Saturday, December 6th is the fifth annual Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day. What a great idea! I loved libraries and bookstores as a kid, and I think that most kids do — what a treasure trove of cool stuff! All the colors, all the books, all the related toys and games, the pens and stickers and all the things that engage us and fascinate us with books. I think it’s a great way to get kids engaged with books. From their website:

“Bookstores hold a place in the hearts and times of our community. They are places to discover an author, a story, a life. Nothing affords the conversation and interaction among books and book lovers that a bookstore does. In the future, whether you download your story or pluck a volume off a shelf, a bookstore will be able to accommodate. But in order for bookstores to flourish and thrive, we must expose future generations to the unique pleasures they offer. On December 6th, 2014, take a child in your life to a bookstore. Watch his face light up as you give him free access, not just to a new book, but to tomorrow.” —Jenny Milchman

So make plans now to take the kids in your life to a bookstore – you can check the interactive map on their website to see if the bookstores near you are hosting special events. Getting kids started on a lifetime of reading is a the greatest gift you can give them.