A dear friend who has been an inspiration to me for more than 20 years shared this wonderful new tradition that she started for her son. We all have old favorite, nearly forgotten, books that have been sitting on the shelf, set aside unread as we collect new favorites.
Recycle a selection of your child's old books by wrapping up a mix of 24 old favorites with a sprinkling of new ones to be unwrapped, one each night of December, like an Advent calendar with books. The excitement of choosing which book to unwrap and the anticipation of a new story -- or rediscovery of an old favorite -- will add to the magic of the season.
Even better, be creative with the wrapping, using as many different wraps as possible. At first the pile will seem endless, and a "new" story each night will be a timeless, priceless gift to remember and share again and again throughout the coming year.
