Kids and Families

Sequoya Branch children's librarian Karen Lucas and former library staffer and current Director of the UW's Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) K.T. Horning are featured in the just-out Fall/Winter 2008 Issue of Dane County Parent in an article called “Keep On Readin’: The Benefits of Reading to School Children.” Both librarians encourage parents and caregivers to read aloud to their children to expose children to more words, to build vocabulary and listening skills, to spend quality time together, to share thoughts and values and to develop a love of reading.

The Great Read Alouds for All Ages booklist featured in the article includes reading ideas with popular appeal. Divided by picture books, chapter books and age levels, readers will find books about animals, families, magical lands and more.

Read librarian Krissy Wick's article "Bringing Books and Boys Together" in Madison Area Parents' Guide's Fall/Winter 08/09 Issue (page 2).

Past articles:

• Bringing Books and Boys Together (Fall/Winter 2008)
• Madison Public Library: Spotlight Organization (Fall/Winter 2008)
• Keeping It Safe (Spring/Summer 2008)
• Books and Babies (Fall/Winter 2007)
• Early Literacy (Spring/Summer 2007)
• Let Me Tell You a Story (Fall/Winter 2006)

Featured Reading Lists:

• K Is for Kindergarten
• Great Read Alouds for All Ages
• Past reviews featured in The Isthmus
• All reading lists

Monthly newsletters send our librarians' reading suggestions to your email account or RSS feed reader. Find out more!

Choosing Materials for Children

We have a variety of recommended booklists for kids of all ages, and adults, too. And here are some other sources for finding books for children and teens:

Kids' Top 100 Books and Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children
Favorite titles compiled as part of Read Across America, a National Education Association project. Includes suggested ages.

To find or evaluate movies for your kids, you might want to check out Kids-In-Mind or Grading the Movies, two services that evaluate movies and videos based on their content. Another service, The Movie Mom, also indicates approximate age ranges for videos reviewed.

We also recommend a variety of kid-friendly internet resources, including web sites and search engines. For tips on internet safety, see Child Safety on the Information Highway or Teen Safety on the Information Highway, published by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Homeschoolers: Check Us Out

Tour the library or stop in for a program. We have recommended research, homework help, or homeschooling resource web sites in addition to a large collection of reading and research material for recreation or for educational projects.

Raise a Reader

Just twenty minutes of reading a day can make all the difference in a child's education. Whether you read board books to your baby or cereal boxes with your school-age child, reading together instills habits that can last a lifetime. For more information about the benefits of reading, selecting books for your child, and other literacy information, see:

• Born to Read online brochure from the Association of Library Service to Children
• Read to Your Bunny from the Texas State Library
• Reading Together and BrainWonders Early Literacy resources from Zero to Three
• Guidelines for Choosing a Child's Book from the Children's Book Council
• Wisconsin LEARNS (Literacy Education And Reading Network Source)