In my family we have a tradition of being given a Boxing Day book. A book for every child and grandchild was nicely wrapped and they were all put in a big cardboard box and then formally handed out. Sadly, I can’t remember a single book I was given! But I do remember it made Boxing Day seem special and somehow made Christmas seem to last longer. Are there any other examples of book giving on Boxing Day or are there other days that are designated for giving books?
I like the idea of Boxing Day books. It could be a way of making a book as a present seem more special although the fact that you don’t remember what you got doesn’t especially reflect that!
But books do make good presents and important ones too. There is considerable evidence to show that book ownership is a key factor in encouraging children to read.
As well as enjoying books, children who own books do better at school overall with evidence showing that book ownership can make outweigh other social factors that affect a child’s educational progress.
For those reasons, the idea of a Boxing Day book is an excellent one. Maybe it should become a right for all children! If you need some help finding the best books to give to young people as gifts you can check out the best books of 2014 as chosen by the children and teenagers who read them, my top five and Observer critic Kate Kellaway’s book gift guides for children and teenagers/YA.
While a boxing day book may be specific to your family the idea of having a special day on which to give a book is more universal. In Spain, St George’s Day is celebrated with the giving of a book and a rose. This tradition is the inspiration of World Book Day in the UK which is now celebrated every March by all school age children being given a £1 voucher and the opportunity to buy a title from a specially selected range of books published at that price. And another date for your diary is International Book Giving Day which is celebrated next year on 14 February.
