Black Friday Shopping Guide

So, it’s Black Friday and you have a list of children to buy holiday gifts for. What should you buy? Books, of course! A book is one of the most valuable gifts you can give a child. Reading encourages creativity. It stimulates the imagination by introducing readers to new people, places and notions. It teaches children about worlds different from their own, or helps them to articulate their own thoughts about situations the same as their own. Vocabulary and language skills improve. And the best part, reading with your child helps cultivate a wonderful bond – few things can compete with snuggling up together for a good bed-time story.

Now that you’re sold on the idea of books, here are a few links to some of my favorite books of this year:

• Hello Day by Anita Lobel: Ages 0-5
• Alphabet by Matthew Van Fleet: Ages 1-6
• Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett: Ages 2-6
• Wave by Suzy Lee: Ages 2-6
• I Lost My Kisses by Trudie Trewin: Ages 2-8
• The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen: Ages 3-6
• Wonder Bear by Tao Nyeu: Ages 3-7
• Who Ate All the Cookie Dough by Karen Beaumont: Ages 3-7
• Melvin Might by Jon Scieszka: Ages 3-8
• Ladybug Girl by Jacky Davis: Ages 4-8
• Clementine’s Letter by Sara Pennypacker: Ages 7-10
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney: Ages 8-12
• Savvy by Ingrid Law: Ages 9-12
• The Willoughby’s by Lowis Lowry: Ages 9-12

Links: Best Books 2008: School Library Journal
Notable Children’s Books of 2008: The New York Times, Sunday Book Review