Books and reading are an essential part of every child's development. But how can parents, educators and librarians choose the best books among the many thousands that compete for their attention? Here's how--with a comprehensive, charming, common-sense guide from two leading experts on children and reading.

With wit, candor and boundless enthusiasm, Valerie V. Lewis and Walter M. Mayes select more than two thousand wonderful books fro children from birth to age 14: from stories that babies can literally chew on, to the very best choices for bridging the critical gap between listening and reading, to the right books to tempt an adamant non-reader, and much more. Here is the most useful, candid, and convenient guide to children's literature ever published, featuring in-depth reviews, concise ratings, handy cross-references by theme and interest, a family reading journal, and mountains of essential hints and advice to help you pass along the gift of reading to the next generation:Matching the child to the bookUsing moments besides bedtime to incorporate readingAccepting books they will love to read and facing up to books they will hateJudging children's ability to distinguish between fantasy and realityDeveloping a child's attention span with booksAnd much, much, more.Here is one book that deserves to be on the shelf of every parent, or anyone else who chooses books for children: a friendly but expert analysis of more than two thousand books for children from birth to age 13. Written by two nationally known and respected authorities, this amazing volume helps overwhelmed parents and caregivers make sense of the sea of children's literature and instill a love of reading as an essential component of everyday life. Supported by educated opinions and judgments--not based on just reviews or awards--Valerie and Walter make specific recommendations, show how to find other books on favorite subjects, and provide a world of sound advice that parents will consult again and again.

For 15 years bookseller Valerie Lewis and Walter Mayes, a former publisher's sales representative who is now an acclaimed children's storyteller, have met to talk about books: to remark, rejoice, praise, question, demur and, always, to share their passion for young readers' literature, from board books to picture books to early readers to novels.

Now, in "Valerie And Walter's Best Books For Children", they share that passion in a lively, opinionated, accessible presentation of some 2,000 recommended books for listeners and readers from birth to age 13.

The core of the book is some 2,000 title listings, which offer detailed information including:
-- Author and illustrator
-- Reading level
-- Listening level
-- Hardcover and paperback publisher
-- A comprehensive cross-referenced subject index
-- The authors expert opinions on what makes these books the best

The authors enthusiasm for individual titles is supplemented by numerous sidebar articles on related topics. such as:
-- Reading to children
-- Books for problem-solving
-- Holiday gift-giving
-- Reading wordless books
-- The value of series fiction...and many more