Gift Book Suggestions for Your Family!

When you buy a special book for a child at Hanukkah, Christmas, or Kwanzaa it helps your child to create emotional connections linking family, tradition, and reading. It also sends the message that receiving books is as pleasurable an experience as receiving toys.

I asked Natacha Liuzzi, librarian and book buyer, for some age-pertinent book suggestions for gift giving this year. Natacha's youthful appearance belies the fact that she has years of experience connecting kids to books. For eight years, Natacha was the Children's Services Librarian at the Hinesburg Public Library in Hinesburg, Vermont. There she was responsible for buying all the children's, middle grade, and young adult materials, servicing children from toddlers through to high school students. Currently, Natacha is the children's book buyer for the independent Bear Pond Books in Montpelier, Vermont. For the past four years she has served on a committee that nominates picture books for the Red Clover Award, Vermont's annual student choice awards. She is also the RIF coordinator for the Hinesburg Community School, providing each student with a free book three times yearly, and she was the Hinesburg Literacy Team coordinator working with area preschool and reading teachers throughout Chittenden County.

Finding a special book for the child you love can be an overwhelming task given the selection available at your bookstore. Natacha offers the following advice:

• Find out what the child or teen has read already. Ask them what authors they like to read.

• Discover the subjects and topics that interest them.

• Find out if they prefer fiction or nonfiction, fantasy or reality.

• Don't be afraid to ask your neighborhood children's librarian or children's books seller for suggestions and advice.

• Read your local newspaper's book section. Many newspapers and magazines feature book suggestions this time of year.

• Be consumer savvy. The books with biggest marketing budgets are not necessarily the best books for you child or teen. And conversely, a book you've never heard of may contain the story that changes your child’s or teen's life. Natacha says, "Just because a book jacket may look promising does not mean the story is going to live up to it. We all fall victim at one time or another to 'judging a book by its cover.'

• Take into consideration the content and age recommendation. I think great care needs to be taken, especially if a young reader is at a higher reading level. Even though the child can read the material the content is not always appropriate.

• No one is ever too old for a picture book!!

 
Consider all possibilities: great literature and fun, entertaining books. Says Natacha, "Think of books in terms of chocolate mousse and a Hershey kiss. There are moments for both!"

Great Book Gift Suggestions
From Librarian and Bookseller Natacha Liuzzi

Parent and Teacher Sources for Book Recommendations
A Child's Delight by Noel Perrin
The Essential Guide to Children's Books and Their Creators by Anita Silvey
100 Best Books for Children by Anita Silvey
How to Get Your Child to Love Reading:
For Ravenous and Reluctant Readers Alike by Esme Raji Codell

Great New Holiday Books
The Animals’ Merry Christmas by Richard Scarry
 Golden Books is proud to reissue this beloved Christmas collection, chock-full of funny animal stories and poems. This oversize format features Scarry's earlier, more painterly style and makes a perfect gift. A true holiday treat for Scarry fans!

Hanukkah, Shmanukkah! By Esme Raji Codell
Putting a spin on the classic "A Christmas Carol, " Codell and Pham follow Old Scroogemacher, a tyrant who experiences a Hanukkah like no other, in which three rabbis manage to turn him into a "mensch."

Great Picture Book Suggestions for giving!
Emma Kate by Patricia Polacco
In her newest book for younger readers, "New York Times" best-selling author Polacco introduces Emma Kate, a young girl with an imaginary friend who stars in this wonderfully original story of pretend play and real friendship. There is an unexpected twist at the end!

Here Comes Darrell by Leda Schubert
If he isn't delivering firewood, Darrell may be digging a swimming hole for another neighbor, or plowing snow from a driveway. In almost every northern small town community you will find a “Darrell”. Local author Leda Schubert’s new picture book tells a  warm, gentle story of neighbors helping neighbors accompanied by vibrant woodcuts by Caldecott medallist Mary Azarian.

Nora’s Ark by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
A flood is coming! When the water climbs to the rooftops, where will everybody go? To Grandma's house, of course, high up on a hill. Before long, the house is full of people, chickens, ducks, pigs, horses, cats, and even a cow. There's only one person missing -- Grandpa! This heartwarming story by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock is based on a real-life event: the Vermont Flood of 1927. Watercolors by Caldecott Medal-winning artist Emily Arnold McCully capture both the sweeping drama of the flood and the comfort of a cozy kitchen filled with friends, neighbors, and good cheer.

Books for Primary Grade Children
Jigsaw Pony by Jessie Haas
The only thing twins Fran and Kiera have ever agreed on is that it would be wonderful to own a pony -- a pony they could gallop and leap over jumps. One day their father brings them Jigsaw, a Shetland pony who needs a new family. Jigsaw is the perfect pony. He can do anything -- even fit himself into Dad's station wagon for the ride home.

Akimbo and the Elephants by Alexander McCall Smith
Ten-year-old Akimbo lives on a game preserve in Africa. His father is the head ranger, and Akimbo is eager to help him whenever he can--even if it means getting into some pretty dangerous situations.
In "Akimbo and the Elephants, ivory poachers are killing grown elephants for their tusks and leaving the calves to die. When the authorities fail to turn up new leads, Akimbo sets out to save the elephants by posing as a hunter himself.

 Akimbo and the Lions by Alexander McCall Smith
In "Akimbo and the Lions, Akimbo helps his father set a trap for a lioness that has been attacking cattle on nearby farms. But when the lion they catch turns out to be a cub, Akimbo must find a way to care for the young lion until it's old enough to be released in the wild.

Magician’s Boy by Susan Cooper
The Boy polishes the Magician's wands, and catches the rabbits that the Magician pulls out of hats. But the Boy's favorite job is operating the puppets for the Magician's famous puppet play, "Saint George and the Dragon" -- until one terrible day when, in the middle of a performance, the Boy can't find the Saint George puppet. The Magician is furious. He points a long magical finger at the Boy, and -- "poof!" -- the Boy is suddenly in the strange Land of Story, where he must find Saint George.

For Middle Grade Readers
Room with a Zoo by Jules Feiffer
In his first middle-grade novel in a decade, Feiffer tells a story of his nine-year-old daughter, Julie, who loves animals so much she's putting together a zoo of living creatures in her room. This is laugh- out-loud hilarious! Illustrated by the talented Mr. Feiffer.

Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty G. Birney
Told with Mark Twain-ish humor, tongue and cheek stories  , and believable quirky characters, 11 year old Eben McAllister (shades of George Bailey) loves to read all about the 7 wonders of the world and cant wait for his day to leave town.  His Aunt Pretty (shortened from Purity) gets impatient with him for not taking  his nose out of his book.  Eben’s dad and aunt encourage him to find wonders around him – right under his nose, in Sassafras Springs, Missouri.

The Penderwicks  by Jeanne Birdsall
This summer the Penderwick sisters have a wonderful surprise: a holiday on the grounds of a beautiful estate called Arundel. Soon they are busy discovering the summertime magic of Arundel's sprawling gardens, treasure-filled attic, tame rabbits, and the cook who makes the best gingerbread in Massachusetts. But the best discovery of all is Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundel's owner, who quickly proves to be the perfect companion for their adventures.
The icy-hearted Mrs. Tifton is not as pleased with the Penderwicks as Jeffrey is, though, and warns the new friends to stay out of trouble. Which, of course, they will--won't they? One thing's for sure: it will be a summer the Penderwicks will never forget. Deliciously nostalgic and quaintly witty, this is a story as breezy and carefree as a summer day.

The Schwa Was Here by Neal Schusterman
This tongue-in-cheek tale of a boy so unremarkable, he just might disappear completely.  Told in a New York vernacular, Anthony, also known as "Antsy," is fascinated by "The Schwa Effect"--the fact that no one ever sees Calvin Schwa. Even when acting weird and dressed like a total freak, The Schwa is only barely noticed. The two boys form a partnership and get away with all kinds of mischief, from conducting experiments at school to confounding opponents on the basketball court. When The Schwa senses that even Antsy is beginning to lose sight of him, he vows to do something that will make him so visible, no one will ever forget him. Any kid who's ever felt unnoticed will identify with Schwa and Antsy and their quest for notoriety.

For Young Adults
What I Believe by Norma Fox Mazer
Vicki's life had been perfect--now it's definitely not. When her father is laid off from his job, her family's familiar comforts slip away. They move to a city apartment, and Vicki has to forge a new path at her urban school. Worst of all, one night her depressed father simply disappears. Vicki soon finds herself living a double life--fine on the outside, anything but fine on the inside--and that leads to a moral dilemma she's ultimately forced to confront.
Told through an inventive mix of poems and journal entries, this intimate narrative reveals Vicki's curiosity, spirit, and honesty as she journeys through loss to discover what really matters.

Bound by Donna Jo Napoli
Young Xing Xing is bound. Bound to her dead father's second wife and daughter. Bound to be alone and unmarried, with no parents to arrange for a suitable husband. Bound to a life of servitude, taking care of her half sister, who cannot walk because her feet are bound in the painful but compulsory tradition for marriageable girls. In this searing story, Donna Jo Napoli delves into the roots of the Cinderella myth and unearths a tale as powerful as it is familiar.

Special Gift Books
Wizardology
Aspiring wizards can tune in to the age-old wisdom of Merlin with this dazzling compendium of all things magical -- unveiling novelty elements throughout. For any apprentice determined to learn the arcane arts of wizardry, could there be a better teacher than . . . Merlin himself? Originally discovered in 1588, this remarkable text by history's most respected wizard is revealed to the world for the very first time. Lavishly illustrated by four delicate artists, Wizardology's intricate design even conceals a series of hidden symbols that spell out a secret message when their code is deciphered -- if the reader is clever enough to find them.

Fairyopolis by Cicely Mary Barker
Protected and hidden by a society of fairy lovers for over 80 years, the secret fairy journal of Cicely Mary Barker is available for the first time. Learn what really happened during that magical summer of 1920 when she discovered the secret world of the Flower Fairies.

The Art of Reading: Forty Illustrators Celebrate RIF’s 40th Anniversary
Forward by Leonard Marcus, created by Reading is Fundamental
To commemorate its 40th anniversary, Reading Is Fundamental brings together 40 of the most celebrated children's book illustrators working today and asks them to each re-imagine a classic book from their childhood.

If you're interested in more selections from Natacha Liuzzi and Bear Pond Books visit our website at www.bearpondbooks.com. 

© 2005 by Mary Brigid Barrett