Etc.

To create a reading bond with kids, consider these classics

With the start of a new school year, thoughts naturally turn to books and reading. Parents, it's often said, play an influential role in setting the table for the lifetime reading habits and love of reading by their offspring, both by reading to them or listening while they read. But where to start? Although much depends on a youngster's age, a parent can hardly go wrong by selecting an age-appropriate classic from the National Education Association's Top 100 Children's Books. From a survey conducted last year, the NEA, a union for teachers and support personnel, identified the best in children's literature, starting with the following Top 10 titles (with the author of each):

• 1. "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White
• 2. "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak
• 3. "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein
• 4. "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss
• 5. "Good Night Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown
• 6. "I Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch
• 7. "Because of Winn Dixie" by Kate DiCamillo
• 8. "Oh! The Places You Will Go" by Dr. Seuss
• 9. "The Little House" by Virginia Lee Burton
• 10. "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg