Children's Books - a Breakdown of the types of books authors write

As a teacher, a literacy coach, and now a mom, I have been reading children's books for a long time.  I am an avid reader anyways, but as a teacher, I learned to read books in a more evaluative way.  As a mom, I have been reading books to Kay that I consider "good books".  Most of our books have been gifts from other moms and teachers, those with experience in reading books.  I got to thinking the other day, though, about the millions of books out there for kids.  Right now, we are into the touchy, feely books, the ones that you can rub the fur on the animals.  I know how important reading is to the development of a child, so we read every day.  And I know it's paying off because Kay will go pull her books off the shelf and "read" on her own, which might be my proudest moment.
Anyways, when you go to a bookstore, or browse the websites, you are literally inundated with books for kids: books about animals, books about people; sad books and happy books; multicultural books; books about families, friends, enemies, farting... You name it, I bet you can find a book about it.  So I started thinking what the motivation might be for some of these authors.  Here are the categories I have put these books into.  This list will not be complete.  I am sure as time goes on I'll have to add to it and re-evaluate some of my categories.

1. Books written to make moms (and dads) cry
There are some books out there I know the authors wrote with the sole intention of making us cry.  Those are the books you get at baby showers or as newborn gifts that you can't read after the first time because you can't read the book without sobbing.  That is a very ineffective way to put a kid to bed, crying over a book.  These books include:

• Oh the Places You'll Go (though I think we have been desensitized to this one)
• Love You Forever (which I'll admit, creeps me out)
• I Love You Through and Through

2. Books written to irritate moms (any maybe get dads to read)
Honestly, I will NEVER buy a book about farting, pooping, boogers, or any other bodily function that I won't talk about at the dinner table.  My mother raised me to have manners and act like a lady.  Because of that, I don't tell stories about my poop and I don't want to read about other people's.  Yes, there are actually books out there like this.  There are a lot of great educators out there who will say that if this is the only book you can get your kid to read, then you read it.  Nope, not this one.  If this is really the only book I can get my kid to read, I will try harder.

• Walter the Farting Dog (it's actually a series!)
• Captain Underpants (Uggghhh)
• Billy's Farting Adventure (seriously??)

3. Books written to extend bedtime well into the night

When an author sits down to write a children's book, what possesses them to make it 30 pages?? Dr. Suess, I'm calling you out on this one! I love a good rhyming book, but bedtime is supposed to be relaxing for all involved.  When I am too tired to read through an entire book because it keeps going on and on and on, but my munchkin is eagerly awaiting the end (even though it's been read 5, 10 times before) bedtime has become the dreaded story that never ends. For my friend Melissa, the Berenstein Bears are on this list.

4.  Books written for specific people

In this day and age we can't leave anyone out... no one.  You can find books for grandma and grandpa.  You can find books for aunts, uncles, cousins, godparents.  You can find books for adoptive children, multiracial children, children of divorce or death, children of gay/lesbian parents.  Because books are an easy go to, authors are popping up everywhere to explain difficult topics to children via picture books.  But Lord knows, these are not always quality!! My biggest beef with this is the fact that some people will use these books in place of a conversation with their child.  I love that you can find a jumping off point in a book.  We have our "Tell Me Again About the Night I was Born" (which for me goes up in category 1) so that when Kay starts asking, we have begun the conversation.  But that's just it, books are meant to start conversations.  

5. Books written about social issues

This goes with the above category in some ways, but we can also add that it covers historical occurrences.  Racial diversity, tensions, civil rights, there are numerous great books about these topics.  These aren't your bedtime stories for toddlers though.  These authors had a topic that was near and dear to them and found a way to bring it to the level of a child so that we don't make the same mistakes our forefathers made.  These are the books you find in classrooms, that teachers can tick off their fingers.  But they have a place for children at home too.  These are more challenging reads, so in place of a chapter book for your 4th grader, reading books like these can be a good discussion starter. 

• Jacqueline Woodson is a fab author of books like this

I will keep working on this list, but for now, that's what's on my mind! I would love to know what other categories you might have for books.