Memories for My Grandchild

I've never taken the time to review the many books I order, but I had to chime in about this one. I ordered it because it sounded like a terrific Christmas gift for my 19-month-old son to give his grandparents, and I'm thrilled. It's a beautiful book, and anyone who fills it out creates a family treasure to be passed down for generations. The book contains thoughtful and interesting questions to answer that will create a really terrific autobiography when filled out completely. It's a beautifully printed book -- it's actually a hard cover, with a spiral spine inside so it will lay flat while you write in it. Very good quality paper, good quality images for the few photos included, some nice quotes; overall a great product. As one reviewer noted, these are really designed for each individual grandparent to fill out. I think this is a positive attribute, though, unlike the other reviewer -- it means we'll have four different family histories to share with our child. In addition to purchasing copies for all 3 of my son's living grandparents, I'm going to buy a 4th that I'll try to fill out on behalf of my father who died a few years ago. With help from my mom and from my dad's siblings, I hope to create something that will make my wonderful dad come alive for the grandson who will never have the privilege of knowing him (and for me, too -- most of the questions in there I don't know the answers to for my own dad!). In fact, I think this book would be a wonderful gift for parents, not just grandparents, to fill out for the kids they love. So I'm also going to order two more copies that his father and I will fill out about ourselves, for our son's benefit and then perhaps eventually for his children to enjoy. A wonderful book! My thanks to the thoughtful authors!

Saving memories seems like an obvious and simple thing to do with and for your family, but I found it impossible to capture histories without having this book in hand. Besides being a catalyst and a handsome receptacle, the book is also extremely well thought out, making the process of collecting memories much easier than if you sat down and tried to do it on your own. Definitely worth giving to your loved ones and owning.

I loved this book (we actually have two books, one for each of us to write to our grandchildren) not just because it's quite an ambitious project (anything worthwhile is) but because it's something I wish my grandparents had done for me. I have no letters of theirs addressed to me (much less a book like this), nor do I have much of an insight into their daily lives of work and play. I remember the two grandmothers only in their old age, and my grandfathers not at all. The older I get, the more I want to know about them. I hope that in interweaving stories of my past, as well as those of my parents, grandparents and earlier ancestors, that my grandchildren will have ever so much more to delve into than just a genealogy chart. This book asks about not just the daily rhythms of our lives, but also about what makes our hearts beat with anticipation--what inspires us, what hopes we have for our children and grandchildren and for our world. And they will come to know us as people who were once young too. I love interspersing photos and special mementos throughout this sensitively and beautifully written book.

This goes beyond others in this category in the number of topics it covers. It is really guiding you through an autobiography. I bought this to do with my grandmother who is 90 and lucid and has a great memory. Highly Recommended.