Still searching for gifts for kids? Get ’em a book, or three. Here are some recent standouts:
Picture Books
There’s Going to Be a Baby
John Burningham and Helen Oxenbury
A pregnant mother and her son discuss the impending arrival of the new baby, and the soon-to-be big brother asks what the baby will be like and how it will change their lives. Charming and funny illustrations depict his imaginings, both excited and ambivalent—for instance, when he wants to take baby to the zoo but then wonders if it shouldn’t get eaten by a tiger and save everyone some trouble. This is an especially great story for young kids dealing with conflicting feelings surrounding a new brother or sister.
The Quiet Book
Deborah Underwood and Renata Liwska
A host of furry young friends takes us through all the different kinds of “quiet,” from the fun (“Hide and seek quiet”) to the not so fun (“Thinking of a good reason you were drawing on the wall quiet”) to the poignant (“Best friends don’t need to talk quiet”). Liwska’s soft, sweet illustrations perfectly complement the gentle tone of Underwood’s words.
Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion
Mo Willems
The latest Knuffle Bunny story sees Trixie and her family traveling to Holland to visit her grandparents when tragedy strikes: Knuffle Bunny is forgotten on the plane, now bound for China! Trixie deals with the loss by picturing Knuffle Bunny bringing happiness to other kids around the world, and the bittersweet ending shows just how much she’s grown up.
Art & Max
David Wiesner
Art never looked like so much fun. Impetuous lizard Max paints his iguana friend Arthur—literally—and chaos ensues as he tries to clean him off. The imaginative and joyful story paired with Wiesner’s exuberant illustrations will delight creative and mischievous minds; by the end, you may want to go pick up a paintbrush of your own.
Tween
Cosmic
Written by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Liam is tall for his 12 years—so tall, in fact, that he’s able to fool people into thinking he’s a parent chaperone on a secret civilian space flight. Unfortunately, as they invariably do in such stories, his spaceship veers off course and the group must extricate themselves from Certain Doom. Liam and his friends are thrust into one hilarious adventure after another, even as Liam discovers what it means to be responsible for others.
One Crazy Summer
Rita Williams-Garcia
It’s 1968, and Delphine and her two sisters have been shipped off to their absentee mother, Cecile, for the summer. They’re hardly in for a traditional holiday: Cecile is involved with the Black Panthers, and the girls quickly become embroiled in the turbulent politics of the time. All three sisters have well-developed storylines and points of view as cares beyond their years are heaped upon them, and Williams-Garcia’s prose crackles with every page turn.
A Tale Dark and Grimm
Adam Gidwitz
Fans of Lemony Snicket will relish this twisted retelling of classic Brothers Grimm fairy tales, where Hansel and Gretel trespass into others’ stories and create a whole new fantastic one for themselves. Be warned: There’s ghastliness afoot. Less than savory (but nonetheless exciting) events like beheadings and bloodletting are not spared, but like Snicket, the narrator speaks directly to the reader and happily warns of such occasions. Sometimes scary, but mostly bitingly funny, this tale is a far and welcome cry from the traditional—and sometimes boring—happily ever after.
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Jaqueline Kelly
At the turn of the 20th century, 11-year-old Calpurnia Virginia Tate, or “Callie Vee,” is more interested in exploring the Texas wilderness and observing insects than in cooking or needlepoint. Under the eye of her irascible grandfather she reads Charles Darwin’s controversial “Origins of a Species” and learns about science and evolution, much to her mother’s chagrin. Callie is constantly bombarded with conflicting messages as she tries to follow her scientific passions, even while she’s being groomed to enter society as a well-bred lady with no aspirations beyond marriage and motherhood. Callie’s voice is strong and funny, her predicament believable, and it will likely resonate with many young readers today.
Teen
Nation
Terry Pratchett
Mau is returning home from a coming-of-age ritual when a tsunami destroys his island and all of his people. Wrought with uncertainty and anger at the gods that allowed this to happen, Mau is unexpectedly joined by another victim of the storm: thoughtful and sensible Daphne, the daughter of a British diplomat and the sole survivor of a shipwreck. The two strive to rebuild a society as more stragglers join them on the island, and while Pratchett tackles deeper questions of existence, culture, religion and survival, his trademark wit never strays far from the surface, making for a laugh-out-loud adventure seared with raw emotion.
Matched
Ally Condie
In the future, the Society has stripped the “burden” of choice from humanity and identifies the optimal life paths for all its inhabitants, including what they will be and whom they will marry. Cassia trusts the Society Officials when they say her match is her best friend, Xander, but a subsequent glitch reveals that it’s another boy entirely. Soon Cassia is questioning the restrictions she’s known all her life and wondering if she can choose her own destiny, a dangerous proposition in a world where those in charge will maintain control at any cost.
The Cardturner
Louis Sachar
What’s this? A novel for teens about bridge? ’Tis true, and the thing is, as told by Sachar, it’s an engaging and sly tale brimming with unusual and vibrant characters. Alton, 17, begrudgingly agrees to be his blind uncle’s cardturner. Though (like most teens) he doesn’t know the first thing about bridge, the mathematical nature of the game soon begins to affect his views on life and his relationships, especially that with his uncle. Sachar turns the mechanics of bridge into a giant puzzle that smart and inquisitive readers will delight in solving, even if they’re card novices.
Ship Breaker
Paolo Bacigalupi
Richly drawn characters populate Bacigalupi’s Gulf Coast dystopia, where most people are mercenaries who will do anything for money. In the midst of this violent and brutal order, 15-year-old Nailer survives with his abusive father, salvaging metal from abandoned oil tankers. His choice to rescue a shipwrecked girl sends him on a journey where nearly all of his relationships are tested, and many of them shattered. Still, his loyalty shines as a beacon in this grim existence.
