Barbara C.

Don't let old-style toys and games fall to the wayside. A child is a lonely little being without friends and family to play with.

There are two types of classics: a book written maybe 75 or more years ago or the one instantly loved by all. This list contains both types of classic children's stories.

Here's a collection of books where, either the animals tell their own story or the writer pulls you deep into the animals' experience. It can be truly another world that you enter.

Those of you who've rescued an animal have given a gift to the world. It's a special feeling from having done a special thing. But this list contains a bit more, in some cases, rescuing the Earth.

Everyone knows that animals talk, but not everyone knows they can narrate and even write entire books. Their writing can be pithy and, at times, quite funny.

A good writer can make truth read like fiction. Add animals for a finishing touch.

Kindle has the most popular e-readers in the world, and with good reason: They make reading so much easier on the eyes and make books far more portable. Add in the extras like covers and speakers, and you're in book heaven.

I've always loved book illustrations, whether for children or those such as found in the Audubon books. Now I'm teaching myself to watercolor, which is different from every other medium I've worked in. Here are some of my favorite items found so far.

I've loved fountain pens and dip pens since I was a child, writing, drawing, and relishing ink on my fingers. Whether you prefer a fountain pen or a dip pen, you'll find excellent suggestions here along with a few nice accessories such as ink, cartridges, and even a book.

Just a few tools for bookbinding may already be in your house--something to make holes in paper, a ruler, a utility knife, needle & thread, etc.--but if you dive a little deeper into the craft, you may enjoy a few extras.