Holiday Book Pairings

There are wine pairings, and now there are book pairings, thanks to the talented and creative folks at CWILL BC. Here are some ideas for ways to “pair” a CWILL BC member’s book with a small gift for the holidays. (Thanks to the blog, Mother Reader for the idea!) All of these books can be ordered through your local bookstore.

[Updated December 14th ’07]

Pair KC Dyer‘s book Ms. Zephyr’s Notebook with tickets to the Vancouver Space Centre to find out more about astrolabes, Carl Sagan and large telescopes.

Pair any one of the books from the Eagle Glen Trilogy by KC Dyer (Seeds of Time, Secret of Light, or Shades of Red) and give with a package of peppermints, appropriate for soothing the stomach after time travel.

Pair Linda Bailey‘s The Farm Team (illustrated by Bill Slavin) with a hockey sweater, hockey stick, or hockey skates.

Pair Linda’s Goodnight Sweet Pig (illustrated by Josee Masse) with a plump new pillow and fancy pillowcase for “sweet dreams.”

Pair Tanya Lloyd Kyi‘s Jared Lester, Fifth Grade Jester with a set of juggling balls.

And what would be more fitting to pair with Tanya’s The Blue Jean Book than a new pair of jeans?

Pair Lee Edward Fodi‘s Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers with a small craft box so that young fantasy lovers can decorate and create their very own magical keepsake chest.

For those kids who couldn’t get enough of the “maze of monsters” in Kendra Kandelstar and the Door to Unger, pair this book with a book of mazes, such as Monsters, Myths and Mysteries: A Tangled Tour Maze Book.

Pair Victoria Miles‘s Magnifico with a box of torrone, a traditional Italian nougat candy.

For Irene Watts‘, When the Bough Breaks, include an admission to the Vancouver Museum, Royal BC Museum, or other local museum, where children can learn about life in the “Dirty Thirties.”

Ainslie Manson suggests pairing A Dog Came, Too with a small knapsack, or binoculars and a travel journal, or even a dog “stuffie.”

With Ainslie’s Ballerinas Don’t Wear Glasses, how about a tutu, toe shoes or leotards, or even a zany, wacky pair of sunglasses?

Pair Norma Charles‘s All the Way to Mexico with a soccer ball.

Norma’s Sophie’s Friend in Need, could be paired with a dreidel and instructions for the game.

Tiffany Stone suggests pairing Floyd the Flamingo with a fabulous flamingo puppet or a rhyming dictionary.

For an animal lover who’s both naughty and nice, Tiffany suggests pairing Baad Animals with a membership to the SPCA Kids’ Club.

Pair Kim Denman‘s Mirror Image with a plain mirror and a selection of art supplies to create a unique mirror frame just as the characters do in the story. You could also add a collection of inspirational poetry or quotes to help her find that special secret message to place on the back of her mirror.

Kim’s Rebel’s Tag – a great read for tween boys – with tickets for a show at the Planetarium. You could also include a voucher for a “date” to stargaze together from a roof top.

Pair illustrator Kirsti Anne Wakelin‘s Looking for Loons (written by Jennifer Lloyd) with a pair of binoculars for bird and wildlife spotting.

Along with Kirsti’s A Pod of Orcas (written by Sheryl McFarlane) you could include a certificate for an orca adoption.

Pair Karen Autio‘s Second Watch with an assortment of Life Savers. Young readers will need them while reading this historical novel based on the sinking of the Canadian steamship, Empress of Ireland.

UPDATE:

Thanks to the writers who have sent in more ideas for holiday book pairings.

Pair Eileen Kernaghan‘s The Alchemist’s Daughter with a chemistry set or The Snow Queen with a winter jacket and snow boots.

Patricia Godwin suggests pairing Pioneer Sounds with a pass to Fort Langley or the Burnaby Heritage Village and a prism would be a nice addition to I Feel Orange Today.

If, like the protagonist in Dayle Gaetz’s Crossbow, you have a young friend who is a tad disorganized, they might find an organizer, paired with the book, helpful.

Dayle’s Sea Dog could be paired with a toy sailboat or mesh goody bag for collecting treasures at the seashore.

Pair Heather Kellerhals-Stewart‘s Extreme Edge with a visit to a climbing wall, a pair of rock climbing shoes, or a trip to Shannon Falls on the Sea-to-Sky Highway to watch the ice climbers or to the Stawamish Chief to watch the rock climbers.

Kari-Lynn Winter‘s Jeffrey and Sloth would be a fabulous book to pair with a ticket to the Vancouver Aquarium to see the sloths.

Pair Vivien Bowers‘s Crime Science with a magnifying glass, bug microscope or junior detective kit.

And Wow Canada! or any other of Vivien’s books about Canada would be great paired with a large Canadian flag, a stuffed beaver or small flags of all of the provinces/territories.

Pair Ann Alma’s Skateway to Freedom with new skates or a pass to the arena.

Ann Alma’s Summer of Changes is a great read while snuggling with a stuffed dog. Or give a model plastic or ceramic border collie.

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