Shopping for a child who loves to read sounds easy. Just buy them a book, right? Then you walk into a bookstore and discover several thousand possibilities. Which one haven't they read? Which series do they already own? Are they still interested in dragons, or was that six months ago? Do they like fantasy or mysteries now? And how did a nine-year-old manage to accumulate more books than most adults? The wonderful thing about shopping for a reader is that you don't have to fin

A child's home library doesn't need to begin with a wall of custom bookshelves and hundreds of perfectly organized books. It can begin with five books in a basket. Then a birthday book gets added. A favorite from the bookstore. A book from Grandma. A story discovered at a library sale. A few books arrive in the mail. Before long, that basket needs a shelf. If you're wondering how to build a home library for a child, the most important thing to know is that you don't have to b

Most adults who want a child to read more have good intentions. We know reading matters. We want children to become confident readers, discover stories they love, and build skills that will help them throughout their lives. But there's a difference between encouraging reading and turning every book into an assignment. Christmas morning probably isn't the time for: "Here's a book. When you finish it, I'm going to ask you ten questions about it." If you're looking for Christmas

Buying Christmas gifts for kids can be surprisingly difficult when you are not the person who lives with them every day. Maybe you are a grandparent shopping for several grandchildren. Maybe you are an aunt or uncle who knows your niece is eight but has absolutely no idea what eight-year-olds are interested in right now. You might be shopping for a godchild, a friend's child, or a family member you only see a few times a year. Finding Christmas gifts for kids you don't know w