Shopping for Shelf

Interests

The foremost thing to consider is your child’s interests. Is he or she into fiction or non-fiction books? Would he or she appreciate activity books or educational books? If short stories are based on cartoon characters, would they have a greater appeal? If you are not sure, it’s better to get one type of each book (one story, one activity book, and so on), rather than multiple books of the same category.

Value for Price

Consider what the book is offering against its apparent features. A certain board book has clear sound, but only five pages. Is it worth the investment? A soft cover book has more pages but it is preloved and clearly in a worn condition. Would it last long? A sticker book has lots of really cool stickers and fun activities but it seems pricey. Go for books that justify their prices. The main aim, of course, is that children actually read them over and over and enjoy them.

Skills

Is the book teaching any new skill to the children? Does it have activities that you have to be involved in? Or are these do-it-yourself books that cater to specific age groups? Books that teach skills usually do need parental involvement, so buy them only if you are absolutely sure that you can invest the time that is needed in reading them with your children and doing the stuff outlined in it.

Moral Values

These are popular with parents but would kids appreciate the preachy tone of some of them? It is best to read up on what other parents have to say about a particular book teaching moral values before buying them. Stories teaching morals in a subtle way are clear winners and should be on every child’s bookshelf.

Questionable Content

At times, even the most innocuous looking children’s books instill values that are contrary to Islamic teachings. As a parent, carefully skim every book, before buying and run it against your mental checklist of red flags: mixed gender interaction, non-Muslim festivals, children being rude to parents, and so on. I remember a book, in which a son says to his father: “I get so much homework that it is coming out of my ears.” The next time I asked my son to do his homework, this was exactly the reply I got.