By Jane Mack
For Variety

I HOPE you received some good books in your holiday stocking, under the tree or in whatever form your gifts might arrive. Books make wonderful presents to receive, ones you can open again and again. For children, books offer a respite from the frazzle of expensive electronic games and devices, and provide more entertainment than the equally useful clothes and necessities. Children may not always appreciate a book immediately, associating it with school instead of fun, but keep a positive attitude.
While some children hate to be pressured to read, the gift of a book is an opportunity—a chance for a child to explore their own book on their own time and terms, without having to report to anyone about what they read or how much they’ve read or whether they liked it. If you’ve given a book to someone, allow for conversations, but don’t make demands. Books are a freedom to explore, and like all explorations, require courage and readiness. A book given today may not be read for months or even years, but it marks a child in an important way. It tells a child that he or she is a reader, a literate, thinking person worthy of owning his own printed material.
It’s never too late to give a book as a gift.
Here are some I discovered that offer timeless appeal.
CORK AND FUZZ, by Dori Chaconas, illustrated by Lisa McCue (Viking/Penguin Young Readers, 2005). This book is designed as an easy reader, level 2, to be read by children on their own. It works as well for parents who love to read good stories to their young children. Cork is a muskrat. Fuzz is a possum. They don’t look alike. And as they introduce themselves and get to know each other, it doesn’t seem like they have much in common. Cork likes the water but Fuzz doesn’t. Fuzz likes to eat bugs and beetles while Cork is a vegetarian. Their ideas of what to do for fun aren’t even the same. Things do not go well at all. And then Fuzz uncovers Cork’s secret that he’s hiding under a leaf. This is a charming story. The illustrations in woodland colors and soft detail show the curiosity and frustration of the characters, adding charm and emphasizing the humor in this gentle story.
And if you like this one, try CORK AND FUZZ, SHORT AND TALL, published in 2006, the second book in the series of adventures between these two friends. (Ages 4-8)
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, by Mark Haddon, (Vintage/Random House, 2003). Christopher John Francis Boone is a marvel and a challenge. He writes his journal and numbers his chapters after prime numbers, which he knows up to 7,057. He has memorized countries, their capital and a world of facts, but he hates to be touched, despises the color yellow, and requires order and cleanliness.
When, in the night, Christopher finds Wellington, the neighbor’s dog, dead with a pitchfork through it, he decides to find the culprit who murdered the dog. He liked Wellington. As he investigates, he pushes his limits of sociability and familiarity, and discovers a horrible truth, but he cannot comprehend it.
This story, in the voice of a boy who can add up numbers, but not emotional equations, shows danger comes to the vulnerable from the simplest human imperfections. A mystery, a coming-of-age story, and a story of love—this novel packs a huge emotional wallop while taking the reader on a fast-paced journey. (Ages 14+)
HELLSPARK, Janet Kagan (Meisha Merlin Publ. 1988). This sci-fi-fantasy novel is nearly twenty years old, but it isn’t out of date. While written for adults, its appeal to younger readers—high school students—has kept it fresh and brought it back into print. The world of Hellspark is a distant future, with worlds of different cultures and languages meeting through trade and commerce and exploration. The story takes place on the planet Lassti, where electrical storms create a sizzling display of life and energy every day. Plants use the electricity from the lightning and adapt it in a bizarre environment that is difficult and exciting to the investigating team from the Hellspark world.
The central question the team is addressing is whether the odd bird-like creatures are “intelligent” meaning the planet would be placed off-limits to commercial exploiters. When one of the investigating team dies, the dangerousness of the creatures also comes into question. Enter Tocohl, a Hellspark Trader with unusual linguistic abilities. She arrives in response to a summons to help the side who believe the bird-creatures are sapient, and finds herself embroiled in intrigue and confusion.
The novel includes a complete fantasy-world with action, adventure and danger. An interesting read in a popular genre. (Ages 14+).