If there's one place I could spend my entire weekend (and paycheck), it's a book store.

I love books -- all kinds of books -- fiction, non-fiction, biographies, self-help, advice, etc. Unfortunately, right now, my busy life allows almost no time for reading for pleasure (unless you count "Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type" and "Moo, Baa, La, La, La"... which I sort of do count). But, that doesn't stop me from buying.

I ran to Barnes & Noble last Friday after work for two reasons.

1. To pick up a couple of favorite children's books for a friend's baby shower gift.
2. To select a classic book to mark my daughter's first year of Kindergarten (I'm going to buy her a classic each year when she starts school to build her library).

I was there for hours and spent $80. Safe to say I picked up a few more things.

It took me nearly 45 minutes just to settle on a classic book for Kelly -- I wavered long and hard between "Little Women" or "Anne of Greene Gables" (ooh...or "Wuthering Heights," or..."The Scarlet Letter," or...). I settled on "Anne of Greene Gables" mostly because, well, I've never read it and I hope to find the time to read it before Kelly grows up and moves out.

Then, I got lost in the parenting section, then the children's books section, then the travel section, then the "bargain book" section ... Truly, books are like crack to editors. I just cannot help myself, every turn brings another book I want to read or another subject I want to know about.

In one of my turns, I happened upon a table (just outside the children's section) filled with hardcover, large-size, classic, "I Can Read" kid's books for $5.98. These were books I remember and loved from my childhood -- "Danny & the Dinosaur," "Amelia Bedelia," " "Little Bear," "Frog and Toad are Friends," "Morris Goes to School," "Sammy the Seal."

These books would make excellent Christmas or birthday gifts for any kids in your life. And at $6 a piece, you can spring for a couple of them.

In my humble opinion, there is no better gift than a book (or two or three) which will encourage kids to read and helping foster a love of words that will last a lifetime.