gift for kid

 One of our first jobs as a parent is naming our child.  When I was pregnant with the boys and then again with Baby R, my husband and I pored over piles of books looking for just the right names.  In fact, when I went to the hospital to deliver Baby R we still had not agreed on a name for our yet to be born baby.  At the time we did not know the gender so we had a list of our favorites for each gender and decided to meet the baby first.  A&W made the final decision for us when we were torn between our final two favorites.  In any case, we were sort of overwhelmed by all the books and I so wish this new release was around during our name hunt....Bring Back Beatrice by Jennifer Griffin.

Bring Back Beatrice! winnows down the universe of names to 1,546 mostly classic examples, and it makes a strong case for each, featuring the name’s definition, its use in history, its connotations and subtleties, its “meaning” in the fuller sense. Included are variations, nicknames, and, especially useful for readers, alternatives— names that have the same flavor, but may sound better with a particular last name or family background. There’s a guide to the basic rules of baby naming: scansion— the sounds, syllables, and rhythm of a name, and how it goes with a last name—ethnic traditions, recent trends, effective use of a middle name, plus an invaluable “flaky test.” Still considering a quirky name? Just imagine yourself buckling in for a flight when a voice comes on, saying, “I’m your captain, (insert quirky name here).” What do you think now? 

I really enjoyed flipping through this book.  It is definitely a collection of more classic names which I personally love.  I thought the sections with the variations were particularly helpful and gave some additional ideas.  Also, peppered throughout the book were fun sections including girl names associated with songs (Veronica, Ruby, Clementine, Caroline) and boy names depicting fictional characters (Atticus, Charlie, Max, Milo).  I could have easily relied upon Bring Back Beatrice and ditched all the other books I looked through when it came to naming my kiddos.  I give this one a big thumbs up!  You can pick up your copy today on Amazon...



My friends at Workman Publishing are giving one RBM reader a copy of Bring Back Beatrice!  Here is how to enter...

Mandatory Entry: Do you have a favorite name?  If you had to name a baby tomorrow what name do you think you would choose?  I love the name Evelyn so I guess I would go that route for a girl or Theodore for a boy (both get the thumbs up from this book by the way!).  You must complete this entry for all extras to be counted.

For Extra Entries:

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post and I was provided with the above mentioned book  for purpose of review.  The opinions in this post are entirely my own. Your experience may differ from mine. This post has not been reviewed or edited by anyone. I was not compensated in any other way for this review. The sponsor of this giveaway is responsible for prize fulfillment and shipping the winner(s) their prize.