Be an Angel - Include a Book

For those kind-hearted people who take a name from an Angel Tree, or otherwise give presents to poor and low-income children, please include an age-appropriate book. If you are given the child's age and they are under 5-years old give them a simply-worded picture book. Rhyming words are fun for this age. If they are elementary school age give them a picture book with a simply worded story line.

These are exactly the demographic who have no books in the home suitable for a child to read.
These are the ones who come to kindergarten at-risk-to-fail. Often they have never been read to in their home. They are probably 2 years behind their agemates in school, if they are already in elementary school.

Older elementary or middle school kids do well with an age-appropriate graphic novel or a comic book. Pictures are still important to this age. If you've got a teen, try a teen magazine to get their interest. Anything written about Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) or the Jonas Brothers should do it. In Style for girls and People magazines might be good choices to get them reading.

I'm sure you will also get them something warm to wear, if its cold where you are; and some kind of an amusement. My point is please include an age-appropriate book, graphic novel, comic book or magazine in your gift selections.

Also see tomorrow's blog for other free things you can do to help many little at-risk children in the next few weeks. Literacy for Tykes salutes your spirit of caring and giving!