Giving a book to a child can help inspire a lifelong love of reading. Make the gift of a book even more special by writing a personalized inscription. Every child deserves to know just how much she is loved, and an endearing inscription will be a reminder of that love every time she opens the cover. Inscriptions also help a child feel personally attached to her books and make special memories whenever she pulls them from the shelf.

An inscription in a child’s book can be a simple message of love. Write a few loving words or express a simple wish. Some examples include, “To Hannah, with great wishes and big dreams. Love, Aunt Nancy” or “To Hannah, whose smile warms our hearts with love. Big hugs.” For an extra touch, include the date the book will be presented to the child. If the book is a birthday gift, acknowledge such with “To Hannah on her fifth birthday.”

Read the book before you inscribe it. Look out for particularly sweet, loving, or inspiring passages. Then copy that quote into your inscription. If, for example, you are giving a copy of the book "Guess How Much I Love You" by Sam McBratney, you can include quotes like “I love you as high as I can reach” or “I love you as high as I can hop,” both of which are pieces of dialogue from the book.

Special reasons for selecting a book can be included in your inscription. If you chose to give her a Curious George book because she is a silly and curious child, leave a message such as “To Hannah on her fifth birthday -- a book about the most curious and lovable little monkey for the most curious and lovable little girl.” Think about the positive qualities of the characters and the moral of the story when writing a message like this. You can also express a desire for the child to learn from the lesson of the story. For example, “To Hannah. May you always be just as brave and polite as Paddington Bear.”

Perhaps you have a special book that you treasured in your childhood and now want to share those memories with a young child. If you are giving a child a copy of a book you grew up with, write an inscription about your fond memories of the story and its characters. Include descriptive language and personal details to make the memory come alive. For example, “To Hannah. I remember when my mother first told me the story of Paddington, the brave little bear. We spent many evenings together, telling our own stories about his adventures in London. I look forward to telling those stories with you."