Turn the pages of the book one by one to evaluate the book for beautiful pictures. Since most preschoolers are not yet reading on their own, much of their experience with the book will be through viewing the illustrations. Choose books that have pictures that truly bring the story to life to keep your preschooler interested while you read the story aloud.
Read the text of the book aloud to yourself to be certain that the storyline is both enriching and enjoyable, and that it fits into your classroom rules and ideals. For example, if you have a rule against name calling in your classroom, avoid choosing a book for your library that shows name calling in a positive light unless you are doing so specifically for discussion purposes.
Summarize the book to yourself to decide if the story fits into a preschooler's age and interest level. Preschoolers are full of questions, so add books that answer questions about the world to your classroom library. Choose book topics that will be familiar to your preschoolers to keep them interested. Also add books that introduce students to different ideas, such as choosing an alphabet book that is set in a different part of the country or world. Don't be afraid to fall back on classic stories and fairy tales that have been time-tested to captivate children.
Balance the different genres of books in your preschool classroom library between different types of fiction and nonfiction. Ensure that there will always be something available to interest every student in your class, as well as a book to fit most of your lesson plans. Choose nonfiction and fiction books featuring your student's favorite animals or pick books that use catchy rhymes, such as Dr. Seuss or poetry, to engage preschoolers' interest.