Best Books to Gift 2024 - for Kids

Books to entertain and inspire each young reader on your list.

Updated December 5, 2024
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Elmore the Christmas moose
Petty, Dev
Paper Book
A hilarious and heartwarming Christmas story about a moose who wants to be one of Santa's reindeer. This charming picture book comes from the comic minds of the the duo that brought you I Don't Want to Be a Frog and Don't Eat Bees. Dear Mr. Claus,
Santa's first Christmas
Barnett, Mac
Paper Book
Mac Barnett and Sydney Smith team up for an unforgettable celebration of Christmas. We all know that Santa makes everyone's dreams come true every Christmas, but it turns out that he needs a little help getting into the holiday spirit himself. Instead of letting Santa get right...
1, 2, 3, do the dinosaur
Robinson, Michelle
Paper Book
A rollicking, romping read-aloud text following Tom (dressed as a dinosaur) and his dinosaur friends as they "do the dinosaur" with all their might till it's finally time to "yawn, yawn, yawn... one, two, three and everybody snore!"
Impossible creatures
Rundell, Katherine
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Two kids race to save the world's last magical place in the first book of a landmark new fantasy series, from "a writer with an utterly distinctive voice and a wild imagination." (Philip Pullman, author of The Golden Compass) *This...
The cozy home : three-and-a-half stories
Dyckman, Ame
Paper Book
Join Bat, Cat, and Rat on their three-and-a-half sweet and silly roommate adventures in this hilarious "gift to reading" (School Library Journal, starred review), the first of a series, from New York Times bestsellers Ame Dyckman and Mark Teague--a companion to the Theodor...
Hey! Look at you! : a captivating mirror book
Boynton, Sandra
Paper Book
Hey! Look At You! is a play book with mirrors galore from the one and only Sandra Boynton! With mirrors and mooing and more, Hey! Look at You! invites readers to gaze into gigantic, animal-shaped mirrors to see themselves as Boynton's fan-favorite animals! It's a...
I love you so mush!
McLean, Danielle
Paper Book
An engaging rhyming book about friendship and love featuring adorable mushroom characters and a shiny red foil cover! Follow along with a joyful mushroom as they express their love for their friends in this engaging rhyming book that's all about friendship, fun, and spending time...
The good little mermaid's guide to bedtime
Sumner, Eija
Paper Book
Once upon an evening, a good little mermaid begins to get ready for bed. Once upon? No. Not once upon. I know what that means. And I'm NOT a good little mermaid. I am a PREDATOR! Thus begins our story of a little mermaid who is anything but good. Sleep? Sleep is for guppies! This little mermaid is a...
The Sherlock society
Ponti, James
Paper Book
In the tradition of Nancy Drew, four kids and one grandfather in Miami tackle a decades-old mystery in this first book full of "atmosphere, history, and lively humor" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) in the Sherlock Society middle grade series from New York Times bestselling,...
The mango monster
Mascarenhas, Derek
Paper Book
Someone is stealing from the family's mango tree! Could it be a mango monster? After waiting all year for mango season, Marianne is excited that the mangoes on their tree are ripe and ready to eat. She loves mangoes and plans to eat all of them. But when she and her sidekick cousin Zoe...
Orris and Timble : the beginning
DiCamillo, Kate
Paper Book
From beloved storyteller Kate DiCamillo comes the first book in a warm and funny early-reader trilogy about a misanthropic rat and a naive owl--and the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Orris the rat lives alone in an old barn surrounded by his treasures, until the day his...
Stella & Marigold
Barrows, Annie
Paper Book
From the creatorsof the New York Times-bestselling Ivy + Beancomes a fun and funny new series about two small sisters with very big imaginations. Generations of readers have fallen in love with Ivy + Bean, which has sold over 8 million copies and been adapted into a popular Netflix Original...
The day I fell into a fairy tale
Miller, Ben
Paper Book
From actor, author, and comedian Ben Miller comes an illustrated middle grade fantasy adventure that's "entertaining fairy-tale fun" (Kirkus Reviews) following a brother and sister who stumble into a magical new world--perfect for fans of Half Upon a Time and Land of Stories!
Towed by Toad
Awan, Jashar
Paper Book
An American Library Association Geisel Honor book * An American Library Association Notable Children's Book Hop on a tow-truck ride with Toad as he learns that everyone needs help sometimes, even the helpers! The first in a picture book series for fans of Frog and Toad and Little...
A galaxy of whales
Fawcett, Heather
Paper Book
A perfect summer read about whale watching and friendship both lost and found, from the author of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries and The Islands of Elsewhere When Fern hears about a photo contest with a big cash award, she decides she'll enter and win! After...
Katrina Hyena, stand-up comedian
Kohn, Sophie
Paper Book
An early chapter book about a laughing hyena who yearns to be a stand-up comedian that will have kids rolling with laughter When the spotted hyenas in Katrina's clan laugh, it's meant as a warning to alert the clan that danger is near. But that's not why Katrina laughs. Katrina laughs...
Roswell Johnson saves the world!
Colfer, Chris
Paper Book
★ A New York Times bestseller!  ★  A USA Today bestseller! ★ An IndieBound bestseller! ★ From #1 New York Times bestselling author Chris Colfer comes a funny, heartfelt,...
Hilda and Twig: Hide from the Rain
Pearson, Luke
Paper Book
A brand-new adventure featuring our favourite blue-haired heroine Hilda, and her trusty deerfox companion Twig. Hilda and Twig would never let a bit of rain get in the way of an adventure, but it's different when your forest exploration is interrupted by a BIG storm.
Gamerville
Christmas, Johnnie
Paper Book
A video gamer's championship aspirations are dashed when his parents send him to Camp Reset, where electronics are forbidden and you're forced to socialize, eat healthy, and spend time outside. Gamerville is a timely and vulnerable exploration of the importance of human connection...
The new girl
Calin, Cassandra
Paper Book
This funny, feel-good middle-grade graphic novel about change and acceptance will be a hit with fans of Guts by Raina Telgemeier, Pizza Face by Rex Ogle and Dave Valeza, and Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang. Goodbye, old life... Lia and her family are...
Plain Jane and the mermaid
Brosgol, Vera
Paper Book
Eisner Award Winner A New York Times Best Children's Books of the Year An NPR Best Book of the Year From Anya's Ghost and Be Prepared author Vera Brosgol comes an instant classic graphic novel that flips every fairy tale you know on its head!...
The Ribbon Skirt: A Graphic Novel
Mukwa, Cameron
Paper Book
A joyful coming-of-age middle-grade graphic novel by debut Indigenous creator Cameron Mukwa about the journey of a two-spirit kid who wants to create a ribbon skirt for the upcoming powwow.Ten-year-old Anang wants to make a ribbon skirt, a piece of clothing typically worn by girls in the...
Alfie explores A to ZZ : a seek-and-find adventure
Drew, Jeff
Paper Book
Join Alfie the bookworm as he travels through the alphabet from A to Z in this interactive seek-and-find picture book adventure. Meet Alfie the friendly bookworm and his pet dust bunny, Betty! When Betty runs off, Alfie travels through each letter in the alphabet searching for...
The Bears and the Magic Masks
Dandurand, Joseph
Award-winning storyteller and poet Joseph Dandurand captures the delightful relationship between bears and the Kwantlen people in his fourth book for children ages 6-8. For a long time, the Kwantlen and the bears have lived side by side. When the master carver falls into the river, the...
Lifesize dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures
Henn, Sophy
Paper Book
Readers journey into the past and compare themselves to life-size illustrations of dinosaurs and other amazing prehistoric creatures in this interactive book. Come claw to claw with a Utahraptor, go head to head with a Diplodocus and compare your smile with a Tyrannosaurus rex's!
Mushrooms know : wisdom from our friends the fungi
George, K.
Paper Book
An adorable, STEM-themed picture book for kids 4 to 8 that reveals the wisdom mushrooms have to teach us. Mushrooms always wear their thinking caps. They know so many things. This vibrant and informative book shares the fascinating lessons that fungi can teach us: that...
Lego timelines : a visual journey through ten decades of Lego history
Hugo, Simon
Paper Book
Celebrate more than 90 years of LEGO play with LEGO® Timelines! Embark on an epic tour through ten decades of history - from before the iconic LEGO brick to today's amazing sets and beyond. Pore over pages packed with more than 70 illustrated timelines...
Owls : who gives a hoot?
Backhouse, Frances
Paper Book
Owls are incredible creatures. They can see in the dimmest light, hear the faintest of sounds, fly silently and rotate their heads to look straight backward. Most owls are nocturnal, more often heard than seen. Even those that are active during the day stay largely out of sight. ...
Plant pets : 27 cool houseplants to grow and love
Allen, Beatrice Boggs
Paper Book
Ten-year-old Beatrice Boggs Allen (along with her mom, Belle Boggs) introduces the 27 easiest and most fascinating houseplants that any kid can grow indoors.   Maybe every kid can't have an animal pet--but everyone can have a plant pet! That's the message...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.