| Books make wonderful gifts, but it can be
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| | which require a certain level of maturity
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| hard to select the right book. As
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| | to deal with and parents will know best
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| publishers of children's books, we are
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| | whether their child is ready to deal with
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| often asked for advice on selecting a
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| | content like this.
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| book for a birthday or holiday gift.
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| | 4. If you have no clue, there are some
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| Here are suggestions about how to select
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| | topic areas that most children enjoy.
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| the perfect book to give to your niece,
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| | Humor, fairy tales, and animal stories
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| nephew, friend's child, or grandchild.
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| | have broad appeal. Our experience
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| 1. Knowing age and gender does help.
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| | indicates that Japanese manga (comic
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| Now we know you may not remember exactly
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| | books) are very popular in urban areas of
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| how old the child was at their last
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| | the US right now, but not nearly as
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| birthday, but being in the ballpark is
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| | welcome in rural areas. Manga varies
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| useful. If the child is preschool age,
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| | wildly in content from "great for kids"
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| you will choose different material than
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| | to "strictly for adults". Pay attention
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| if they are in high school. Also, if you
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| | to what you select.
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| don't see the child often enough to know
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| | 5. Ask for help. Bookstores often have
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| about their interests, knowing whether
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| | a bookseller who manages the children's
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| you are choosing a book for a boy or girl
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| | book collection. This person is a
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| can help define what type of book will be
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| | valuable resource about the most popular
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| welcome.
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| | books. They also will often know what
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| 2. Talk with the child's parents. Ask
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| | choices might work for your situation.
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| about the child's current interests,
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| | Having followed the tips above, you
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| activities, or hobbies. Books related to
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| | should be able to provide the bookseller
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| what a child is doing make great gifts.
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| | with enough information for them to come
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| You can find books specifically about the
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| | up with several recommendations.
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| topic or books which incorporate the
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| | Librarians are another good resource.
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| topic as part of a story. For instance,
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| | 6. "Tweeners" are a challenge. There
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| if the child is fascinated by snakes, you
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| | are lots of books for young children and
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| could choose a scientifically-oriented
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| | lots of books for adults, but the
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| book with pictures and information about
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| | in-between years of 10 to 15 years old
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| snakes or you could choose a story book
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| | can present something of a challenge.
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| featuring a snake.
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| | The books for young children are too
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| 3. Be sensitive to family values. Make
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| | childish for these budding adults, but
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| your gift a happy addition to the family
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| | the books for adults tend to have strong
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| rather than a bone of contention. The
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| | thematic elements which are not
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| most common issue is religious content.
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| | appropriate to this age. Our best advice
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| Most parents we talk to do not want books
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| | for this group is to buy classics.
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| for their children which press any
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| | Authors like Robert Louis Stevenson, Jane
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| particular religious point of view. We
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| | Austen, or Mark Twain, the Nancy Drew or
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| have heard this from people of all faith
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| | the Hardy Boy series are all good
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| backgrounds. Other content on which you
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| | possibilities. Writers from previous
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| would want to understand the parents'
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| | eras presented material differently.
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| position, or simply avoid, include level
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| | Using these suggestions, you'll find
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| of violence, sexual content, and sexual
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| | great books to give to the children on
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| orientation. These all tend to be areas
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| | your gift list.
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