The perfect way to encourage youngsters to read is to give them good books. These selections are catered to readers approximately aged 8-12, from century's old classics, perennial favorites, Newbery Award books and more. What better way to be remembered by a distant grandchild than to send a present in the mail every month?
 

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White "She was in a class by herself.  It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer.  Charlotte was both."  Have you read it lately?  It's time again...	Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson  A perennial favorite since it won the Newbery Award in 1945.  Georgie is irrestible, the plot turns keep young readers engaged, and the black and white illustrations are wonderfully intricate.  I'm a long-time Lawson fan; I recommend all of his books.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle Ultimate fantasy.  If you or your kids are still daydreaming about Harry Potter, don't forget there's other good fantasy out there.  This was the Newbery Winner of 1963, and hasn't diminished its captivating qualities yet.	The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster Those who know this one will swoon with the memory.  Why it isn't as famous as, say, A Wrinkle in Time, I don't know.  But then again, maybe it is.  Cult classics have a way of catching up over the years.
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein I can still recite some of these hilarious poems, like "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout, Who Would Not Take the Garbage Out."   But my favorite has always been "True Story."  Read it.	Winne-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne The originals with illustrations by Ernest Shepard are, of course, the best.  Join Christopher Robin, Winnie-the-Pooh and their various friends for great fun and escapades.
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson I've been known to pull this book every couple of years or so just to reminisce, and before you know it I'm sitting there reading the whole thing.  It's a tear-jerker, but so sweet and real, and somehow important.  A must read.	Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien Excellent fantasy, excellent rats.  Newbery Winner of 1972.  I wouldn't want to spoil the plot, so suffice it to say that you (or your kid, of course) should just pick it up and read it.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett Now here's nostalgia: an unidentified key, a locked gate, and an incredible forgotten garden where magical things transpire.	The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame Join Mr. Toad for great adventures with his friends and automobile, canoe and other forms of transportation as they travel around the countryside.  Idyllic.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl New illustrators keep popping up to keep Dahl in print.  I have the old ones and the new ones, and if you've already read Charlie, don't forget the sequel, or better yet, the rest of his books, all of which are excellent.  Little boys respond to these books brilliantly.	Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll Last but not least, a children's classic since its publication in 1865.  Incredible imagination here, and a cast of unforgettable characters that may change the way you see the world.  Although this book is sophisticated enough for a Ph.D. thesis, it is also pure fun and fantasy that any child can understand (perhaps more so than the doctorates!).