Giving the gift of books

(Children’s Defense Fund) – As parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles and adults everywhere are busy choosing holiday gifts for the children they love, books should always be at the top of the list. The right book can spark a lifelong love of reading and open up a whole new world for a child or teenager that will last far longer than a toy. For more than 30 years, the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools program has been built around a superb collection of diverse books that reflect a wide variety of cultures and experiences. For some young scholars, the& CDF Freedom Schools& curriculum is the first time they’ve seen books with characters who look like them. For others, the storylines draw them in, teach them about moments in history they may not have studied in school, and make them fall in love with reading in ways they’ve never experienced. All children and young people should be able to see themselves in the books they read and be exposed to a wide range of books reflective of the nation and world we all share. But far too often these are exactly the kinds of books that are now under attack by adults...