“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr Seuss.
I remember having a collection of books throughout various chapters of my life. Board books turned into Mother Goose nursery rhymes which turned into Little Golden Books which turned into Little House on the Prairie which then graduated to Babysitters Club, Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and Goosebumps. Once in high school, I delved into the world of classics such as Gone With the Wind, Jane Eyre and the Great Gatsby with secret peeks at racy works by VC Andrews. There was a period of historical fiction by Danielle Steele followed by the Alchemist, Rumi, Khaled Hussaini, Dan Brown, other New York Times best sellers such as the fun Shopaholic series and of course Harry Potter. Oh Harry! Leisure reading took a back seat in life once medical school started and still hasn’t quite gotten picked back up, however I am avidly instilling the love for reading in my children. My goal is for Maya and Rafae to love this gift of literature, cherish it and pass it forward.
While borrowing from the library is a great (maybe even better) option, I’ve always enjoyed having a small home library of favorites. We started building Mayas book collection long before we knew there will be a Maya. In my last year of residency, I was getting off an overnight shift at the hospital and drove past a yard sale with a huge display of colorful children’s books. I spotted a classic, Corduroy, and turned the car around. I ended up buying several children’s books in mint condition and started my daughters collection. Over time the collection got bigger and now my Maya is on her slowly graduating journey through books in life.
One request I commonly get is my recommendation of books for children. I personally believe that books are a near lifetime investment. They can be passed down for generations and can be appreciated by many people. I am a little biased; I still prefer traditional titles by some well known authors from years past. There are certainly many newer, more up-to-date and modern titles by newer authors, but I suppose I am creature of habit.
Most of my recommended books can be found on my Amazon storefront along with many other books which I also recommend. If you buy from here, I will get a very small commission but at absolutely no cost to you. https://www.amazon.com/shop/drcardamom
Age 0 to 3
The idea at this age is to introduce children to books and let them explore by touching, seeing and maybe even nibbling. These books literally introduce your child to the world. There are very few board books that survived my daughter which can be passed down to my son. Let’s just say, her baby books received a lot of love! Some of our favorite books for this age are:
-First 100 Words
-First 100 Animals
-Where is Baby’s Belly Button?
-Sesame Street + Mickey Mouse Baby Toddler Beginnings Board Books & Story Books
-Also look for books with flaps and textures.
Age 2 to 5
By this age your child is more interactive, has better comprehension and a bigger imagination. Your child now also understands not to chew on books, so this collection may actually get passed down to their sibling! These books teach simple life lessons which are essential. Some of our favorite books are:
-Goodnight Moon
-The Very Hungry Caterpillar
-Where the Wild Things Are
-Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
-Corduroy
-If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
-Say Please Little Bear
-We’re Different We’re the Same
-Winnie the Pooh It’s Fun to Learn Collection – no longer published
Age 4-5+
If you’ve played your cards right, your young reader is running out of “little kid books” and wants to try something for bigger kids. While they still might not be able to read the full books, they will thoroughly enjoy these:
-Where the Sidewalk Ends
-The Giving Tree
-A Light in the Attic
-Curious George Collection
-Dr Seuss Collection
-The Berenstain Bears Collection
Keepsakes
All books aside…there are some books that are held onto for life. These books are my top choice for baby shower and new baby gifts as well as books to buy multiple of, one for each of your children. Write a letter to your child inside the front cover and they will cherish it for life. In fact, “The Wonderful Things You Will Be” and “Oh the Places You’ll Go” are perfect to have teachers sign when the school year ends. You can gift them a fully signed book from the past 12 years when they graduate high school.
-On the Night You Were Born
-The Wonderful Things You Will Be
-Oh the Places You’ll Go
-I’ve Loved You Since Forever
Take home messages:
-Start reading to your child at a young age. This will instill love and enthusiasm for reading.
-Books can be bought second hand. You need not spend a fortune on them.
-They can be passed down from child to child. Do cherish them.
-You need not buy books at all. You can simply go to the library and borrow books.
-Opt for books with a good take home message and educational points.
-Pick books that encourage broader thinking and to establish a relatively unbiased, stronger foundation in life. I personally avoid Disney Princess books for this reason.
This is just a short list of some of our favorite titles. The options are endless!
Do check out all of these books and some more great suggestions on my Amazon page
You will also be able to learn more about each book specifically here.
https://www.amazon.com/shop/drcardamom