Even though children's independent reading is growing, their listening abilities are still beyond their reading abilities. Whether they read extremely well or not, family storytime should continue.

Children's picture books are wonderful at any age, and life would be very dreary without them. Picture books for older children are longer in length, contain more complex themes, and supplicated artwork. Depending on interest, children may enjoy comedy, mystery, adventure, fantasy, spellbinders, poetry, nonfiction, historical fiction, and science fiction books.

A good book has a deep sense of morality, not cheap, sentimental plots and shallow heroes. Great stories inspire the reader to a better life and draw out all that is noble within a person.

There are two categories of classics: early classics like the fairy tales of Andersen, Grimm, and Perault; and modern classics like Charlotte’s Web and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Both were written by people who never lost their love of childhood. Classics should make a major contribution to a child’s education, merriment, and appreciation of literature. Many good stories provide clear standards of right and wrong, show the ethics of human behavior, and evoke natural and wholesome laughter. Classics contain those unique qualities that surpass time and appeal to listeners and readers of every generation.

A classic is the rare book that has a special element, which enables it to endure the test of time and appeal to children from every generation. It stands out because it has the ability to touch the heart and cross the boundaries of culture, nationality, religion, race, gender, and status.

Classics should make a major contribution to a child’s education, merriment, and appreciation of literature. Classics should provide clear standards of right and wrong, show the ethics of human behavior, and evoke wholesome laughter.

A sense of honor and value surround great literature. Laughter, pain, hunger, satisfaction, love, and joy are found in classics. When our children become familiar with this kind of writing, they have a foundation for making comparisons. Not everything they read will be excellent, but they will know a story’s possibilities.

Read stories in their original versions, not the watered-down ones without any drama of life. They may retell the classic stories, but the basic elements that make the stories classics are omitted.

With the influx of new books for children flooding the market each year, old favorites are in danger of being crowded out. Generations of children are missing the opportunity of listening to classical children’s literature. This is unfortunate because classics are the cornerstone to building a life-long relationship with literature.

There is a land not far away,
but only found in books today.
Where classic stories live and breathe,
magic awaits, if you believe.

Spindles, apples, and magic spells,
knights and dragons, and wishing wells.
Flying carpets, lamps, and genies,
pirates, crooks, and no-good meanies.

Greedy kids and chocolate bars,
Cheshire cats and flying cars.
Broomsticks, witches, goblins galore,
a headless horseman at your door.

Spaceships, robots, and evil realms,
heroes, battles that overwhelm.
Blackbeard and Hook and treasures found,
don’t forget the Baskerville Hound.

Read the classics, they’ll touch your heart,
delight your mind, best place to start.
Some are modern, some from the past,
read them often, they’ll always last.