With Christmas fast approaching, thoughts of what to buy the
children surface once again and the annual panic increases in intensity.
The shops are full of the latest gadgets but how often has one seen the
wrapping torn off, the contents gazed at in wonder for a few seconds,
then cast aside in a grab for the next parcel, never to be retrieved.
What is needed is a gift that will be cherished after the excitement is
over, a siren that calls in the calm after the storm and provides hours
of blissful release from 'What can I do now?' The answer, of course is a
book.
A book is both the worst of gifts and the best of gifts. It is the worst of gifts in that at the moment of exposure in the frenzy of unwrapping it offers no immediate thrill, except, perhaps, a quick perusal of its pictures. There is nothing to taste, nothing to shoot at a sibling or try on the cat, only a warm feeling of intrigue to be indulged at some remote time when the festival is over. But that is what makes it also the best of gifts, because it promises to fill that great anticlimactic void that extends after the days of excitement and, especially in bad weather, becomes every parent's nightmare. Yes, a book that absorbs and keeps Little Betty or Bob quiet for a few hours is the answer to a parent's prayers.
One parent expressed her thanks to the author of such a book in a published review: 'My daughter read this book and she had a hard time putting it down... thank god its March break! Since she is not much of a reader, I give you 5 stars.' This is what creates for parent and child a win-win situation. The child gains hours of enjoyment and the parent gains hours of release to do whatever parents need to do. And to extend the benefit even further, the young mind gains practice in reading and may well painlessly absorb new knowledge.
The best of children's books are written in good language that exemplifies grammatical English and extends adolescent vocabularies. It provides good stories to keep the reading going and eases the journey with wholesome humour. A book that cannot be put down is also likely to be picked up again, and provide lasting pleasure to the child and welcome post-festival relief for the parent.
A book is both the worst of gifts and the best of gifts. It is the worst of gifts in that at the moment of exposure in the frenzy of unwrapping it offers no immediate thrill, except, perhaps, a quick perusal of its pictures. There is nothing to taste, nothing to shoot at a sibling or try on the cat, only a warm feeling of intrigue to be indulged at some remote time when the festival is over. But that is what makes it also the best of gifts, because it promises to fill that great anticlimactic void that extends after the days of excitement and, especially in bad weather, becomes every parent's nightmare. Yes, a book that absorbs and keeps Little Betty or Bob quiet for a few hours is the answer to a parent's prayers.
One parent expressed her thanks to the author of such a book in a published review: 'My daughter read this book and she had a hard time putting it down... thank god its March break! Since she is not much of a reader, I give you 5 stars.' This is what creates for parent and child a win-win situation. The child gains hours of enjoyment and the parent gains hours of release to do whatever parents need to do. And to extend the benefit even further, the young mind gains practice in reading and may well painlessly absorb new knowledge.
The best of children's books are written in good language that exemplifies grammatical English and extends adolescent vocabularies. It provides good stories to keep the reading going and eases the journey with wholesome humour. A book that cannot be put down is also likely to be picked up again, and provide lasting pleasure to the child and welcome post-festival relief for the parent.
Saint George, Rusty Knight, and Monster Tamer is a series of nine self-contained historical short stories which introduces George, a hapless knight who has an unusual skill for monster taming, and which, with wit and delightful aplomb takes the young reader on an adventurous journey though some significant moments in history.
Historical Novel Society, February 2016.
http://www.amazon.com/Saint-George-Rusty-Knight-Monster/dp/1910508195/ref=cm_cr_pr_pdt_img_top?ie=UTF8
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Saint-George-Rusty-Knight-Monster/dp/1910508195/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1EEZ4CA5ZNVKJ0ZZNGTN
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