We are continuing a series of posts on the topic of great books for Christian kids. The first in the series was here.

The format of the book plays a key role in whether or not a book is appropriate for a young reader.

Sometimes parents are turned off by certain book formats (such as graphic novels). Sometimes the benefits of particular formats are overlooked. Let’s talk format.

Books with Drawings

Some books are of high interest to kids because drawings are as prominent as the text. One example would be graphic novels. A graphic novel might be a present day story in which the images and text play an equal role. It might also be a retelling of a more classic work, now portrayed with pictures and minimal text.

The plus side of these books is that they support the struggling reader to understand the print word. And… they are immensely popular, drawing the same reader to the world of books which he or she might otherwise avoid.

Books with Pictures

Beyond graphic novels, books with pictures are highly attractive to the child who struggles and requires something visual to understand the text. Of course, picture books per se are the backbone of books for very young children.

Let’s remember the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. Even the most advanced reader will study pictures in a book to glean more information or to soak in the flavor of the book.

Books with Text Only

Sometimes as children progress in their reading skills, we tend to think they should BE READING. Another words, we might think that they should only be reading books with pure text, no pictures.

Yes. And no.

If the child is ready for that kind of book experience, great. But the other book formats should not be discounted because of the many benefits we are discussing today.

Books with Headings and Subheadings

Many books, usually nonfiction books (including textbooks), have headings and subheadings. These are great tools for the reader in quickly finding the needed information for research or to answer a question.Lots of times, kids are not aware of the value of headings and subheadings.

These are a few of the format considerations when choosing books for children, but there are more. Next time, we will explore of the wildly popular formats that are flooding the children’s section of book stores.

It is a chilly day here in the Midwest. I would say it is just perfect for curling up with a good book.

Happy reading!

Carol