Give a kid a book challenge

I was looking at the gifts I bought for the steplettes for Christmas. They got the usual clothes, toys…and books. I realized that I buy a fair number of books for them as gifts. The eldest is a huge lover of fantasy, whereas the younger one is pickier (though he seems to like urban fantasy right now).

A lot of people who want to buy books for their kids or teens don't know what to bought. So, I thought that I could ask YOU for suggestions. In December, I'm going to put together a list separated by age group and genre.

Also, I want to challenge everyone to take one of the book suggestions and donate to a local homeless shelter, abused women's shelter, Teens at Risk group, local Toy runs, etc. When I worked with homeless people, I was shocked by how many of the youth did not have a favourite book; many had not ever read for pleasure. Some had learning disabilities, some were near illiterate, some were just never taught how important education was. But, when my co-worker, Cindy, brought in a used library and set it up for folks to take books, I saw people reading. Magazines, novels, how-to manuals, children's books, religious texts – you name it, people were reading it.

Reading opens worlds.

So, post your suggestions in the comments below. Folks have been posting over on my Facebook fan page, too. Don't worry – those are coming over here in the final tally. All I ask is that you identify the genre/age group. Please only suggest works available in physical books, as I want this to be something that anyone can use and not be hindered by not having internet, computers, etc.