As a reader, I look for creativity and curiosity in what I am reading. I look for colorful, engaging covers, just like most kids. OK, so my books as an adult don’t have pictures any more, but I would say that well-read 6-year-olds who loved trips to the public library or the local bookstore still enjoys a good story with minimal words and lots of bright pictures.
As the holidays approach, it’s time to look at giving books. Writer and American humorist Garrison Keillor wrote: “A book is a gift you can open again and again.” Well, in this issue about recycling, upcycling and reusing, isn’t the ultimate gift a book? It can be given to a little brother or sister after the original reader has outgrown it. What about the public library? There’s the decisive lesson in reuse. The book is only in the home for a short time and then it’s returned so someone else can enjoy it. What a concept to teach…
However, I am going to go back to writing about giving books, especially to young readers. I know I still get a thrill when it comes to receiving a book. There was great thought, most of the time, given in selecting the book. I give lots of thought to the books I give my husband and my daughter. They almost always get books.
There are holiday books to give, of course. Sisters Jeannie Schick-Jacobowitz and Susie Schick-Pierce, along with Jeannie’s daughter Muffin Drake created A Bit of Applause for Mrs. Claus. It’s a delightful tale about the woman that deserves a round of cheers for making Christmas possible. Readers will join Mrs. Claus as she hustles and bustles to save Christmas night. From wrapping the last presents to trimming the trees, Mrs. Claus, does it all, just in the nick of time. A Bit of Applause for Mrs. Claus, is the perfect addition to every family’s holiday tradition of reading together.
So is the very sweet Peppa Pig and the Lost Christmas List. Peppa Pig is a loveable 4-year-old pig that started in the United Kingdom and moved over the United States on Nick Jr. As the family prepare for Christmas, Peppa can’t wait. Like many children, she and her brother George mail their letters to Santa. Their friends join in. However, Santa doesn’t keep a tight grip on the list he generated from the children’s. See how a 4-year-old pig saves the day. As I said, very sweet and perfect to be read many times during December as kids get excited for the Christmas holiday.
My daughter and I read Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol together every year. If you don’t think that book is meant to be read aloud, think again. It may be almost 170 years old, but the language is some of the most beautiful found on the printed page.
The other book we like to read together is Barbara Robinson’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. The meanest kids in the world join the church Christmas pageant with some rather surprising results. Yes, I cry at the end, but it’s a sweet story that needs to be read. By the way, the book is around 40 years old. If there is a longer poem/book to pick up, I also recommend Dylan Thomas’ A Child’s Christmas in Wales.
I don’t know if any of these books have generated any thought. I hope so … Visit the local library’s children’s section. Perhaps that may spark a few ideas. If your young child already has a library card and you watch her check out the same books often, that might be the list to use to make a purchase for your child’s personal library. Happy reading!
