Electronic books could also work, but the emotional connection is greater with paper ones. In fact, we usually keep good memories of each single book we have in our home libraries: where and when we got them, who bought them to us... Besides, isn´t it a really depressing image seeing us more and more pushed towards a screen all the time? Wherever we look nowadays, we see everybody attached to their smartphones and digital devices, obsessed with downloading the latest mobile apps or snapping selfies, for instance.
Books are affordable, they last a lifetime and they can provide hours of emotions, whatever the reader´s age. There are lots of must-reads in the market (and not necessarily the bestsellers of the moment; on the contrary, I´d be ashamed of getting some of these!), ranging from ageless classics to contemporary ones.
Books fire the children´s imagination and they also broaden the teens´ minds. Helping them to understand and deal with this increasingly complex world, they are essential for their growth and development process. But in today´s digital environment, where most of them would rather play a video game or surf the net chatting with friends or updating their Facebook profile, getting them to read may be a challenge. Their love of words and stories can be fostered introducing them to books that match their interests and hobbies. Once they discover they can travel through time, back and forth, with both historical and science fiction or they can become an expert on that subject they are mad about, books will become allies in their pursuit of adventure and learning. Furthermore, they will also realise that any dream can come true within the pages of a book. Can you imagine a more wonderful present than a world of dreams wrapped in pretty colourful paper?
Happy Christmas and happy readings!
