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International Children's Digital Library (http://www.childrenslibrary.org/)

common sense media says

Multi-language library opens new doors for kids.

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that the International Children's Digital Library is a multicultural library that features carefully selected, age-rated and age-appropriate books. Childrenslibrary.org includes children's books from more than 40 countries and in 55 languages. The site is easily accessible and allows users to search for books by age, country, language, length, or genre. Parents can rest easy -- the site doesn't have any interactive areas, and the nonprofit organization uses strict policies on privacy and external links to keep kids away from inappropriate content. The limited amount of required information from members isn't sold or distributed to other parties.

Educational value: Promotes reading (fiction and nonfiction) and an interest in foreign languages; the library's international collection exposes kids to historical and cultural diversity and reveals the commonalities we all share, encouraging an interest in global issues. 
Positive messages: Fosters an interest in global awareness and different cultures. Focuses on positive messages like peace, tolerance, and reading.
Violence: Like with any public library, books are age-rated, so some titles for older kids delve into more mature topics, such as war and disasters.
Sex: Some books may contain sexual content. For example, Cinderella shares a kiss with her prince.
Language: Books are age-rated, and iffy language would only crop up in books for older kids, if at all.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Books for older kids may touch on addiction or similar issues, but this isn't the focus of the library's collection.
Privacy & safety: No major privacy concerns. The site does not ask for personal information, unless a user is interested in volunteer opportunities. There is a link to Twitter in the "Community Forum" section, but it is not easily accessible.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on International Children's Digital Library

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

  • Families can talk about all the various cultures and places they read about. How is a particular culture similar to yours, and how is it different?

  • Families can also talk about where to find different books -- from brick-and-mortar libraries, to sites like Childrenslibrary.org, to book apps on mobile devices.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

CHILDRENSLIBRARY.ORG has been acknowledged as one of the top 25 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning by the American Association of School Librarians. The foundation encourages complete tolerance and acceptance of diversity and was created to offer people access to books in their native language. As more and more families relocate internationally, they no longer have access to books from their homelands. Also, language barriers flourish causing stunts to pedagogical growth. According to UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization), "children learn best in their mother tongue." Chidlrenslibrary.org offers a wide array of prose in many languages, introducing children to mythology, poetry, plays, short stories and much more. The books are easily accessible because of the site's great search tools that are broken down into many categories.

While this online library doesn't offer the newest best-sellers, it overflows with international locales, spell-binding stories, fascinating characters, and exciting languages that provide something for everyone. It's an excellent resource for parents who want to expose their kids to diverse cultures and languages, and for families who speak more than one language.

This review was written by Karen Wirsing
 
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age
Our child development rating guidelines