Buying books for children at Christmas, or any other gift-giving holiday, is one of the best things you can do during the festive season. Sure, I may be biased, but said bias is rooted in solid logic. Both books and Christmas have imagination at their hearts with a little dash of reflection and thoughtfulness. They both involve an exchange; be it the physical exchange of gifts and good wishes or the exchange of thoughts and ideas. And we cannot forget about the absolute pleasure of a little bit of quiet in the house after all the festivities (and the morning after them of course!).
There are many amazing lists already being compiled about the top books to buy this Christmas and so I am not going to do that. Instead I want to maybe lend a hand with the technical stuff and share my top tips for buying books for the children in your lives this Christmas.
1. Know (roughly) what you are looking for
When you enter the shop and you request some advice regarding a present, there are a handful of questions you should be ready for so you receive the best service. Have a think about:
What age is the child?
What relation are you to them?
Are they big readers?
Do they have siblings?
How much do you want to spend?
Each of these questions is important for different reasons. Some of them are obvious but even if you only know roughly what age they are it is a help! If it is the child of a distant cousin who always does the rounds on Christmas Eve, then you might want to go with something new but obscure so you reduce the risk of them already having it at home.
Their reading level is also important – for many children their age and reading ability are not always a perfect match and if you are privy to such information it can really help narrow the search. Middle grade, for example, (8-12 years) has so large a range because there is such a wide gap between the ages ability wise.
If they have older siblings then they may have inherited older books and popular series from them; if they have younger then more delicate books could fall into the wrong hands.
2. Don’t assume they will love the same books you did
There are some books which will always be classics and will always be stocked. Enid Blyton and CS Lewis are prime examples of this and of course they do have their place but for most children, the world which they describe is almost fantasy (and I’m not talking about Narnia here) and the language is far removed from that which they are used to. Earlier this year Judi Curtin released a new book which centres around time travel where they travel back to the far distant past, also known as the ’80s, and the kids could barely name the related images on the cover. It might as well be 200 years ago for how much they can relate! So please keep this in mind when you are buying your books. It does not mean they won’t love them, but we must remember the world they are living in.
3. Ask about the series
You find a book on the main “New Releases” table. It is the right age group, it looks gripping and it looks like the story was made for little Charlotte down the road. You buy it and go home to wrap it and as you turn the book you see something written on the spine you hadn’t noticed in your excitement. A big number 4. If in doubt ask at the till whether you are buying the first in a series and if not, do if they have the first one. No one wants to start a movie halfway through; the same goes for books.
4. Go early
If there is one thing I have learned over the years about booksellers and especially those in children’s departments, it is that we love to chat about the books. If we were allowed, we would have a table in the middle of the section with tea and biscuits at the ready to sit down and find the perfect books for a child. As the Big Day gets closer and closer, there is less time for those big conversations and the mad Christmas rush takes over. Although we try our very best to give as much time as we can to all who come through the door, there is nothing like being able to focus and spend time with just you. So if you get a chance, come and talk to us now, before the rush. Have your presents in mind and even if you do not want to buy on the day, you will have some of the leg work done and you can treat yourself to a mince pie afterwards to celebrate!
5. Parents, take note
This one also goes for aunties and uncles, grandparents and friends. If you are in the bookshop with the kids you are buying for, take note of what they pick up even if they don’t expressly ask for it. It will give you a better idea of what catches their eye and if they don’t like the look of something, ask why. Sometimes what they don’t like is more helpful than what they do! If something looks like a winner and you can’t find it the next time you shop, let us know and if there is enough time we can order it back in for you. We are also super good at hiding things around the till if you need to pay for things on the sly.
At the end of the day, everyone wants the kids to have an amazing Christmas. When the house is full of children, the day really does revolve around them and so you want nothing but smiles all round. For some, opening the perfect book on the day is their idea of heaven while for others the chance to pick their own books is an important part of feeling grown up. For that reason do not underestimate the power of the book token or voucher! Of course these are just ideas – whether you are shopping a month early or on Christmas Eve, want a huge box set or just a modest paperback, you are doing a hugely important thing in nurturing their love of reading and sure, isn’t that what it is all about?
Lorraine Levis works for Dubray as a children’s book buyer
