Giving a book for Christmas is easy, nice and useful. Our local book store has a little brochure “Give a book, it’s the perfect gift!” with plenty of suggestions to please everyone.
If you prefer buying online, I recommend Wheelers because they have a large selection, an easy to use website and often the best prices. Besides, 10% of your purchase is recredited to our College Library, when you click on the Apple at the check-out… Wheelers has an end-of-year sale which ends 16th December.
- Offering a book to your children will show you value reading and literacy, which is linked to their success at school.
- Offering a book to your parents can be a way to convey a message or could be very useful (for example, a chocolate desserts book!).
- Offering a book to your siblings will keep them quiet for a while AND you can then read it too!
Think of non-fiction books. What is s/he interested in? From mountain bike, fishing or facebook to yoga, drawing or travel, there are books to deepen knowledge in everything. Type these words in the Search box and choose!
Here are a few sure-to-please suggestions:
For Boys and Girls: any Cherub book. Cherub Agents are aged between ten and seventeen. They live in the real world, slipping under adult radars and getting information that sends criminals and terrorists to jail. Punchy, easy to read, they are the most popular books at the moment. If you suspect s/he has already read them, get “People’s Republic” as it is the latest. Click here to see what we already said about Cherub books on the library blog.
Another extremely popular series for both Boys and Girls is the Hunger Games series. Again, s/he might well have already read the first book so go for the second, Catching Fire, or the third book, Mockingjay. They will be so proud of having their own copy and so grateful for not having to wait to read it, as there are long waiting lists for these…
I think it is a good time to offer and read the Hobbit, if you have not done it yet, it is a truly great story.
More suggestions for Girls: Jacqueline Wilson’s latest book “Lily alone” is a favourite, and for older girls, I’d suggest the powerful and well written “Blood and Chocolate“, by Annette Curtis Klause. A “Child Called It”, by Dave Pelzer is a real, moving story that older girls enjoy.
And For Boys: Younger boys will enjoy the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, while older readers crave the Matthew Reilly books, like Hover Car Racer. I would also recommend The Absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, as every person who has read it has been enthralled with this poignant, wise and funny story.
Useful books recommendations:
- The Courage to be yourself : True Stories by Teens About Cliques, Conflicts, and Overcoming Peer Pressure
- Wise Highs : how to thrill, chill, & get away from it all without alcohol or other drugs
- Go ask Alice : The true diary of a 15-year-old drug addict
For Parents (to offer and read together)
- You Shut Up ! by Eva Maria, to improve parent/teenager relationships
- What teens really want from their parents How to parents teens, written by teens!
- Daughters and their Dads: discusses the importance of fathers and father-figures in a daughter’s life.
- Come On Dad 75 things for fathers and sons to do together
- You don’t really know me: Why mothers and daughters fight and how both can win
And if you really do not know which book to choose, you can get $5-up book tokens for them so they can choose their own books.
Always remember to read during the holidays to overcome the “Summer slide”.
Happy Reading! Happy Holidays!
Mount Aspiring College Library 