Lewis: 6 books that make great Christmas gifts

It’s the time for gift buying — and racking your brain as to what to buy for whom.

I suggest your best buy could be books. They last the whole year, and longer, and are entertaining as well as educational.

These titles are sure to please (I plan to add them to the library collection in January):

“The Wonderful Things You Will Be,” Emily Winfield Martin: It depicts multicultural children playing together. This is an excellent book for preschoolers and parents.

“The Map Thief: The Gripping story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps,” Michael Blanding. A Yale librarian discovers that famous map dealer E. Forbes Smiley was stealing rare historical maps from some of the world’s leading schools and libraries.

“The Secret History of Wonder Woman,” Jill Lepore. What role did this comic superhero play in the women’s rights movement? The author takes an in-depth look at this superhero's history and the man who created her.

“The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep,” Carl-Johan Forssen Ehrlin. It is said that this book has had the most success in getting children to fall asleep. See if it works for you and your child.

“A History of Baseball in 100 Objects,” Josh Levehthal. A complete history of baseball told through 100 objects, from documents to equipment.

“The Billionaire’s Vinegar: The Mystery of the World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Wine,” Benjamin Wallace. In 1985, a bottle of Chateau Lafite Bordeaux 1787 with the initials “TH.J” (believed to be Thomas Jefferson) was sold for $156,000 at auction. This is the true story about the world of wine and its collectors.

Scheduled events

Our program, Noel Night, begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17. Bring the whole family to the library and enjoy carols crafts and cookies.

Crestview High School's Chanticleer, led by Kevin Lusk, and the Emmanuel Baptist Church youth worship team, led by Kyle Boone and soloist J.R. Lewis, will fill the library with Christmas music.

We are making a Yoda (from "Star Wars") ornament while supplies last. In addition, you can scavenge the library for a certain Kwanzaa word and win a prize!

You can also win a prize by playing dreidel!

If you’d like to give back to our community, bring a can or boxed food item for our donation box for Caring and Sharing, or bring a slightly used book for our “Give the Gift of Reading” campaign.

Jean Lewis is the Crestview Public Library's director.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Lewis: 6 books that make great Christmas gifts