What gifts do you give to kids?

I'm lucky to have several adopted nieces and nephews in my life (and one not-adopted-but-actually-related-to-me on the way!), but sometimes I wonder how lucky those kiddos feel to have me as their adopted aunt. And that is because, when I show up at their house for a visit, I do not bring stuffed animals, or fancy video games, or plastic toy thingies, or trendy TV character tchotkes. Instead, I bring them books. More specifically, I bring them kids' books about New York City.

This accomplishes two goals:

1) As an English major and a professional writer, I feel that I am charged with helping improve literacy in the United States and beyond.

2) It allows me to brainwash said children into falling in love with NYC, and as a result, they prod their parents into planning a visit to see Aunt Amy.

Everyone wins.

Here's a list of some of my favorites:

• 123 New York: A Cool Counting Book by Puck


• A Teeny Tiny Baby by Amy Schwartz


• A City Is by Norman Rosten and Melanie Hope Greenberg


• A Walk in New York by Salvatore Rubbino


• Lisa in New York by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben


• This Is New York by Miroslav Sasek


• 123 NYC: A Counting Book of New York City by Joanne Dugan

So what do you give the little ones in your life?