I love creating ‘aha!’ moments for children through book recommendations at Let’s Open a Book. While children who come to our library have the agency to make their own selections, and we never force them to read books that we have selected for them, I love it when my recommendations tickle them, inspire them or make them thoughtful. These ‘aha!’ moments go a long way in nurturing readers.
It begins with considering the child’s age, language preference, reading ability and the kind of literature that they’ve been engaging with. But it is more than that. It is about finding a book which is right for that child at that moment. This is not just different for each child, but it can also be different for the same child on different days.
In addition to this, I observe a few other things. For instance, what’s a child’s general temperament? What do they seem to be feeling in that particular moment? Are they struggling with something (for instance, in the past, children have talked about being bullied)? What feelings do I want a book to evoke in them? Do I want them to step out of their comfort zones? It is a little bit like trying to find perfect music track based on your mood. And although it comes intuitively to me, I’ve been told what I do is complex analysis.
AHowever, beyond all this, the most important aspect is authenticity. The books that I recommend to our library members are the ones that I have read myself and have truly enjoyed or have been moved by. I feel that this authenticity is what actually encourages children to read the recommended books. And of course, nothing feels better than children coming back to report that they liked the recommended books too!
P.S. This photo was taken at our Manali library. The book that I’m holding is one of my favorite books, which has helped me create several ‘aha!’ moments with children and adults alike. You can help me create these ‘aha!’ moments by making a contribution.