UF Education Professor Recommends Children's Books For The Holidays

December 11, 1998

GAINESVILLE — This holiday season, you can give children the gift of knowledge, feed their imaginations and broaden their horizons.

They can see the world from the moon’s point of view, learn the importance of diligence and walk through the history of the world.

It can all happen with the gift of a book, and a University of Florida professor has compiled a list of titles she says are good choices this holiday season.

“You can’t find a better gift for a child than a good book,” said Linda Lamme, a professor in the University of Florida’s College of Education. “Reading a book can change your life, bring information and introduce you to different perspectives and ideas. There is no greater gift than helping a child become a reader, a person who truly enjoys literature.”

Lamme compiled the list of books with the help of UF education students taking her class in children’s literature. The recommendations are based on the books’ ability to enlighten, inform and entertain.

Lamme said shoppers should make sure books are accurate and devoid of gender, ethnic and cultural stereotypes. She also said the best books are those with well-developed characters that will seem real to the child, because they bring the book to life and help make the story memorable.

“In general, you should look for books that are entertaining as well as informative,” she said. “You want to find a book that will make you a better person after you’ve read it.”

For young children ages 3 to 7, Lamme recommends “Something Beautiful” by Shannon Dennis Wyeth, a story about a child from a poor neighborhood who works to beautify her home and, in the process, learns that beauty comes from within.

“This book can show children that everyone has their own definition of beautiful,” Lamme said. “It teaches you that you can make the things around you beautiful.” She also recommends for young readers:

• “Thank You, Mr. Faulkner” by Patricia Polacco, a book about reading disabilities;
• “Best Friends” by Loretta Krupinski, in which two girls from different cultural backgrounds become friends; and
• “Haircuts at Sleepy Sam’s” by Michael Strickland, illustrated by Keaf Holliday, a humorous book about a boy’s trip to the city to get his hair cut.

For older children ages 11 and up, “The Storyteller’s Bead” by Jane Kurtz is at the top of Lamme’s list. It is about an Ethiopian girl who flees oppression in the 1980s. She also recommends for older children:

• “Flapjack Waltzes” by Nancy Hope Wilson, about a 12-year-old girl dealing with the death of her brother; and
• “Cast Two Shadows” by Ann Rinaldi, about a young girl who struggles because she is female, biracial and Southern during the American Revolution.

For children of all ages, Lamme says that “Squids Will Be Squids: Fresh Morsels, Beastly Fables” by Jon Scieska, is a clever compilation of quirky, humorous fables that are sure to entertain. She also recommends:
“No Mirrors in Nana’s House” by Cynthia Saint James, which Lamme said is a sweet, loving look at family life; and
“Toad or Frog, Swamp or Bog: A Big Book of Nature’s Confusables” by Linda Graham Barber, a nonfiction book that entertains children while teaching them some important scientific facts.
Whichever books parents choose for their children this holiday season — and year-round — Lamme said the gift of reading will give children a strong base for the future, making them mentally healthier and more eager to learn.
“Reading gives children a facility with language, an understanding of emotional experiences and a wealth of information about different topics,” Lamme said. “We live through the characters in books, and encouraging your children to read has a tremendous impact on their perspectives on life.”