A few weeks ago, John McIntyre wrote his final replies to the last round of Dear John letters we received before he died. One of the letters asked for suggestions of must-haves for a first library, and we thought John’s answer deserved its own post.
A spread from Roadworks
Dear John,
My wee bubba is 18 months old, and I am getting stumped for what types of books are most likely to pique their interest. We are keen not to go down the road of gender-marketed books, so we’d love a few suggestions of books that have both great female and male characters.
We are checking out books from the library frequently, but we’d love to know what you would suggest to buy and build our home bookshelf with – perhaps some locals if possible.
Regards, Jamie F.
Dear Jamie,
Time for a book list, I think. Here are my top picks (in no particular order), though I have plenty more recommendations. Some you’ll have, and the library is always good to check out the ones you’re not sure of.
A word of caution: even when your children are teenagers, and no matter how mangled a book looks, don’t throw them out. We are constantly meeting disappointed adults trying to find their childhood favourites, and especially when they become parents themselves.
