MATERIALS:  File box, pack of dividers with blank tabs, file cards, small pencil

Stock a file box with file cards, dividers, and one or two small pencils.  Label the dividers very generally to reflect your children's advancing skills.  For example:  picture books, read-aloud books, stories for beginning readers, short novels or chapter books, books for older readers, poetry, plays, and so forth.

As your children read books they enjoy (don't bother with the ones they don't like), have them fill out a file card with the title of the book, the author's name, where the book came from (home or public library), and any personal comments.  Assist younger children by writing down the sentences they dictate to you about their picture books or first read-alone stories.

You may want to fill out cards yourself for read-aloud books so you can make a few notes about the techniques that worked for a particular story.  For example:  "Tony and Rosa recited the refrain with me, " or "Mark like to say good night to all the things in his own room after we finished reading."

File the cards under the appropriate headings.  Now when your children come to you for a recommendation, play librarian and point them toward the family card catalog.