Best Books to Gift 2024 - for Kids

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

Updated December 5, 2024
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Bannock in a Hammock
Kelly, Masiana
Paper Book
Big or small, sweet or savoury, with stew or with sprinkles, there are tons of ways to enjoy bannock! This sweet and simple rhyming book explores a food that is a popular tradition with Inuit and other Indigenous people, and has some fun along the way. What's your favourite way to eat...
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...
The good little mermaid's guide to bedtime
Sumner, Eija
Paper Book
This little mermaid is too FIERCE and SCARY and FEROCIOUS to follow The Good Little Mermaid's Guide to Bedtime . . . well, except the part about snuggling her shark stuffie. A hilarious picture book for kids ages 3 to 7 who are experts at resisting sleep. Once upon an evening, a...
The Sherlock Society
Ponti, James
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,...
Have you ever heard a whale exhale?
Woodward, Caroline
Paper Book
This fanciful coastal adventure for kids of all ages brings the senses to life! In this splash of a tale, author Caroline Woodward and illustrator Claire Watson take us on an exploratory journey from sun-warmed rocks to crackling campfires, from below the waves to up in the sky....
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...
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!
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
Ebook
★ 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, action-packed...
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...
Nancy Spector, monster detective 1 : the case of the missing spot.
Martin, Stephen W
Paper Book
Intrepid eight-year-old detective Nancy Spector and her talking dog, Jinx, search high and low for an invisible dog in this laugh-a-minute, fast-paced graphic novel perfect for fans of Dungeon Critters and The Mighty Jack. The Invisible...
The new girl
Calin, Cassandra
Paper Book
Instagram sensation and Tapas webcomic superstar Cassandra Calin makes her long-form debut with this funny, feel-good middle-grade graphic novel about change. Goodbye, old life... Lia and her family are waiting to board a flight across the Atlantic, leaving behind family,...
Plain Jane and the mermaid
Brosgol, Vera
Paper Book
A New York Times Best Children's Books of the Year An NPR Best Book of the Year On ALA's 2024 Best Graphic Novels for Children Reading List A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year From Anya's Ghost and...
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...
Make art with nature
Pixley, Pippa
Paper Book
Artist Pippa Pixley shows children how to make amazing art with materials found in nature in this hands-on book. Get creative and make incredible pieces of art using rocks, wood, berries, flowers, and leaves in this nature craft book for children ages 7-9.  Find...
Kid musicians : true tales of childhood from entertainers, songwriters, and stars
Stevenson, Robin
Paper Book
A 2025 National Parenting Product Awards Winner Inspiring, relatable, and totally true biographies tell the childhood stories of a diverse group of musicians, including Taylor Swift, Ella Fitzgerald, Harry Styles, Mariah Carey, Yo-Yo Ma, Paul McCartney, and 10 other influential...
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...
Priya's kitchen adventures : a cookbook for kids : with recipes that you (yes, you!) can make
Krishna, Priya
Paper Book
From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of Indian-ish and Cooking at Home, an illustrated cookbook for kids and their parents that draws on Priya's childhood experiences traveling the globe with her family. With delicious recipes and laugh-out-loud stories, Priya's...
Tales from Shakespeare
Morpurgo, Michael
Paper Book
Ten stunning Shakespeare retellings from the master storyteller, with an introduction by Benedict Cumberbatch Featuring re-tellings of ten of Shakespeare's plays, and beautifully written with Michael Morpurgo's warm, accessible and inimitable style, this wonderful collection...

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