As an aunt, you play an important role to a child that is quite different than any other adult mentor, parent, or teacher.  You have an incredible opportunity to influence your niece or nephew without the full-blown pressures of parenting or the formality of a school environment.

So take some time to consider one of the best ways to have a positive impact on a child’s life – building a collection of books for your niece or nephew.  Make this a defining project that you take on as an aunt, and the child will remember and cherish it forever.

This task may seem overwhelming at first, so here are some pointers to get your started:   

Peruse the child’s bookshelf:  Take note of the books that he/she already owns so that you avoid giving duplicate books.  Also, assess the kinds of books the child seems to enjoy by asking your niece or nephew to identify some favorites.  Your goal will be to not only build upon popular themes, but to broaden the child’s appreciation for different kinds of books.

Identify “book categories” you want to target:  It is easy to go out and buy variations of the same old books the child is already reading.  But for this project to be truly influential, you want to introduce new flavors to the child’s palette, so to speak.  Here are some suggested categories:

Poetry:  Even the most precocious children are not likely to enjoy Shakespeare, but think about Silverstein (Shel, that is).  His poems and accompanying illustrations send children into fits of giggles, and they learn a little something about a new style of writing along the way.

Caldecott Medal Books:  Every year, one picture book is chosen as the winner of the prestigious Caldecott Medal, and a few runners-up receive the Caldecott Honor title.  The award is based on the excellent portrayal of a story through illustration.  Not all of these books will be appealing to your niece or nephew (they’re kind of like the Oscars- the critics’ choice is not always popular amongst the masses), but there are many gems not to be missed. Two such titles include Officer Buckle & Gloria by Peggy Rathmann, and Flotsam by David Wiesner.

Humorous Books:  Seek out books that have silly stories and funny illustrations. Laughter increases the entertainment value of the reading experience and engages the child in the story. Dav Pilkey comes to mind as an author of books little boys in particular find funny. 

Books with a Moral: A well-written book with a good moral will stay with a child for a long time.  A couple of examples include Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes and Sylvester & the Magic Pebble by William Steig.

Character Books: There is no harm at all in giving your niece or nephew books with favorite television characters or movie stars.  Kids need to read the lightweights too.  And don’t forget about Curious George and the Berenstain Bears. These books offer the best of both worlds - appealing cartoon characters wrapped into very good stories.

Reading Level:  Be sensitive to the child’s reading level.  Forcing your niece or nephew to sit through a book that is too difficult can lead to frustration. While there are benefits to reading slightly above a child’s level, time is best spent when the book is on par with the child’s reading comprehension. Here are some pointers for finding books at the right level:

Quantity of written content:  Take into account the child’s attention span.  If there are too many words on a page, a restless child may tune out before the story is over. 

Vocabulary:  Reading books is an excellent way to build a child’s vocabulary. However, too many unfamiliar words may cause the child to lose interest in the story.

Storyline:  Make sure that the story itself is appropriate for the child’s age.  If the story or message is too advanced, even if the vocabulary is easy, a young child will tune out.  Stick with more concrete books early on and save the abstract books for later.   

If you really want to give a lasting gift to your niece or nephew, map out your plan today to start growing his or her book collection. The time you take to find the perfect books now will pay dividends to the child in so many ways for years to come.

What are some of your nieces' and nephews' favorites that you have added to their collection? Please share those with us!