Thursday, February 16, 2012

Books make the best gifts




Two years ago my dad got remarried to a woman he met in Mexico.  His wife has a daughter which means that I have a 10 year old stepsister.


Me and Hannia with a dolphin
I love giving books to kids I know plus the fact that I read MG and YA means that I usually give a book that the reader likes.

My dad expressed an interest in books for he and Hannia to read together so I stocked up on my some of my favorite books. Since Hannia speaks Spanish as her first language I also tried to find books in Spanish. I ended up with a stack of classics like Charlotte's Web, The BFG, the first two Harry Potter books and as well as Esperanza Renace and El Bosque de los Pigmeos both in Spanish.

Yesterday I got a thank you email from my dad saying they are currently reading Charlotte's Web and Esperanza Renace (Esperanza Rising in Spanish) together.  They are very thankful for the Spanish books as he says they are harder for him to find.

My dad isn't a big reader unless the book is about computer-y things.  He is also a dad and not a mom, meaning he doesn't think about things like thank you cards and stuff so to get a thank you email from him is a pretty big deal.  

I am now off to my local Savers in hopes of finding more books in Spanish.

What books have you given that have been a big hit with the recipient?

14 comments:

Unknown said...

Very cool! I do the same thing for a nephew of mine who loves to read. He always gets a stack of my favorite YA reads from the previous year at Holiday time. :)

Sarah said...

I gave The Wayside Story books to my nieces for Christmas and they were a huge hit. Also introduced Laurie R. King to my mystery-loving sister-in-law, who has since read all her books. :)

Golden Eagle said...

Awesome that she's enjoying them! :)

Rachel Schieffelbein said...

I gave The Ordinary Princess to my niece when she was little. It's a great book. :)
Glad your dad and little sister enjoyed the books!

Heather Hellmann said...

I also love giving books as gifts. It makes shopping so much more enjoyable.

Meredith said...

I love giving books! Especially to kids. Awesome choices! I gave my older brother The Art of Fielding for Christmas, and he loved it so much that he gave it back to me insisting that I read it. :)

Annie said...

What fun to have a new little sister! I love to give books as gifts. I'm giving my dad Jack Gantos' "Dead End in Norvelt". Even though it's a middle-grade novel, I know he'll love it. I think it will remind him of his childhood.

Talli Roland said...

Aw, that's so cool! Hm... no. I wish I could say yes!

Barbara Watson said...

Swimming with dolphins? So cool. I'm looking forward to giving copies of Because of Winn-Dixie away for World Book Night (and I buy all sorts of books for my kids and me to read together).

Gerri said...

So great that your dad is reading with your sister...instill the love of reading young. I also give books as gifts. I gave the Little House on the Prairie series to a some young friends of mine. they loved them. They had never heard of Laura Ingalls Wilder...can you imagine? :)

Elana Johnson said...

I love Esperenza Rising! So glad you got her that.

Mary Aalgaard said...

What thoughtful gifts! I gave my niece a horse book, mg novel, for Christmas. We share a love of horese and horse stories, so I chose one I'd like to read, but haven't, yet. My brother said that she kissed the book when she opened it.

Mrs. Silverstein said...

I have mostly very young kids in my family, so the Pigeon books by Mo Willems are my go-tos. It's impossible not to love them. Seriously. Also, I gave my (adult) little sister the Hunger Games books, which are another surefire hit.

My mom just remarried, and my stepdad has daughters about the ages of me and my sister--one of whom had a baby shortly after we became stepsisters. I was so excited to become an aunt--mostly because it means I get to send this child books for her entire life!

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