How I Choose Children’s Books
Misc April 25th, 2007I know some of you parents out there think that my Value Bookshop don’t offer much choice. So I thought I’d write a post to explain why.
First of all, don’t compare my bookshop to the other bookshops out there. I deal with used books, not new books. I don’t get my supply from dealers or distributors (not at this time anyway.) Consider me a bargain hunter. I look out for really good buys and that doesn’t come all the time. So the books I have are:
1. Limited in quantity. There is no option for me to re-order books because they are not ordered in the first place. It’s like treasure hunting. The books on my store were ‘found’. So usually, there is only 1 book per title. If I’m lucky, I might find the book again during another treasure hunt. Or even better, once in a while I come across a lot of overstocked, closeout books. That is the time I am able to buy the books in bigger quantities.
2. Limited in choice. I am very choosy when it comes to books. I don’t want to be like all the other used book stores that have countless books but not very good choices.
This brings me to the title of my post: HOW DO I CHOOSE MY BOOKS?
1. Quality
Although they are used books, I prefer to choose books that still look new and have minimal wear. I also scan the pages and reject those that have been scribbled upon. I sometimes allow for name inscriptions but that also depends on how it is written. Being picky on the quality of the books actually makes my job more difficult. There are many bulk deals out there but you can’t control the quality of the books. To ensure the quality of the books, I go through the tough ordeal of handpicking them one by one.
2. Illustrations
I choose books that have interesting, beautiful, brightly colored illustrations.
3. Content
When I look for children books, I choose ones that fulfill the following:
- Help the child’s education e.g. reading, math.
- Children can identify with the stories in the book e.g. going to school, potty training, birthdays, sharing, new baby in the house etc…. These are books that can help parents address certain issues.
- Entertaining. Cute and funny stories.
- Interactive, e.g lifting flaps, follow the story with actions
- Famous authors or award winning books
- Fosters imagination, invoke curiosity
- May meets a child’s interest e.g. dinosaurs, dragons, princesses, trucks, pooh bear etc….
4. Price
Ultimately, whether I buy the book or not depends on whether I will be able to resell it to you at a bargained price.
So, even though my bookstore may not be as well stocked as the other stores that sell new books, know this: All the books on my store are books that your children will love to read. I have personally filtered through many used books and only chosen the best. Be rest assured, you will always have a good buy.













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