Honey for a Child's Heart: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life

by Gladys M. Hunt

Book Overview

A modern classic with over 250,000 copies sold, Honey for a Child's Heart is a compelling, essential guide for parents who want to find the best books for their children ages 0-12.

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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0310242460
• ISBN13: 9780310242468
• Release Date: May 2002
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Good guide

I like having this book as a goosplace to start when looking for books at the library. Inevitably if I get books from the library without recommendation they are terrible. I like any of the books recommended by popular curricula: My Father's World, Sonlight, Heart of Dakota, etc. But this a great compilation of books for all different ages and genres.

Such a sweet wealth of knowledge

This book does a fantastic job of laying the foundation of what to look for in quality children's books and why it is so important! Love the book lists as well! I recommend it to so many moms.

Honey not just for the child but for the whole family!

I bought this book with the intention of just learning how to pick out good books for our son but instead, what I received was truly words of wisdom in how we can really take care of my family. The author talks not just about reading books per se but of how to make them a way of living and enrichment for the entire family. Ms Hunt wisely includes a chapter on the influences in our children's lives and how we, as parents, should choose to be THE influence in their lives. Shared reading of really good literature empowers us to be able to do so and she also gives practical, down-to-earth advice on family bible readings, an oft neglected aspect in many of today's Christian families. I highly recommend this book for all parents who truly care about shaping their children's thinking and hence, their future.

Not just for Christian parents!

Honey for a Child's Heart is an outstanding guide to fine children's literature. Though Ms. Hunt writes from the perspective of a dedicated Christian, as a non-Christian parent I did not feel the least uncomfortable with her expression of her views. The subtitle of the book "the Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life" is really the major focus of the book. Recognizing good literature, and incorporating it into one's home life is a value which transcends a specific religious point of view. The author's chapter on What Makes A Good Book will be invaluable to parents attempting to locate books which will stand the test of time from among the mind-boggling swarm which one meets in any children's book section. The books highlighted for discussion by Ms. Hunt are from a broad range of authors including Kenneth Grahame, Charles Dickens, C.S. Lewis, Emily Dickenson, James Thurber and Miriam Cohen. The bibliography, comprising approximatley one-third of the book, is one of most complete guides to quality children's literature available anywhere. I pack this book with me to libraries and bookstores when I'm selecting children's books. No parent who wishes to introduce their children to fine literature and/or create a reading centered environment in the home should be without this book!

This made me want to wake my child so we could read a book!

If reading with your children is important to you, this book will be very exciting. Mrs. Hunt's enthusiasm for children's literature is contagious; I couldn't put the book down! She creates an enviable list of the advantages a well-read child will gain. The book guides you in choosing books & in placing reading as a delightful priority in your & your child's day. While her recommended reading covers a broad spcetrum, her focus is narrow: developing a whole child. The whole child is grounded in God's Word & , with the example & encouragement of parents, is free to grow intellectually & emotionally. With so much information in an easy to read style, all I could ask for is a fourth edition!