A hard conversation to have...

Working in a library I often see parents come in with their small children and pick out books to read to them. And that is great! But as the child grows older and wants to pick their own books the parents need to stay just as involved. It seems like kids can go either way when it comes to choosing their own materials. On the internet we are always worried about children looking at things that are too old for them or provide inappropriate information. In books the concern is that they are reading BELOW their reading levels. One example of this phenomenon is Fancy Nancy. Older girls are always checking out Fancy Nancy books and they are much much too young for them! Finding proper materials for kids takes a lot of patience and balance.