Dear Readers,
I just love this time of year. My garden sleeps, sometimes under a cozy blanket of snow, as it prepares for the growing season in the distant Spring. For me, though, the preparations are all for the holidays. Whether one celebrates Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Festivus, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or any combination of these, it's a time when people love to get together and, often, share gifts. So that got me to thinking--what better thing to share with you this issue than gift ideas for young readers?
Readers begin in the cradle, of course. Books can help children use their imaginations, expand their creativity, and learn about the world around them. The classics, such asGoodnight Moon, have drawings and meters that babies only a few months old can enjoy. And they'll continue to love them as they get older. The list of great rhyming books is too long for one column, but you can find as many as you need by spending a few minutes in your favorite book store. While you're there, pick up a copy of Moo Cow Book by Sandra Boynton. It has a variety of textures for baby to enjoy. One of my favorite baby gifts is the Fisher Price Storybook Projection Soother. This crib-side toy not only has an indestructible cloth book attached, but it plays soothing music and projects pictures onto the ceiling. Best of all, it's an activity that babies can operate themselves, allowing Dad and Mom a few extra precious moments of peace after baby wakes up in the morning.
When infants become toddlers or preschoolers, rhyming, counting, and ABC books are always a good bet for a gift. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a perennial favorite. Another I love to read to my youngsters is Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo, by Rosetta Stone, a lesser-known pseudonym for Theodor Geisel (better known as Dr. Seuss). For poetry with humor, our family loves Shel Silverstein's many books. I also love the picture book of Robert Frost's Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening, illustrated by Susan Jeffers. Non-rhyming text is also good at this age. A personal favorite is Corduroy, by Don Freeman. It's the story of a teddy bear in a department store that is missing a button. It also teaches empathy--a good trait in any human. For activity gifts, I recommend Winnie the Pooh Chalk Board Fun. True--it does encourage children to draw in the book, but it encourages hand-eye control, and unlike a coloring book with crayons or markers, can be used again and again. Another toy for preschoolers to help them get ready for reading and writing is the Talk and Trace Clipboard. Paddington Bear books by Michael Bond are also going to be a big hit this season, especially with a movie coming out about our favorite emigrant from Darkest Peru.
For school-aged kids, early readers are always welcome. Dr. Seuss is a must in any child's library, of course, but I also recommend some lovely stories by BWG's own Will Wright. You can find his e-books of short stories, Without a Tear and Salt For the Journey, at Smashwords.com. He also has stories in the Bethlehem Writers Group's anthologies A Christmas Sampler and Once Around the Sun. For the best picture books, you can see those that won the Caldecott Award for the most distinguished America picture books.
Once they get into chapter books, children have a wealth of riches from which to choose. My kids have loved the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich, and All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor. Each allows young readers to stretch their imaginations by moving into worlds that are very different from their own. And they're ready for winners of the Newbery Award for distinguished contribution to children's literature. Of course, the Harry Potterseries continues to entertain, and grows with the child. The first book is ideal for middle grade readers, but as the series continues, the books become more appropriate for older children.
Favorite historical or fantasy books that we remember from our youth don't really get outdated, but they can go out of print. Fortunately, we can still purchase used, and sometimes even new, copies through one of the many online used book dealers. I've had great success with abebooks.com, alibris.com, andbookfinder.com, just to name a few.
These days, many children have their noses in television, computer, or tablet screens, but back-lit screens can actually make it harder for them to go to sleep. So each night, the little Wryte-Goodes and I cuddle up with a good book--or two--made of paper and ink. Then we leave our troubles behind as we enter the world of fiction.
I hope this list helps you and the children in your life have a very happy holiday season.
Cheers!
Betty Wryte-Goode
Betty Wryte-Goode is a writer and mother who lives in the Lehigh Valley. Her passions include writing, reading, shopping, gardening, and exploring the internet. Betty is always looking for writing tips, so if you have any you would like to share, please send them to her through our Submissions/Contacts page.
Mixed Up Words of the Month:
Peace vs.
Piece
Most of us can probably understand these homophones sufficiently to distinguish the difference between a "piece" of pumpkin pie and "peace" on earth, but lately I've observed a piece of erroneous writing with which I am not at peace.
Specifically, the phrase "piece of mind" keeps popping up; a cliche which, unfortunately for the writers concerned, simply does not exist. Rather, the correct phase is "peace of mind," as in "hearing the doctor's reassuring words brought me peace of mind." In other words, the mind of the writer, which was once troubled, is now at peace.
The erroneous phrase "piece of mind" makes it sounds like the writer is lacking a chunk of the brain and must wander the world in search of her missing parts. An amusing image, to be sure, but not a correct idiom.
I believe this confusion is rooted in another expression, "a piece of my mind," as in "I'm going to go give that bully a piece of my mind." To give someone a piece of your mind is to tell them off, to let them know what you think of them or of their behavior. It stems from conflict, which is probably why you rarely see the reverse error "I'm going to give that bully a peace of my mind."
It would give me great peace of mind if I could trust that everyone would brush up on their homophones. The next writer who conflates peace and piece will certainly get a piece of my mind.