Personalized books for grandchildren: the best classics to give
Share
Grandparents are often the people who give children their first real books, and the ones children remember reading with. A personalized book from a grandparent is a lovely gift because it lasts: years from now, your grandchild will open it and find your words inside.
Why a classic
Many personalized books for grandchildren rewrite a simple story around the child's name. They are fun at three and outgrown by six. A classic, complete and unaltered, grows with them: read aloud now, read alone later, and kept on the shelf after that. If it has their name on the cover and a dedication from you inside, it becomes a family book.
The best classics to give a grandchild
For a baby or toddler
- Winnie-the-Pooh, with E. H. Shepard's original illustrations. Perfect for reading aloud from the very start.
- Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales, with W. Heath Robinson's illustrations, to grow into.
For ages five to eight
- Peter Pan, with F. D. Bedford's illustrations.
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the 1900 original.
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, with John Tenniel's illustrations.
For ages eight to twelve
- The Secret Garden and A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
- Treasure Island, with N. C. Wyeth's paintings.
- Anne of Green Gables and Heidi.
- Black Beauty, for a child who loves animals.
What to write to a grandchild
The dedication is where the gift becomes yours. A few ideas:
- I read this to your father when he was your age. Now it is yours. Love, Grandpa.
- For Lily, for every bedtime we read together. Love, Granny.
- To our first grandchild, on the day you were born.
- For Theo. One more chapter, always. Love, Nana and Pop.
For more, see what to write in a book dedication.
A gift for every grandchild
If you have several grandchildren, giving each one their own classic with their own name on the cover is a tradition that builds a small library over the years. Every Storystir edition is a cloth-bound hardback, printed to order in the United States, with free US shipping. For Christmas, order by around November 25.