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Covers all the areas they would not think to ask but will be enlightened to learn about family history in later years. Great gift idea, great organized momento to leave for the grandchildren. My mother loved receiving this book and we all know how hard it can be to shop for those who already have everything they want. She loves passing down stories and recipes and this book is the perfect setup and guide for a loved one who would like to share these memories and information with her descendants.
I like the spiral bindings better for this kind of book, as the pages can lay flat to allow for writing easier. Just flipping through the book, looking at the questions, is rather exhausting, forget having to answer them all.The inside is relatively spare. Instead, I wanted insight into the person's childhood and adulthood, and perhaps some little personal nuggets that would really flesh them out for me, my kids, and generations to come. So, I bought Grandmother Remembers a Written Heirloom for My GrandchildA Grandparent's Legacy: Your Life Story in Your Own Words, A Grandparent's Book, The Grandmother Book: A Book About You for Your Grandchild, Grandparents Journal, and Memories for My Grandchild. It covers a tremendous amount of ground in its 143 pages, leaving only 7 pages in the back as "memorabilia" pages, so if you want this to be more of a scrapbooking effort, then this is not the book for you. I just can't really say that there's anything I love about this book, either, when comparing it to the others I bought. I'm planning to review them all as I make my decision. This is written in the ask-a-question,-get-the-answer format (as opposed to the we-start-the-sentence-for-you,-you-finish-it style).
I'm not sure what the other reviewer was talking about to say it had "absolutely no space" to answer questions. I decided I wanted to give grandparent journals to the parents and in-laws for Christmas, and began reading the reviews for the many books. The paper is a lighter weight than the other books I've looked at, but it's still good quality, from what I can tell. Each page is set up with a question, then several lines to answer the question, then another question. I decided the only way I could decide which was right was to buy them all, look at them, and return the ones I didn't like as well. If you want questions designed specifically for what would traditionally be a woman's role (eg some books ask for family recipes, or the latest fashion trend when she was growing up), then this probably isn't the book for you. The paper has a smooth, matte finish, so you would think it would accept all types of pens. I have a rather comprehensive genealogy already done, so I wasn't too interested in getting the whole "family tree" aspect.
Questions are far-ranging from the mundane (in high school years, did you belong to any clubs, eg) to the thoughtful (eg, "who or what has been the most important help to you in your work."). Each following page then uses about an inch of the top of the page to print "A Grandparent's Book" in flowing script, followed again by the chapter title. While it doesn't allow for paragraphs of free flowing thought, it does allow for brief-ish answers. Questions cover about half of each page; the bottom half of each page is a blank area for "notes". That's a kind of neat use of those usually wasted parts of the book.
Perhaps they should have devoted that space to space for answering questions, instead of reminding grandparents what book they were looking at.I appreciate the thoroughness of this book, and can't say that there's anything I actively dislike about this book. Each chapter is heralded by one page with the chapter title. I would probably put this book in the middle of the pack. Other than the family trees being drawn as trees, there are no illustrations, photos or designs. At Any rate, I still couldn't figure out which one I wanted (sometimes those "look inside" things are just useless, showing copyright pages and blank sheets)., and of course the local book stores don't have all of them.
They put enough thought into it to allow small spaces for quick answers, and larger spaces for more involved questions. The book is designed for only one person to fill it out, but is also set up so that it can be given to either a grandmother or grandfather. A Grandparent's Book is hardcover, standard (not spiral) binding. This is the first one of these books that I've seen which has family trees (his and hers) on the inside front and back covers.
I turned this in and bought Grandmother Remembers instead.Grandmother Remembers a Written Heirloom for My Grandchild Other memory books have a nice mix of info on grandparent, parent and child making them a much better read. This book was returned as it had no space whatsoever in it to record any information about the grandchild's parent's life, or the grandchild's life. I can't imagine my grandchildren being so enthralled with my background to want a book only about me.
Now I'm excited. She was so excited she started on it that day and says Ill have it by the end of the month. This was the perfect gift for my perfectionist mother. It asks for details that she wouldn't think to record.
But all of that detail is so interesting and important.BTW, I simply printed in "Great" in from of "Grandparents Book." The fact that it is mostly (not completely) set up for one grand (or great grand) parent to respond is not a problem. How can they understand that we bought a house in 1960 for $15,500 when you can't buy a car for that amount now.I would warn anyone purchasing this book to start writing in it several weeks ahead of the intended date of the gift. It is very long, and it takes time to consider and then write each response. I couldn't ask for a better Grandparent Book. There is room for both to respond.One of the best books of this type to be found. I found it fun to go back to early childhood and write my "memoirs" ~~ good practice for when I start on my own autobiography. I only wish someone would publish one for Great Grandparents. I kept wondering what the world situation would be when my great-grands read it in, say, their teens.
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