About Katie

Hi. My name is Katie. So I’m one of those kiddos who grew up with a stash of books at her fingertips. We didn’t have board books in the 70’s but I remember holding those few hardbound picture books like they were gold. And they were! We didn’t have money for vacations, but we had a set of encyclopedias. Texas heat kept me inside sometimes but I had the Mother West Wind books. Reading was just part of my daily routine.

Looking back, my love for reading stemmed from 2 things - having books available at home, and having a parent read to me occasionally. So, when I had my daughter Anna, I bought some of Sandra Boynton’s board books and we laughed through those books every night. Anna got obsessed with the classic, The Little Engine That Could, and seriously, we memorized that book. But it wasn’t annoying, I loved it too.

Later in life, I started working as a children’s librarian assistant at the local public library and got to help parents and kids find books as part of my job. I very quickly realized that LOTS of parents were stressed about their kids who didn’t like to read. Totally get it. Not all kids enjoy reading, it’s just not their deal. Ask me to play a sport with a ball, and I’ll look at you like you’re crazy - not my deal.

But while working at the library, I discovered that a child is far more excited about reading a book IF it is about a topic they’re interested in. For example, if a boy loves trains, try Anna’s fave, The Little Engine That Could. Or if a girl loves to dance, find the Angelina Ballerina books. You get the idea. You can find a beautiful funny captivating picture book on almost any topic.

I also learned that parents who are inevitably tired at night do NOT want to read a boring picture book, no matter how much they love that kiddo. Picture books should be just as entertaining for the reader as it is for the person being read to. And if parents don’t love the picture book, the kids won’t love it either.

And that’s when I got the idea to start this blog. There are so many books at the library, it’s hard to find one your child-who-hates-to-read will actually like. Rarely are the books organized by topic, only alphabetically. If you browse books on Amazon, it’s a little easier to go by topic, but I never want to spend money on a book unless I know I love love love it, or my kids love love love it. So, Best Books for Kids is my way of making this process easier for you. My hope and dream is to help you find a book that you won’t mind reading over and over and over, a book that YOU will love! When your kids see you love a picture book, believe me, it’s contagious.

I only post books that I have personally read and loved, and books that I believe are worth the asking price. Every book I post has amazing illustrations (makes a huge difference with a child who doesn’t like the words), is very often funny (anything that will make you and your child laugh is an absolute bonus!) and is one that won’t drive you nuts reading it. You won’t have to paraphrase, it isn’t too wordy, and you will LIKE the story.

If you haven’t found a picture book that YOU love to read, start there. Browse the picture books, check out my top-10 for parents. Have fun reading a great story out loud! To me, the trick is to find picture books you love to read to your kids and keep that going. One super-entertaining beautiful picture book can be done even when you’re tired. Then find a book that is a topic your kids are interested in, add that to the pile, and see what happens...

Happy reading! Please feel free to email me with questions or suggestions.