For all of your holiday shopping needs, here are 105 Ways to Give a Book — now updated and grouped by (approximate) age. Within categories, the books are generally in order, with newer books first. Sometimes I pick up the paperback version in that calculation, and sometimes not. Keeps it interesting. Will I be doing more book matches? I doubt that I’ll be able to resist.
Multi-Age
- Give an experience like a trip to a zoo, aquarium, museum, aviary, arena, or city. Put the passes, tickets, or homemade gift certificate with a relevant book to make it feel more tangible.
- Take a road trip to a state or national park with Could You? Would You? so you can use the driving time to ask each other the interesting questions from the book.
- Give a book with a movie theater gift card to see the upcoming film.
- Give a book with a gift card to rent the movie. Include a box of microwave popcorn.
- Give One Hen — How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference with a loan to Kiva or a donation to Heifer International to buy chicks. For more charity and book matches, look to this list from Abby the Librarian.
- Pair any book with another book from the bargain section, maybe something silly or crafty or gimmicky.
- Pair a detective book with a magnifying glass.
- Match poetry books with poetry beads or magnetic poetry.
- Pair a picture book with a related stuffed animal.
- Give an interesting, insightful book with a restaurant gift card and a date to discuss the book together over a meal.
- Give Jeremy Draws a Monster with a pack of fat crayons and a stack of copy paper from an office supply store.
- Pair The Curious Garden with gardening tools and seeds.
- What else can go with Monkey With A Tool Belt and the new Monkey With A Tool Belt and the N
10 Comments on 105 Ways to Give a Book, last added: 12/3/2009Display Comments Add a Comment
Thanks, Pam! These are such wonderful ideas and I can't imagine how much work went into making it so easy for us.
Holy wow, that's a list! Thanks. I always look forward to this.
I really enjoyed your website! Your book reviews are wonderful reading. Have you heard of Danny the Dragon? It’s worth a review: http://DannyTheDragon.com Please let me know if you are interested in reviewing this nominee for Best Children’s Book of 2009! [email protected] Thank you, Rosie
Pam,
What a lot of work! Thanks so much for gathering this - it's a FANTASTIC resource!
:)
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I really enjoyed your website! Your book reviews are wonderful reading. Have you heard of Danny the Dragon? It’s worth a review: http://DannyTheDragon.com Please let me know if you are interested in reviewing this nominee for Best Children’s Book of 2009! [email protected] Thank you, Rosie
My daughter is receiving a FurReal Friends Lulu My Cuddlin Kitty Cat from Santa. I have a feeling he is also bringing her the book "There Are Cats in This Book" by Viviane Schwarz. Even Santa knows to pair a book with a gift!
What wonderful ideas - thanks! I'm going to put a couple of them on my list right now.
My personal favorite is the last one. Minus the books.
Thank you, Pam, for doing all the hard thinking for me! Now if only you would come over and wrap all my presents, too. :)
And thank you so much for mentioning Operation Yes paired with little green army men. Whenever I bring any LGM to a signing, the kids (and adults) want to play with them..
Thanks so much for your recommendation of the Geography of Bliss--I wasn't familiar with it but immediately ordered it for myself! I was fortunate enough to spend a year traveling in Europe after college on a Watson fellowship and it brought back many memories of those days sitting in cafes and talking to strangers...the book not only made me laugh out loud but also made me think, two attributes that don't always go together!
What a complete list! But I couldn't resist adding one suggestion: a copy of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, along with a homemade pie (preferably not the potato peel variety).