How to Find Children’s Books
by Taryn Alper, MA, CCC-SLP/TSSLD
How do you find book recommendations for your child, family member, or students? That question came to mind after listening to the September 29, 2020 episode of the podcast 99% Invisible called “Goodnight Nobody.” The episode is about the infamous New York Public Library children’s librarian Anne Carroll Moore and her influence and control over what books the system bought for all of its branches.
From this episode you’ll learn that there was a time when kids weren’t welcome into libraries. Now, during normal times, you can look to your local library branch for a bustling children’s section with story time and other programs. Thanks to libraries, free access to reading can start early, but let’s talk about the variety of books that are made available.
Could you imagine having one librarian in an entire library system who chooses which books “count” to be shelved and which ones don’t deserve to be read? No way! From this podcast, you learn that someone did indeed have that job in New York City, which was why Goodnight Moon wasn’t carried by the New York Public Library until 1972. 1972!!!
This brings up a larger question: How do you find quality books to meet your child’s language level and that also meet your inclusive needs?
Before speech therapy was even a thought, I was an English major in college and I even had an internship at a children’s book publisher. It’s with that experience that I make it my mission to bring books into the therapy room or Google Meet session that reflect the diverse children I treat.
So where do I look for book suggestions?
A Mighty Girl: To quote their website, A Mighty Girl is “[t]he world's largest collection of books, toys and movies for smart, confident, and courageous girls.” They have over 4,000 girl-empowering book recommendations starring Mighty Girl characters from birth-adulthood.
We Read Too: On this app you’ll find a directory of books written by and about people of color. It’s available on Android and Apple products and best of all, it’s free!
Reading Rockets: I send all my speech therapy families to this website for information about how to develop reading skills. The website also has a special Book Finder where you can make your own customized list of books. Don’t miss their themed book lists!
American Library Association (ALA): There’s a division of the ALA called the Association for Library Service to Children. Are you looking for a list of books embracing gender identities? They have one!
Happy searching! Please let me know if the resources above are helpful.
Many thanks to children’s librarian Sandra Grosberg for her help with this list; she happens to work at my local branch of the Queens Public Library. Follow the QPL on Facebook for their virtual children’s events.