The holidays are fast approaching, and it's good to be prepared. Today, I'll be posting my holiday book gift guide for anyone who is looking for ideas or suggestions for what to pick up! Books can be a wonderful gift, especially when it comes to encouraging imagination and literacy in a child or an adult, but there are just so many books out there that it can be difficult knowing what to pick. Working in a bookstore, specifically in the kids section, I've had the opportunity to read hundreds of children's books and have created a recommended list that covers a broad variety of interests and age groups. There are some classic books, and some new books that maybe you haven't heard of, but all of these books on the following list have been selected based on the single idea of bringing joy into the life of the person you're giving it to. 0-2 years oldThese books focus on educational learning opportunities presented in a fun way, through a silly story with colourful pictures or a tactile book that encourages listening, thinking, and engaging with the book that's being read.
3-5 years oldAt this age, children are beginning to get more curious and can handle more fragile books! This is a great chance to start introducing hardcover story books to them to engage their imagination, or help them settle down after an exciting day.
6-8 years oldThis is where chapter books begin! It can be difficult to make the transition from a picture book to a full chapter book, so the books on this list have a great variety. A book like Mighty Robot is in full colour and varies the amount of text on a page to challenge a child without overwhelming them. The Geronimo Stilton series is also in full colour, and gives full pages of text interspersed with new words being written in bright colours and funky fonts. Other books, like the Beast Quest and Never Girls series have full text pages in black and white, and are a great introduction to what a chapter book becomes once you reach the 9-12 age bracket.
9-12 years oldOnce you've hit the 9-12 mark for buying books, the books you're going to look at will vary based on the child's interests. This list is a great starting point, either to just pick a book from or to start a discussion with a bookseller to find something along that general concept. Some books are great transitions from the 6-8 level of reading into something larger and more complicated, like the Ever After High, Galactic Hotdogs, Big Nate, Diary of a Wimpy Kid series are. Big Nate and Diary of a Wimpy kid are always popular suggestions, but as they're very popular and very well known, I decided to not put them on the list as pretty much any individual working in a book store will know of them and be able to recommend them. For this particular age group, I chose some newer books that are by newer authors that aren't very well known yet, along with some authors who have had new books come out recently for their series.
Hopefully this list of books helps you with your shopping, holiday or otherwise!
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Alas.
I haven't been able to read as many books as I had hoped. I worked my way through four books this month, but I was really hoping to get a book done every 3-4 days. Instead, I've been working on character commissions (they still take me forever to do) and video editing. Books for August:
There is a time in every girl's life where she comes to a realization.... it IS possible to have too many books...I just recently moved, and while unpacking my boxes of stuff, I've noticed a disturbing trend. My books have nowhere to go. I have about 4 large, full-sized bookcases that are absolutely full of books. I still have another 3 boxes of books to go.
Before moving, I had created an inventory of all my books, just in case something got lost. At the time of that count, I had roughly 450 books in my personal collection. I've since amassed at least another 200, so my count is sitting at roughly 600 books at this point in time. Now, to be fair, a bunch are gifts for people, so I can probably remove an odd 50 books or so, but still. Moving all of these also made me realize just how much stuff I own, and how annoying it is to pack and unpack it all. So it is now my goal to read through the books I'm unfamiliar with, or don't have any strong attachments to, to see if I love them or am indifferent. The indifferent ones will most likely be donated to a local school or library. I'll be creating a post each month with the books I've finished reading, and whether they're going to be a yay or nay. Stay tuned!
Very sad that I haven't been able to read as much as I'd like.
Truthfully, I have the time to read, but my job stresses me out so much that I would rather just numb my brain to the tune of video games, and I continue to play them until bed. I also have next to no alone time, so I feel guilty for trying to do a solo activity when in the company of others. I should probably mention that. Ah well. Recent books from January 2014- November 18, 2014:
If I think of any more, I'll add them or create a new list. I feel like I've forgotten quite a few books... Some of them I actually bought, so I have completely forgotten which ones they were, but should I remember, I shall be sure to add them. The list below consists only of the books I have borrowed.. >.> October's books
November's Books
December's Books*
*Updated December 25, 2013
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KS ProxyWelcome to my book discussion! Here I'll be posting the books I'm reading, along with my opinions on how I felt about them. If a book gives me a strong enough impression, the review will probably make it to the front page of my standard blog. Archives
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