Here at Books on the Nightstand, we believe that books make great gifts. And we think that it is especially important that children receive books as gifts — after all, they are the readers and book buyers of the future. But as Michael and I were putting together the 2009 Books on the Nightstand Holiday Gift Guide, we realized that we had very few children’s books on our list of recommendations.
We love kids’ books, and as parents we read a lot of them, but children’s books are somewhat out of our range of professional expertise. So we decided to turn to the experts. We are fortunate to count among our friends many booksellers and publishers’ sales reps who specialize in children’s books. We asked a few of them for their holiday picks, combined their choices with some of our favorites, and the first annual Books on the Nightstand Kids’ Books Gift Guide was born.
Click the image of the gift guide below to download the free .pdf.
In order to download and read the Gift Guide on your computer, you will need Adobe Reader. If you do not have Adobe Reader, you may download a free copy here:
We’ve broken it down by age level, but remember that reading ability and interest level both play an important role in choosing a book for a child–so consider them rough guidelines, not rules.
Many thanks to our friends who gave us their personal recommendations:
- Anne DeCourcey is the parent of two elementary-aged children, and is a sales representative in New England for HarperCollins publishers, including HarperCollins Children’s Books.
- Katherine Fergason is the Manager and Children’s Book Buyer at Bunch of Grapes Bookstore on the lovely island of Martha’s Vineyard, in Massachusetts. Katherine blogs for the bookstore at the Bunch of Grapes blog.
- Suzanna Hermans is the Manager and Children’s Book Buyer for Oblong Books and Music in Rhinebeck, NY, and is Co-chair of the New England Children’s Booksellers Advisory Council. She blogs at The Kids’ Book Corner, where you can also find Suzanna’s podcasts about children’s books.
- Katie McGarry is a New England sales representative and children’s book specialist for Simon & Schuster.
- Nikki Mutch is the sales representative in New England for Scholastic, and is responsible for Ann Kingman’s obsession with The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. You can follow her on twitter.
- Kate Sullivan is the sales representative for Random House Children’s Books in New England, and cookie baker extraordinaire.
Ann Kingman also called on her children to help with this guide:
- Nora is in fifth grade and is a somewhat reluctant reader who enjoys mysteries and novels with contemporary settings;
- Ellie is in second grade and is a very avid reader who loves the Percy Jackson series and everything Harry Potter.
image credit: mahalie via flickr
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Another great selection — I have several children on my list (including twin nieces born on Tuesday!) so I am definitely taking your guide with me to the bookstore.
I have one niece who is eight and is beyond a beginning reader but not quite into middle grades — any suggestions for her? I know she has been reading the Geronimo Stilton series and for her birthday I introduced her to Nancy Drew which she enjoys. I’d like to find a book/series that I might be able to read with her.
Ann, I wasn’t sure if she’d be old enough for Harry Potter but if your younger daughter enjoys it then maybe it is ok?
Suzanne, Harry Potter is tough because it gets a bit scary and violent in places, so you have to know the child. And they get progressively “older” — mine stopped at #5, declaring #6 to be “too scary — I’ll read it when I’m 8″.
I think I’d try The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson #1) before Harry Potter for that age. And you’ll enjoy that, too. Also great and on the slightly easier side is The Emily Windsnap series (first is The Tail of Emily Windsnap) by Liz Kessler(girl finds out she’s really a mermaid). Both of my girls love that series.
My kids also both like The 39 Clues series, and those are fun to read together as well.
Let us know what you end up with and how it is received!
Wow, amazing stuff guys! I can’t wiat to flick through this guide and figure out what great books I need to review for the kiddies in 2010! Keep it up – love this blog AND looking forward to your Christmas podcast (there WILL be a podcast before the end of the year, won’t there?)
-Aimee
http://myflutteringheart.blogspot.com
Aimee, yes, we will keep to our weekly schedule, it’s just the format that will be a little bit different until the New Year. NO worries, and thank you for asking!
Thanks for the suggestions, Ann. I saw a boxed set of the Emily Windsnap series in the bookstore and wondered about it, so I think I’ll try that one out.
It’s so important to draw attention to reading, and attract reluctant readers to it,especially boys. In fact, I’ve recently completed a feature magazine article on this subject that came out in October, “Help for Struggling, Reluctant Readers.”
I grew up as a reluctant reader, in spite of the fact that my father published over 70 books. Now I write action-adventures & mysteries, especially for tween boys, that avid boy readers and girls enjoy just as much.
My blog, Books for Boys http://booksandboys.blogspot.com is dedicated to drawing attention to the importance of reading.
Keep up your good work.
Max Elliot Anderson
Thanks, Max. You’re absolutely right. Thanks for sharing your blog with us — I love that you featured Last Child in the Woods, a favorite of mine!
I was just looking through the children’s gift guide and I saw a book by one of my favorite authors, from when I was younger, Gordan Korman. I haven’t been too impressed by his newest stuff but his older books are absolutely wonderful for kids and YA and I still occasionally pull them out to read. I remember reading the Twinkey Squad and laughing so hard that I had tears running down my face.
And a great series of picture books for young children that I love to recommend are the books about Carl the dog by Alexandra Day. They don’t have too many words but the pictures are wonderful and funny.