gifts

  • Crafty Gifts for the Holidays and Beyond

    As year-end holidays approach, you may be looking to supplement (or replace!) store-bought gifts with handmade items. Take inspiration from one of the books below and make use of these dark winter evenings to make a homemade gift. Made with Love: Get Hooked with 30 Knitting and Crochet Patterns by Tom Daley British diver and… Continue reading

  • D.I.Y. Holiday? The Time to Start is…NOW!

    Yes, yes, it’s two weeks before Thanksgiving, and for many of us it’s too early to think of the holidays. But for those who are among the ranks of making gifts for loved ones, the time to start is…NOW!  Check out these do-it-yourself books to help you make that special gift that will be cherished… Continue reading

  • Gift Books for Kids (Nonfiction is your friend!)

    ~posted by Selby G. If you are reading this post to get ideas about what book to gift a child for the holidays you are probably envisioning a fiction book. Maybe a classic like Treasure Island or an award winner such as Brown Girl Dreaming. And although I fully support loading a kid’s life with… Continue reading

  • Gift Giving Ideas

    This is the time of the year when many people give gifts. Some people are easy to buy for and others are more challenging. We have both types on our lists! For inspiration, we took a look at books on gift giving in the library’s collection, did some internet searching and brainstorming, and came up… Continue reading

  • Last Minute Gift Ideas: Best Musicals

    Need help finding a last-minute gift for Broadway-loving friends? Here are a few suggestions of recent original cast recordings that should brighten their holidays! Three of these shows were nominated for the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical and the fourth one is in the running for a nomination for 2009. “In The Heights”, by… Continue reading

  • Books for Giving: Board Books for Children

    One of the best gifts you can give to a child is a lifelong love of reading, and it is never too early to start. Plant a reading seed and watch it grow! Here are some fun suggestions for the youngest “readers” on your gift list: Tractor, Tractor by David Bedford Hard-working farm tractors provide… Continue reading

  • Books for Giving: Nonfiction for Children

    Here are a few of our children’s librarians’ choices for great nonfiction books for children: Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteauby Jennifer Berne This dreamy picture book biography tells the story of the young French boy who fell in love with the sea and grew up to become the world’s most famous oceanographer.  L Is… Continue reading

  • Books for Giving: Children’s Picture Books

    Books are the gift that adults most often remember from their childhood (“I am looking for a book I read when I was little. I think that the cover was blue and there was something about a pig… or maybe it was a sheep…”), and are often the only childhood “toy” that people hold onto… Continue reading

  • Books for Giving: Chapter Books for Children

    It’s exciting to see the pride and curiosity children experience when reading chapter books independently. Of course, reading chapter books together with an adult is a memory to be treasured. Here are some chapter books that make excellent choices for wanting to read more, more, more! Baseball Crazy: Ten Short Stories that Cover All the… Continue reading

  • Books for Giving: Multicultural Children’s Books

    Here are 10 books for exploring and celebrating our diverse cultures. Alfredito Flies Home by Jorge Argueta Alfredito and his family look forward to visiting their relatives in El Salvador for the first time since arriving as refugees in the United States several years before. The Umbrella Queen by Shirin Yim Bridges Charming illustrations embellish the… Continue reading

  • Books for Giving: Irresistible Books for Children

    Looking for gift ideas that a young reader will want to read independently? Try one of these books, suggested by our fabulous Children’s Librarians. The Raucous Royals: Test Your Royal Wits: Crack Codes, Solve Mysteries, and Deduce Which Royal Rumors Are True by Carlyn Beccia Become a history detective. Read the facts and decide for… Continue reading

  • Books for Giving: Children’s Classics

    Holidays are a perfect time to connect young readers with books—the right books, that is. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and others often ask us for suggestions about what to give (as well as what to check out!). Our children’s librarians created seven themed lists to help you find a book that will be enjoyed. Print copies… Continue reading

  • Literally, the best gifts ever for a grammar lover

    Every few years, a book comes along that is an absolutely perfect gift for those brave souls who never confuse their pronouns nor mix their tenses. Four years ago, that book was Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss; three years ago it was Maira Kalman’s elegant, witty illustrations that made it imperative that I… Continue reading