Last Friday night was the premier broadcast of Let’s Talk – with Pat Leuchtman on our local cable TV station. I was talking with Lori Pirkot, the owner of Boswell’s Books in Shelburne Falls. We had a great time talking about the wonderful books for children that are available this season, many of them by local (ish) authors and illustrators.
I think there is no better present for a child than a good book. My grandchildren will tell you with a laugh that they always know what they will get as a gift from Granny and the Major, they just won’t know which. As we enter the gift buying and giving season I hope your shopping tours will include a bookstore. You cannot go wrong buying books by our local literati: Jane Yolen, Jeannine Atkins, Jan Brett, Holly Hobbie, and Norton Juster. A book may not hold a child’s attention on Christmas Day, or any holiday, when there are so many other gifts, treats and distractions, but a book will be engaging and important for a long time after.
None of these books have anything to do with gardens, but on our next Let’s Talk show on December 3, I’ll be talking with Lisa Newman about a whole range of garden books. Let’s Talk, and other shows presented by Falls Cable usually go out live and then are repeated several times until new shows are produced in two weeks. Copies of the shows also go out to Greenfield, Montague and Deerfield, so I hope some of you will get to tune in to Let’s Talk – as I talk about books, gardens, art, and anything else that takes my fancy with some of the fascinating people who live in our area.
Are any of these talks on line where I could see them?? I know they would be great talks to see/listen to. YOU are an intersting person too.
Lisa – Unfortunately the talks are not online. It is my plan – hope – that as we go along I may be able to put up excerpts here on the blog. more technology.
Conagratulations on being a star in a new venue! I wish I could watch, but I’ll look forward to the online snippets if and when we get there.
When our children were growing up they received a book from us every Christmas without exception. When the grandchildren began to arrive we continued the tradition with them. I agree that there is no better present for a child than a good book!
Pat, thanks for including my name in that illustrious group. And for giving those special gifts. Teaching children’s lit at UMass, I get to see the faces of young adults light up at the memory of some of those early special books — and you never know which one will be the one they’ll carry through the years. So yay for all the book-givers!
Jeannine – You know I am a big fan of yours. I hope other readers have found your blog http://www.jeannineatkins.livejournal.com