Holiday gifts: books to share, gifts that last

There's a buzz in the air. Kids are getting excited for winter holidays: Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa. They love the traditions, the family time together, and the gifts. Parents are making lists, thinking about how to make the holiday special for their child. As you think about the perfect gifts for your children, think about sharing books and giving a gift that lasts.

Include books for your children as you think about holiday gifts.

While books might not grab their attention right away, they have lasting power. Take a minute to think about the amount of time and pleasure we get from a book. Combine books with other gifts, to make a package - whether it's a new stuffed animal and a book, or a baseball mitt along with a biography of Jackie Robinson. Throughout December, I'll be sharing ideas for giving books. Check out the tag "give a book" for past suggestions.

Include books in your gifts to charities.

Our neighborhood does a charity drive every winter for a local women's shelter or the local children's hospital. Gifts of children's books can be especially meaningful for children struggling at this time of year. Books can help pass the time, they can help you escape in your mind, and they can bring laughter at hard times. I pass on books we're no longer using, and include some new popular books that I know kids will love.

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I love sharing books with friends, children and schools. If you've gotten great ideas from my posts, please consider supporting Great Kid Books through your Amazon purchases. First visit Great Kid Books and then click over on a link to Amazon. Great Kid Books gets a small percentage of every sale - money that helps us buy the newest books to review and share with kids and readers. Anything purchased from Amazon counts here - from candles to Kindles, toothbrushes to toys, not just books.

Flickr image shared through Creative Common licensing, thanks to John-Morgan. Thank you for your support, and for helping your children find wonderful things to feed their imagination.