It is difficult to imagine a better gift than a book, particularly for a child. One of my most cherished childhood memories is when my grandmother took me to the local bookstore for my eighth birthday so that I might choose a boxed set of books as my gift. After lots of careful consideration and a consultation with the bookseller, I decided upon the “Anne of Green Gables” set by L.M. Montgomery. Although the box that housed those seven books has long since disintegrated, I still have all of the books sitting proudly on the bookshelf in my living room today and continue to reread the first book in the series every few years or so.
Perhaps my lifelong love of reading and career choice influence my opinion about the value of a gift book, but there is research to support the ownership of books for children. Having even a small home library has been proven to support literacy skills, improve academic success, expand vocabulary, expand attention spans, and contribute to improved job attainment and success into adolescence and adulthood. So there really is no better gift than a book. It’s science.
Each year as the season of giving approaches, our Youth Services librarians scour the new book displays and lists of recently published titles in order to put together our Gift of Books lists for younger children, older children, and teens. When curating these lists we consider popular topics and authors, evaluate illustration and book design, and search for fun, engaging, and compelling nonfiction and stories alike. Every book has been carefully selected and annotated with notes including recommended reading age, a brief description, and suggestions for what type of reader to give it to.
Although we hope our lists include a little of something for everyone, we are more than happy to help you find the perfect gift book for your reader. Use our PPL BookMatch service and our staff will create a curated list of suggestions just for you. Also, don’t forget about the amazing used bookstore on the first floor of the library, open during regular library hours. The bookstore always has a plethora of books for children and teens and can be a wonderful place to source gifts for children and classroom teachers.
This year as you consider giving, do not forget to give the gift of books.
Photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash