Wednesday, December 21, 2011

holiday gift guide: books

this is my last "gift guide" post.  i think no christmas is complete without some really great reading material.  this past year, i have come to know more about the publisher, lee and low books.  they are an independent publishing company focused on diversity. 

i was thankful to win a set of books through a blog giveaway.  while some of the books were better liked than others, overall, i really appreciate the mission and vision of this company to make books celebrating diversity more accessible and available.
lilianna's favorite book of all time is one that we received in our prize pack.  baby born takes the reader through the first year of a baby's life, month by month, comparing the developmental stages of a baby to the passing of the seasons (in october, baby's gap-toothed smile is compared a jack-o'-lantern's; at thanksgiving the baby can say "mum-mum-mum / when she sees the turkey come").  there is something about the really cute drawings and the rhythmic rhymes that appeals to lilianna.  she asks us to read this one over and over.
seeds of change is an award-winning book about nobel-prize winner wangari maathai.  when she had the opportunity to be educated, as few girls did, her mind sprouted like a seed as she learned more and more at school.  i can't say this is the top choice of any of my kids, but i want them to have exposure to the idea that for education is a gift that some people never receive.  i want them to see the strides that have been made, particularly on behalf of the girls to give them the incredible opportunities they now have access to.
as part of my involvement in the book club, teen lit rocks!, i received a free copy of under the mesquite.  this story is fascinating, in party because the whole thing is written as poetry.  in the book, i learned the story of a mexican girl who learned how to make her way in the united states while going through the trauma of her mother's cancer and ultimate death.  i think zoe will be ready for this in a year or two.  i love that she will learn about another culture, as well as gain experience in reading poetry in such an accessible format.

i highly value the mission and vision of lee and low books.  i hope that you will take a look at the choices they have available and see if any of them would be a good fit for your family.


while i have received all of the above books for free from lee and low books (as well as a few additional books), i have not been compensated for this post nor asked to write it.  i simply wanted to share with you a valuable resource in the form of a company that i think is worthy of my support.

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