I Got This One Just for You

Why real paper books are one of the best holiday gifts:

No batteries required, no power cord

Do not need to be put together in advance/no complicated instructions

No replacement parts
Never need to call technical support
Can be reused endlessly
Cannot be accidentally deleted or stuck in your "queue"
No downloading required
Requires actual thought on the part of the gift-giver
Screen never goes blank after 5 minutes
Your favorite pages will be dogeared by no one but you
Easy to share with friends (no Adobe account or upgrade required)
Easily replaced if lost/stolen/damaged
Beautiful illustrations can tell the whole story (no reading required)
Only falls asleep when you do
No calories
Allows reader to take a trip without the need for travel insurance, anxiety about drinking the water, or fear of being robbed or lost
Won't freeze up
May involve time travel/space travel without any scientific knowledge on the part of the reader
Never have to shut down during take-off or landing
Doesn't have to be brand new in order to have value
Easy to wrap
Can be dried out without wasting a bag of rice
Provides a different experience for each person who reads it

Looking for a meaningful gift this holiday season?  Would you like to give a gift that keeps on giving?  I'm not referring to ereaders, ipods, tablets or other electronic devices.  They have their day and then sit neglected and unused when the next hot item arrives on the scene.  Why not choose a book?  A real old-fashioned paper and ink, smells a little like glue and crackles when you're the first one to open it BOOK. 
A book can be a conduit for the reader to experience something new, fresh, and exciting.  Books are one of the few things that actually improve with age-sometimes the readers' age.  There are countless books that have remained enduring favorites.  Children are still willing to follow Alice down the rabbit hole, even thought it's been over one hundred years since she first took the plunge.  The experience you had reading The Hobbit as a child becomes something completely new when you read it again as an adult.  Children in particular know that being read to by someone who loves you or sharing a book with that person is a special memory.  You can't write a heartfelt inscription in your own handwriting on a book that is given electronically.

Of course my kids think they're too old to be read to and they certainly wouldn't want anyone to think they still enjoy picture books.  However, they aren't ready to get rid of any of their favorites just yet.  They have younger cousins who like to be read to when they visit us.  At those times, we can often find them digging through the bookshelves looking for their old favorites.  The pleasure they derive from sharing the book is twofold.  They joy of sharing with family, and the opportunity to remember "the good old days".  ("The good old days" refer to the years before they were at school all day and did nothing but play.)  I hope as they read aloud to the little ones, they hear the voices of their mother and father echoing in the background.  I still use quotes from some of their favorite books to let them know that I remember the good old days too...and those were good days.