Gift Guide 2011 Part 5: For the Young at Age and Young at Heart

We all know that one does not have to be 12 years or younger to appreciate a good children's or young adult book. The universal themes that run across these stories -- a search for belonging, overcoming a troubled past, an awaiting adventure -- all of these are themes we feel no matter what age or time we are in our lives. For this week's gift guide, I've chosen some titles and items that anyone with a childlike heart may appreciate, anyone whose sense of wonder and thrill never left them! 

For toddlers, I've chosen Marty Mouse's Pop-up Book, and a fresh title from Shel Silverstein, Every Thing On It, to introduce the young one to the wonderful world of drawings leading up to The Giving Tree. We also have the complete set of Thomas the Engine books!

For the curious kids, we have a variety to novelty items: LED 3D puzzles of world famous buildings like London's Big Ben and Italy's the Leaning Tower of Pisal puzzles inspired by storybooks (like the Alice in Wonderland puzzle pictured above), or inspired by art (like the Musee D'Orsay 1000-piece puzzle of Degas' painting).

SES Creative products are also good gift choices for they early do-it-yourself bloomer. We also have fabric markers and window markers!

1.  SES Creative Denim Handbag Deco, P717; 2. Every Thing On It: Poems and Drawings by Shell Silverstein, P699; 3. Musee d’Orsay Museum Collection: Degas Puzzle 1000, P1300; 4. LED 3D Puzzle: World’s Great Architecture: Big Ben, P849.75; 5. SES Creative Tools + Belt, P819; 6. Sargent Art 8 Washable Window Markers, P230; 7. Stikfas Classic Alpha Male, P200; 8. Thomas and Friends: My Thomas Story Library: The Complete Collection with 65 Books, P8999; 9. Marty Mouse’s Pop-Up Book: The Big Eared Elephant, P447; 10. Alice in Wonderland Jigsaw Puzzle, P899; 11. 10 Fabric Paints,  P100.80. 

Here, we have more creative products like face paint and markers, as well as an SES Creative set for a 4-year-old's introduction to using scissors! We also have some build-it-yourself figurines like that of a pirate ship, and educational books about skeletons, words and numbers. 

Two new releases from everyone's favorite children's authors are also the highlight of this bunch: Mr. Men by Roger Hargreaves, and The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories by Dr Seuss! 

1.  Sargent Art 10 Jumbo Changing Markers, P200; 2. SES Creative Airbrush Textile Designer, P799; 3. Disney Pixar 2012 Weekly Calendar, P598; 4. Early Learning: Words and Numbers, P452; 5. Hello Kitty 2012 small calendar, P648; 6. Explore within a Pirate Ship, P1054; 7. SES Creative I Learn to Use Scissors, P415; 8. Disney Pixar’s Cars Grand Prix Garage: Storybook and Garage; 9. Sargent Art 10 Bright Fabric Markers, P240; 10. Amazing Dinosaur Discovery, P499; 11. SES Clowny Face Paint, P519; 12. The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories by Dr. Seuss, P599; 13. Mr. Men 40th Anniversary Box Set by Roger Hargreaves, P1040. 

Finally, for the young at heart and young adults at age, we recommend the best books the past year had to offer. To fulfill one's longing for adventure and mystery, we have the new releases, The Scorpio Races, Liesl & Po, and The Daughter of Smoke and Bone. And to continue one's journey with already well-loved series', we have sequels The Throne of Fire, The Son of Neptune, The Power of Six, Beautiful Chaos, The Power of Six, Goliath, Theodore Boone: The Abduction. Inheritance is also a highly recommended title, though not without the rest of The Inheritance Cycle. 

For a haunted twist, Abarat: Absolute Midnight, and my personal favorite release of the year, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. 

For younger readers, we have the latest from two famous book series, You Have to Stop This and Cabin Fever! 

Left side, from top to bottom: Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl,  Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver, The Lorien Legacies: The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Random Riggs, You Have to Stop This by Pseudonymous Bosch, Goliath by Scott Westerfeld, Inheritance by Christopher Paolini.  

Right side, from top to bottom: The Kane Chronicles: The Thone of Fire by Rick Riordan, The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney, The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, The Death Cure by James Dashner, Theodore Boone: The Abduction by John Grisham, The Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan, Abarat: Absolute Midnight by Clive Barker. 

Severus Snape, a Great Teacher

Disclaimer: Though I can't imagine this as a real warning to anyone, I must mention that you should not read the following entry if you have not yet finished the entire Harry Potter series, or if you care about important and life-changing plot points in the series being spoiled for you.  :-)

To remember World Teachers' Day on Facebook and Twitter, I asked "Who is your favorite literary student-mentor duo?" Though I came across many characters from young adult literature (Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, etc.), what intrigued me most was a response with the tandem of Harry Potter and Professor Snape. The pairing was most unlikely to me, due to the fact that they disdained each other almost until the very end of Snape's life, and they had no real student-mentor interaction that proved to be productive for Harry (except the failed stint when Snape was to teach Occlumency).  However, upon reflection, Harry must have learned lessons from Snape that he had not encountered from any of the many mentors he had growing up.

Though Snape did not directly teach Harry what a hero wanted to know and learn in his teenage years, Snape did protect him and in the end, save his life.  Despite the complicated past Snape had with Harry's parents, he knew that Lily Potter, whom he loved and cherished was more important a memory to uphold than all the pride he wanted to keep.  Harry would never forget Snape, and we know that through his children, how he named one of them, and what he told them about Snape. Harry will always carry Snape's memory, and how he was saved by the man he would have never pegged to even care about him. That is, undoubtedly, a sign of a great teacher: one that leaves students with an impression that they will never forget, no matter how painful the road going there must have been, and no matter how deep the battle scars are from that fight.  A great teacher is one who knows that sometimes, a student must learn lessons on his own.  Though it may be easy to dictate what values to uphold or how to make the right choices, the real lessons taken to heart are from the mistakes one commits himself.  The real way one grows is through experience.

Severus Snape by Sally Avernier, on DeviantArt.com. World Teachers' Day is celebrated every October 5th of the year.