#booksmeanmore as Christmas gifts for kids and adults because…

We’ve had some terrific responses to the #booksmeanmore campaign from well-known people in the world of books. Read what these people have to say about why we should all buy books as Christmas gifts for kids and adults… then tell us what you think using #booksmeanmore!

Books create a two-way bond between the giver and recipient across the imagination super-highway.
Phillip Jones, Editor, The Bookseller

Books change people's lives, and even save people's lives. I don't think there's anything more beautiful than giving someone a well-chosen book for Christmas with a little message penned in the front (except perhaps a pony...). My favourite present ever from my mum was a vintage copy of The Little House on the Prairie, which she bought at a jumble sale for 30p. One of my most treasured possessions is my dad's old copy of Black Beauty with his name written in the front – the only book he owned as a kid. A Kindle doesn't quite cut it! Books hold your own history and memories as well as the stories within them.
Emily Drabble, Guardian Children's Books

A thoughtfully chosen book is one of the best presents you can give to someone at Christmas. You can give them hours of joy, laughter, provocation and wonder. It's a present that is wonderfully personal, but with the capacity to bond and unite.
Anna James, Books and Media Editor, We Love This Book

I know books make brilliant presents and I am not alone. In fact, they were the most popular Christmas gift under £20 last year (according to Mintel). What book you give can say a lot about you, or possibly about how well you described your recipient to your local bookseller – who has the knowledge, experience and expertise to give advice about which books to buy for whom.
Tim Godfray, Chief Executive, The Bookseller's Association

Last Christmas the Book Bus team in Zambia embraced the festive spirit by hosting a Christmas dinner for impoverished families in the mining town of Kitwe. Few of the children from these families attend school; instead they accompany their parents during the day from one begging spot to another. As part of our celebration, each child was given a brand new book and told to look out for the Book Bus on its regular visits to their neighbourhood. Subsequent visits saw the children eagerly clambering aboard Book Bus Charlie to share the joy of reading with our crew. Inspirational books can open doors to a new world and more and more of these children are now attending school, where they can improve their reading skills and get a basic education.
David Gordon, Charity Chairman and Trustee, The Book Bus

Long after the batteries have run out and the sparkling lustre of a fleetingly enjoyed toy has faded, a book, a wondrous pulpy, inky, tactile, treasured picture book will maintain the exact-same, enchanting, ‘yet-to-be-discovered’ magic it did on the day it was written. When you give a child a book, you are investing in their imagination and the imaginations of their children and their children’s children for many years to come.
Emma O’Donovan, The Book Sniffing Pug

A good book is a gift that keeps on giving – it can be enjoyed many times and shared with loved ones, as I now share my favourite childhood books, given to me by my parents, with my son. Books make the best presents – unlike other gadgets and toys, one never outgrows a good book, and it is also a lovely keepsake of the person who gave it to you.
Tessa Trabue, Let Toys Be Toys

The funny thing about books is that they look relatively unassuming, especially when wrapped up. And yet what you gift to someone when you give them a book is a door into another world. You give them an adventure, a box of treasure, the chance to see beauty with new eyes. You give possibilities. What could be more wonderful than giving someone the chance to explore, wonder and experience delight?
Zoe Toft, Playing by the Book

I buy Reuben a book every opportunity I get so he will definitely be getting a few classics this Christmas! A book is more than just a gift to unwrap and play with a few times. It represents cuddles and bonding, imagination and silly voices! It's a full experience, a journey that we can travel together time and time again. And there's nothing more precious than hearing him tell the stories to himself, making the same silly noises I do!
Hannah Parker, Mum’s Days (Winner at the North East Blogger Awards)

My friends' children do not receive toys from us at Christmas, but books. My own children get given a bundle of books also, on Christmas Eve, which always includes a gift edition of a children's classic. In a world where every toy fashion and fad seems over as soon as it has started, books and stories remain the one constant in childhood. I cannot think of anything more rewarding to contribute to a family's home library, and hopefully help create memories that all will cherish forever.
Mélanie McGilloway, Library Mice