Choosing between hardcover and paperback books for your children depends on a variety of factors. If you’re in the market for a book for an infant or toddler, a hardcover book offers the durability needed for kids of this age range. Infants and toddlers may want to nibble on, toss or bang their books around, and hardcover board books can usually withstand this type of normal use. Hardcover board books with thicker pages are also easier to turn for the youngest readers.
Hardcover books are also an appropriate option for older children if you’d like to give one as a gift or purchase a collectible edition for a collection or a permanent library. Paperback books are sometimes more economic and are lighter weight than hardcover books, so they work well for school-aged children carrying them around. They also work well for for storytelling time for younger kids. A bedtime reader may also find that they’re easier to manage than larger, heavier hardcover books might be. A well-stocked library typically has a mix of hard and softcover books chosen for their content and age-appropriateness and will naturally grow as the child gets older, giving him or her plenty of choices for reading at home or on the go.