering to see if the material seems to be within your child's scope of knowledge.

2. Think about the books you loved as a child. Many of these were probably already classics, while others may have become classics since your childhood.

3. Consider the amount of historical knowledge children may need to understand a particular book. Some classics, especially those set in a specific historical period, may need extra explanation. British classics sometimes need a bit of "translation" for children from other countries, since many common idioms are slightly different.

4. Decide whether you plan to read to or with your children, or let them read by themselves. This will depend on your child's age and level of maturity, as well as the amount of explaining you may have to do, and may affect your choice of books.

5. Deal with any issues of racism or discrimination that may come up. Many classic books contain content that may seem inappropriate to you or your kids today, simply because society has changed a lot since the books were written. Explain to your children that people didn't know any better during the period in which the book or play was written. This may be all you need to say to younger children, but older kids may want a full discussion, so be prepared.

6. Decide how much violence is appropriate. Some classics contain fairly heavy-duty battle scenes or duels, so carefully set your boundaries according to your children's ages.

7. Ask a children's librarian for suggestions. While the librarian may not have read all the books you are considering, he or she will be able to let you know what works well for a particular age group, and may have lots of helpful ideas.

Tips & Warnings

• Even very young children can enjoy classics such as the "Winnie the Pooh" stories or "The Wind in the Willows" - there are even abridged versions in baby board books!
• Try to find classic books that contain the original illustrations whenever possible; while your children may want to move on to modernized versions later, it's a good idea to start with a true classic.
• Don't assume a book is appropriate for your kids just because an animated movie has been made from it. Many stories are radically altered by animation studios, and much of the frightening or violent content is often deleted.
• Give your children the background they absolutely need to "get" a story, but be careful not to turn the discussion into a lecture. This may give them the wrong impression about the book before they even open it.

[NightowlMama]

on 1/21/2009 good article

[mcgburson]

on 12/19/2008 Interesting tips. As far as the amount of historical information a child needs for a work of literature, the child may (and hopefully will) get different meanings from the works as he or she gets older.

on 11/22/2005 Some kids just can't get into some classics like "Alice in Wonderland." Try not to assume they don't like reading or literature. Give them more choices. Perhaps contemporary or futuristic themes will appeal to them more than the classics.

on 11/22/2005 Studies show that children who "read" the same book(s) over and over again gain a great deal from this experience! Don't be dismayed or feel jaded when your child wants you to read a book multiple times or seems stuck on a specific book.