Toddler Gift - Great for Airplane Lovers

This board book is full of vivid illustrations and has a definite transportation theme.  It is a little different than the usual book that enforces that kids can be anything they want to be.  Instead, this book runs through myriad transportation methods and how the reader wants to be the operator of each .  For instance, they want to be a pilot, a train engineer and a race car driver.  Lots of fun on each page!

Why a Job Selling Children's Books is Hard

In a complete departure from what is normally on this blog, I'd like to talk about the difficulty in selling children's books.  When I began selling children's books, I thought that passion and good business sense would take me a long way.  It's far harder than I ever expected, to be honest. This post is an attempt to examine why.

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  It is a Media Driven World

   There are so many different types of media clamoring for a child's attention.  There are movies, TV, computer games, console game systems, the internet and now iPod's and iPads... oh and books.  Books don't talk loudly, or force a child to interact with it.  They don't come with a 6 month commercial lead-up.  And reading takes more effort than enjoying the other sources listed.

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  Some Parents are Lazy and/or Busy

  Reading to your child also takes more effort than sitting them in front of a TV screen.  Parents who work long hours and have other stuff that need their attention.  Yes, they love their children.  But they may be too tired, or stretched too thin to take that extra step.

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  Parents Don't Know How to Judge a Book

  Books have changed over the past few decades.  The most popular books at traditional school book fairs tend to be TV or movie character driven, instead of the more classical stories you grew up with.  How do you know what to buy?  A lot of times, the answer comes down to the cost of the book instead of the quality of the books.

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  Quantity Does Not Equal Quality

  Because some parents aren't judging the quality of the books they buy, their children end up with a bookshelf full of books with no substance.  How many times does a child want to read a SpongeBob book with a predictable storyline?  So, the parent might surmise that their child won't read an additional books they buy because they aren't reading the ones already purchased.

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  Parents Buy from Amazon.com 

  Parents that do buy books would rather purchase from Amazon.  Free shipping, the ability to read reviews, and an almost infinite catalog of titles is hard to argue with.

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  The X Factor

  I'm sure there are other factors I haven't even considered.

What do you think?  Why is it hard for independent booksellers to sell in this economy?

Author Introduction - Zarle Williams

I had the pleasure of meeting a fantastic author over the weekend while I was exhibiting at the North Texas Book Festival.  This author, Zarle Williams, has written a large number of books.  But what surprised me is how her books cross many different age levels.

Her award winning books span from the pre-reader to young adult, and I found all of them quite engaging.  I really enjoyed her young adult historical fiction.  Take a look at her publishing house and her books.  You won't regret it!

Zarle Williams is published by Petite Plume Press.

April Newsletter

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GreatBooks4Children.com

We’re always available!

Greatbooks4children@gmail.com

(817) 576-1117

Introducing Book Packages—Just in Time for Summer!


The days are getting longer and the children are restless. Both are sure signs that summer is upon us. Don’t let your kids waste their summer away by vegging out in front of the television. I’ve handpicked books and other products to inspire your child’s imagination this summer. All of our summer packages are grouped by age, and some ages are broken out by gender. Is there a road trip in your future? Check out the “Elementary Travel Package”. These are exclusive to Great Books for Children and are only available here

Blog Post : The Benefits of Reading to Children

Whether as a parent or teacher, you are the key to a child's success in learning to read. When you read, talk or play with a child, you are stimulating the growth of the brain and constructing the connections that will become the building blocks for reading. Brain development research shows that reading aloud to your child every day increases his brain's capacity for language and literacy skills and is the most important thing you can do to prepare him for learning to read.

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Barefoot Books Podcasts
Barefoot Books, one of our favorite publishers, has been releasing podcasts of full length books.  What a great way to spend a few minutes with your kids!You can listen to them here 

Great Titles on Sale from Barefoot Books are Available Here

The Benefits of Reading to Children

Whether as a parent or teacher, you are the key to a child's success in learning to read. When you read, talk or play with a child, you are stimulating the growth of the brain and constructing the connections that will become the building blocks for reading. Brain development research shows that reading aloud to your child every day increases his brain's capacity for language and literacy skills and is the most important thing you can do to prepare him for learning to read.

Reading to Children Helps Them Prepare to Read Themselves

Aside from preparing the child’s overall readiness for their formal reading lessons in school, there are also a number of other benefits that reading to children brings about. Children who hear adults read aloud learn the inflections, phrasing and expressions that they will also need to practice in order to effectively communicate their thoughts and ideas with others.

Reading to Children Helps Their Attention Span

When stories are read to children their listening and focusing skills are improved. If a child is able to focus and listen to a story then learning in other arenas like a lecture in class will be less taxing and more information can be absorbed and processed.

Reading to Children Helps Inspire Their Imagination

Another benefit of reading to a child is that his or her imagination is developed. Improved imagination and visualization will not only facilitate learning in language and communication but mathematics, science, problem solving and other facets of learning are advanced.

Reading to Children Helps to Motivate and Challenge Them

Reading books to children can also serve as motivators. If you choose a book that is just a bit higher in reading level than the child, it can encourage him or her to exert more effort on their reading so they will be able to read the book themselves. One should be careful however to choose a book that is not too hard to read and that its reading level is achievable to the child. Choosing a very difficult book to read may frustrate the child and in so doing discourage him from reading.

Reading to Children Helps Them Learn to Communicate

Finally, reading to a child can generate constructive discussions that helps a child progress in his prediction and character analysis skills to name a few.

Read to your children. Not only will you both enjoy it, but your child will get immense benefits from the activity.

Great Read Aloud Books: 

Babies and Toddlers : Who's in the Garden and Hidden Hippo

Preschoolers: The Story Tree and Storytime 
Kindergarten and Early Elementary: The Barefoot Books of Fairy Tales, Emily's Tiger and The Barefoot Book of Ballet Stories

Month of the Young Child

April is the "Month of the Young Child".  As Great Books for Children caters to young children and the adults in their lives, I thought it would be fitting to post a few thoughts I like to keep in mind as I raise my young children (ages 1 and 3).

"You know, I think everybody longs to be loved, and longs to know that he or she is lovable.  And, consequently, the greatest thing that we can do is to help somebody know that they're loved and capable of loving" - Fred Rogers (who was definitely an expert on the young child)

"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about." - Angela Schwindt

"A child seldom needs a good talking to as a good listening to." - Robert Braul

Children Learn What They Live

If children live with hostility, 

they learn to fight.

If children live with ridicule, 

they learn to be shy.

If children live with tolerance,

they learn to be patient.

If children live with encouragement,

they learn confidence.

If children live with praise,

they learn to appreciate.

If children live with fairness,

they learn justice.

If children live with security,

they learn faith.

If children live with approval,

they learn to like themselves.

If children live with acceptance, and friendship,

they learn to find love in the world.

-Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D.