Give the Gift of Reading

Tuesday, 12/15/2009

If the Ghost of “Christmas Toys Past” ever needs to restock his warehouse, my attic would be a good first stop. My attic is the site of a perfect storm – a place where too much sentimentality meets too little storage space, resulting in a densely packed resting place for former “must have” toys.

A Rubik’s Cube, some mood rings, a Furby, some Cabbage Patch Kids, an Alf stuffed animal, and a Tickle Me Elmo all reside in the space above me. They share a room with hidden ductwork and no doubt swap stories of past consumer-demand glory, all the while hoping I never find the motivation to clean out the attic. (In this way, the attic somewhat resembles a Prohibition-era speakeasy, with the toys trying to enjoy themselves, talking about the good old days, while casting occasional glances at the door and hoping against an Eliot Ness type raid where they all get hauled away.)

Why the extended exposition about toys? To show that there is one holiday gift that never goes out of style, a gift that is truly “fad-proof.” I speak of books – the gift of reading. From the moment almost 600 years ago when Johannes Gutenberg used his new invention, the printing press, to make a present for Mrs. Gutenberg (not exactly historically accurate, but you get the idea), people have recognized that books make great – and timeless - gifts.

If a thing of beauty is a joy forever, the same can be said of a great book. In fact, a great book – a great story – is a thing of beauty. Books can be shared, handed down, saved – all without any noticeable depreciation or diminished enjoyment for the next user. In appreciation for the gift that is reading, I now share some great gift ideas – some great books – for that last minute holiday shopper:

Savvy

Winner of a prestigious 2009 Newbery Honor, Savvy should be required reading for any tween/teen as they embark on their coming-of-age journey. This book has it all: family, superpowers, road-tripping adventure, a 13th birthday, and a child’s heroic effort to save a parent – told with some of the most lyrical, descriptive and inspiring language of any book in recent memory. In short, a modern-day classic.

Mike Lupica’s Comeback Kids Series

Growing up I read two things: Marvel comic books and Sports Illustrated magazines. As we try to get kids to read, the maxim of “fishing where the fish are” makes sense. If you want kids to read, write about what interests them.

Lupica’s Comeback Kids series does just that. Two-Minute Drill, Hot Hand, Safe At Home and Long Shot are the first four books in a series where sports provide an accessible and exciting backdrop to stories with themes that all kids can relate to: tackling a great challenge, realizing the fickleness of popularity, and recognizing the importance of family.

Two-Minute Drill is a personal favorite, as it includes cameo references to one of my favorite athletes of all time, Doug Flutie. (Flutie and I have much in common. We attended high school and college in Massachusetts. We are listed at 5’ 10” tall – Flutie’s height has been listed in numerous football programs over the years, my height is only listed here and I may have rounded up a bit. And, we both achieved athletic fame in the 1980s: Flutie won the Heisman Trophy and I once scored 33 points in a college intramural basketball game).

Future Inspiration All of the Comeback Kids books are great reads, however. Lupica has a real knack for capturing how kids interact and speak with one another. This genuine feel gives Lupica and his stories a well-earned credibility and acceptance by kids of all ages. And, if Mike is reading this blog, I have included a picture of a certain hockey player - one of my daughters - who could serve as inspiration for his next book.

The White Giraffe Series

The White Giraffe series consists of three books which describe the many adventures of Martine Allen, an 11 year-old girl who lives with her grandmother on a wildlife game reserve in Africa. In The White Giraffe, we first meet Martine who, after her parents are killed in a fire, must leave her home in England to move in with a grandmother she does not know.

As soon as Martine arrives at the reserve she hears whisperings of a mythical animal living there – the legendary white giraffe. Martine finds the white giraffe and they form a unique friendship. But the relationship is threatened when poachers infiltrate the game reserve and target the white giraffe as their next big prize. Martine must use all of her courage and smarts to stop the poachers and save her new friend.

Dolphin Song and The Last Leopard are the next two books in this adventure series. Just like Lupica uses sports in the Comeback Kids series, the author here, Lauren St. John, sets Martine’s adventures against the stunning backdrop of Africa, nature, and life on a game reserve. Readers are engaged by a compelling story while immersed in a world that may seem like fantasy, but is, in fact, real.

Well, there you have it – 8 great books which are also 8 great gift ideas, just in time for the procrastinating holiday shopper. So, give your attic a break and buy some presents that will stay in the household mix to be enjoyed, shared, and discussed for years to come.