Young Friends Bookshelf
I recently learned about the Icelandic tradition Jolabokaflod, or “Christmas book flood.” On Christmas Eve, people give books to their loved ones as a sign of love and hope during a dark time of year. Many stay up all night reading their new books rather than save them for the cold, dark months ahead. And in Iceland, most new books are published between October and Christmas. You can read more about this tradition in the 2022 children’s book The Christmas Book Flood by Emily Kilgore and illustrated by Kitty Moss.
As you read this edition of our Young Friends Bookshelf and consider your own gift giving list this holiday season, I would like to suggest that in addition to the children in your life, you think of others who might benefit from a gift of a book. Perhaps your child’s teacher could use it in their classroom. As a retired educator, I appreciated such gifts more than a mug or a candle. Maybe your meeting needs some new children’s books for their collection. A book or two on the shelf is a lovely thing to share with children attending or visiting your meeting. Recently, one of my friends mentioned a school library near her that has no budget for new books this fiscal year. Libraries are often the first line item affected when school administrators face budget cuts. Some librarians, and meetings for that matter, keep wish lists containing titles they would like to add. Perhaps someone on the Religious Education Committee can help guide your selection based on the upcoming First-day school curriculum.
Lastly, a book does not necessarily need to be a new publication to be useful. You’ll find a wealth of ideas in our archives at Friendsjournal.org/books. For example, a decade ago, The King of Little Things by Bil Lepp and illustrated by David T. Wenzel was reviewed in our pages by Margaret T. Walden. In 2022, a paperback version came out for approximately half the original price. The book has not aged at all. This is just one of many similar titles I could suggest. Email me and I’d be happy to help!
—Eileen Redden, Young Friends Book Review Editor, yfbooks@friendsjournal.org
Ages 3–7
Ages 4–8
Ages 5–8
Ages 6–9
Ages 7–10
Ages 9–12
Ages 9–16
Ages 10 and up
Ages 12 and up
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