Shopping for a kid who loves to read can seem easy at first. Just buy them a book, right? But if you have ever stood in the children's section trying to choose between hundreds of books, you know it is not always that simple. You want to find something that fits their age, catches their interest, and feels like a gift chosen especially for them. And sometimes you want something that lasts a little longer than the excitement of opening presents. Whether you are shopping for yo

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

Christmas morning is exciting. The wrapping paper is everywhere. Someone can't find the scissors even though they were just holding them. Batteries are suddenly the most valuable resource in the house. And then, surprisingly quickly, Christmas morning is over. That's one reason gifts that keep giving all year for kids can be so much fun. Instead of putting all of the excitement into one morning, these gifts give children something to look forward to, use, learn from, or enjoy

You found a book that seems perfect. You wrapped it. The child opens it. And then you hear: “I already have this one.” It's exactly the situation most people are trying to avoid when giving books as gifts. A child doesn't need two identical copies of the same book, and when you've carefully chosen a Christmas or birthday present, finding out they already own it can be disappointing for both the child and the person giving it. The problem is especially difficult for grandparen

Books can feel like the perfect gift for a child right up until one thought stops you: What if they already have it? That question gets harder when you're shopping for a child who loves to read. A grandchild with a packed bookshelf may own dozens or even hundreds of books, and unless you live in the same house, there is no reasonable way to remember all of them. Learning how to choose books for a child when you don't know what they already own isn't about finding some magical

Giving someone a book club for Christmas sounds simple until you start thinking through the details. Do you use your address or the child's address? Does something arrive before Christmas? What if the child already owns one of the books? Do the parents have to return anything? Does the gift automatically renew? And how do you make something shipped by a company actually feel like it came from you? Learning how to give a book club as a gift before you order can make the entire

Some Christmas presents create one exciting moment. A child tears off the wrapping paper, plays with the gift, and eventually moves on to the next package under the tree. A kids book club Christmas gift works a little differently. Instead of putting the entire experience into Christmas morning, you are giving a child something they can continue looking forward to after the decorations come down. New books arrive, the child gets another package with their name on it, and their