Honey for a Child's Heart

Honey for A Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt

2023. I recently reread this book alongside a favorite website of mine: Redeemed Reader.

I had completely forgotten this was so much more than just a list of excellent book recommendations for children. There are about 10 essays related to reading with children throughout the book on topics such as “Honey from the Rock” (about the Bible), “Poetry,” “The Pleasure of a Shared Adventure.” Etc. Besides the wonderful lists of book recommendations organized by age that I used frequently when my children were young and still refer to.

From the chapter ‘Honey from the Rock’ full of practical advice for incorporating Bible reading into daily life with children: “But parents who never read show more God’s Word outside of an organized meeting of the church are not likely to sense the urgency of instructing children in the most important truth in the world. If we really believe that knowing God and His Son is the most vital experience in the world, how dare we leave the responsibility for instruction to someone else?”

There are much more recent editions but this is the one I own and love and use to choose many of the books we have in our lending library. show less

A great little book full of age appropriate book lists to encourage a love of reading in young children and as a family. I found that the book list contained a lot of American titles which is fine, but a local equivalent or a more universal list would have been helpful.

A compelling, essential guide for parents who want to find the best books for their children.

A good book is a gateway into a wider world of wonder, beauty, delight, and adventure. But children don't stumble onto the best books by themselves. They need a parent's help. Author Gladys Hunt discusses everything from how to choose good books for your children to encouraging them to be avid readers.

Completely revised and updated to keep pace with the ever-changing world of children's literature, this fourth edition of Honey for a Child's Heart reflects Hunt's broad tastes in books. Rooted in experience, her suggestions will enrich the cultural and spiritual life of your home. She shows you how to:

- Understand the importance of reading aloud show more to children
- Give your children a large view of the world, of truth, and of goodness
- Encourage each child's imagination and good use of language
- Teach your children about life's choices
- Find the best books for your children

Illustrated with drawings from dozens of children's favorites, "Honey for a Child's Heart" includes booklists geared to your child's age and filled with nearly 1,000 long-time favorites, classics, and wonderful new books that will enrich your child's life. show less

I'm always looking for more children's book lists.  Don't ask me why; I've got a to-read list a mile long already.  But I heard of this, and my library had it, so I tried it.  As best as I can tell, Part One, the text, is a mix of advice to obvious to bother with (read aloud to your children!) and advice not worth adopting (have your children read The Water-Babies!).  Criteria for choosing a good book is too academic for the likely audience.  And it's burdened with lauds to God and Christian values.  Part Two, the list, is actually several lists, heavy on the picture-books, light on the annotations.  I did get a couple of pages of titles I want to investigate that I don't believe are yet on my list, but none of them look so show more amazing that I'll buy them if they're not at my library.  Overall, not recommended, even to Christians. show less

This book is about one-third actual narrative and two-thirds annotated booklists. The first section describes the benefits of reading to children and how to build a family culture of enjoying good books both together and as individuals. The last portion is all booklists divided by age and genre to help the reader find a book to meet a specific need. It's a great mix of story and lists. I have found the lists particularly helpful when my kids wanted a new book to read but had no idea what they were looking for. It has also been helpful when I wanted a book to help mentor them through a specifc situation. The booklists are invaluable!

A good book is a gateway into a wider world of wonder, beauty, delight, and adventure. But children don't stumble onto the best books by themselves. They need a parent's help. Author Gladys Hunt discusses everything from how to choose good books for your children to encouraging them to be avid readers.

This book is a wonderful reference! While I didn't agree with all of the author's opinions on books (namely Harry Potter), I feel that most of her recommendations are wonderful.