Your grandchildren will love being able to customize their favorite books

by Rich Thomaselli

Generations are different, and things that were important to you as a child might not be as important to your grandchildren today.

Reading shouldn’t be one of them, however.

"The dilemma was, how do you get kids in this video age to really cherish books?" asks Caroline Vanderlip, CEO of SharedBook. "I think there are a number of us here of a generation, myself included, who remember getting books that were inscribed. Not only is it a great memory, but it’s something you keep. The combination of the two led us to an 'a-ha' moment."

The revelation became the foundation for SharedBook, a New York-based company created in April 2002, which specializes in customization and personalization.

The personalization part is special. SharedBook, through agreements with publishing houses, has taken classic children’s books and will personalize them for the recipient. Send a photo to the organization, as well as what you want inscribed in the front of the book — such as, "Dear David, This was one of my favorite books when I was a child. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Love, Grandpa" — and, voila!

And, yes, it is just that easy.

"It's been incredibly well-received," Vanderlip tells Grandparents.com. "The kind of testimonials we’re getting is so special. They’re saying, ‘This is something he’ll have the rest of his life,' and 'All he wants to do is read this book.'"

SharedBook has more than 100 classic titles to choose from, with 50 more set to debut later in November. They include The Poky Little Puppy, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Around the World in 80 Days, The Call of the Wild, and The Fire Engine Book.

If the personalization part is special, the customization is cool. The company’s technology allows users to pick from selected content and create their own book. With SharedBook's Smart Button technology, users click a button on each web page on which content is available, and assemble their own book.

For instance, a link on the SharedBook home page allows you to go to allrecipes.com, choose from 10,000 recipes, and create and customize your own cookbook. That includes using personal photos.

“We’re a technology platform, first and foremost,” Vanderlip said.

To learn more, visit sharedbook.com.