Ordering for Specific Age Ranges

Here at All About Books, we categorize and curate our books by age range to help make the book-buying process as easy as possible for our customers. We use the Reach Out and Read Child Milestones of Early Literacy Development guidelines in both our catalog and on our website. The Reach Out and Read guidelines have been approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics and utilize their research and early literacy guidelines to make a comprehensive breakdown of early childhood milestones in literacy. 

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “The first 3 years of life is the most intensive period for speech and language development. Reading, talking, and singing regularly with young children from birth stimulates brain development. This stimulation in turn builds language, literacy, and a child’s motivation to learn.” Research has shown reading aloud with children from birth is an effective way to encourage parent-to-child bonding, help develop socio-emotional skills, aid in child development, and encourage literacy skills needed to promote school readiness.

Breaking Down Age Ranges:

Infants: Birth – 12 months, An infant’s brain is developing rapidly in the first few months after birth. It is crucial to encourage binding between caregiver and baby right from the start – a great way to do this is by reading storybooks together! Around the 4-month mark, babies’ eyes are starting to develop and are stimulated by high-contrast and baby face books. At this time, start using books as a tool to entertain infants during tummy time and to teach them how to interact with books.

Younger Toddler: 12-24 months, In year two, babies start exploring their physical world with increased mobility and excitement. They also start identifying their surroundings with new words. For this age range, we recommend durable board books that encourage the discovery of senses, everyday objects, and actions. Board books with intriguing stories, age-appropriate themes, and popular characters will also help build vocabulary and promote literacy development.

Older Toddler: 24-36 months, By year 3, children actively participate in book sharing by pointing to pictures and commenting on stories. They like repetition and rhyme so they can learn the sentences and sounds of their favorite books. We recommend a selection of board books and paperbacks including titles that encourage vocabulary, engagement with books, and meaningful parent-child interactions.

Preschoolers: 3-5 years, From 3 to 5 years, children enjoy longer stories with more complex language and meaning. We chose books for this age range to fit a wide variety of reading levels. From fun read-alouds for families to storybooks that encourage independent reading.

We offer curated selections based on age range in both our catalog and on our website. Our catalog is specifically organized by these age ranges in both single tiles and collections. When shopping via the website, there are a few ways to view books sorted by age. First, you can select the Books drop-down menu and select the exact age range you are looking for. Alternatively, clicking on “Books” in the top menu will take you to our books landing page where you can use the side navigation menu. Here, search by age range, language, theme, cover stock, and item type.

If you would like to ask about age ranges, are looking for age range recommendations, or have any other questions regarding our book selection, please feel free to reach out to our sales team at service@allaboutbooks.org or by calling 1 (866) 732-3667.