Books make great gifts- easy to tidy up, no wasteful packaging and they don’t take up loads of room. Whilst initially they may not generate the excitement of a huge plastic toy – they will most likely outlive it, and continue being enjoyed long after the festive season.
For the very young, board books are a great option- sturdy enough to be dropped, chewed and sat on. We love Nee Naw – full of exciting vehicles toddlers are obsessed with – and you get to make all the noises together.
Children’s picture story books come in so many styles – pick one you like as it will probably be read over and over again! Our favourite book is Bear – it’s all about sharing but as our bear discovers, sometimes we just don’t want to.
Once children can read a little by themselves it’s onto chapter books – longer stories read a bit at a time over a few days, still with lots of pictures to keep their interest. We love the cheeky humour of Gordon, the meanest goose on earth. Each book takes him on another wacky adventure.
More confident readers might enjoy The Floating Witch Mystery – black cat on a boat- what’s not to like!
Reluctant readers might enjoy a book based on something they already like – we love the Wallace And Grommit Vengeance Most Fowl which fans of the film will appreciate.
Older children might enjoy a much loved classic – our favourites are Charlotte’s Web, The Chronicles of Narnia.
For fantasy fans try the Impossible Creatures books by Katherine Rundell – an imaginative story that adults will enjoy too.
There’s also a huge selection of more picture based books like Dog Man and Bunny vs Monkey which are great for reading alone.
We also really like The Village Beyond The Mist – it’s the story that inspired the film Spirited Away.
This post was written by Victoria Bonner who runs the Hold Fast Bookshop, onboard Marjorie R, moored at Leeds Dock.
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