I just visited our local bookstore for the first time since before COVID closed everything down in March. Wow, it was overwhelming! There were so many books that I wanted to buy. With winter break approaching, I know it will be nice for the kids to have some books to read and things to do that aren’t on screens, so the bookstore seemed like a good place to try. Unfortunately, there were so many choices I couldn’t make a decision, so I took some photos of books that looked interesting and left. I’ll check them out with the kids and will figure it out soon. I did, though, leave the store with three new jigsaw puzzles and will dig into those while we think about which books to buy! ;)
I’m fortunate that my kids love to read, but they’re super picky, and it’s important to have books they enjoy, not just the ones others choose for them. After my visit to the bookstore, I decided to put together a list of favorites in hopes that it would help you have a starting point when you go.
Humor
The Second Book in the Odd 1s Out Series - Hilarious YouTube artist and storyteller, James Rallison, shares ups and downs of growing up.
130 Story Treehouse Series - This was originally the 17 Story Treehouse but adds 13 stories with each new book in the series. It is filled with slapstick humor - next in the series arrives in April 2021!
Cooking
Nerdy Nummies Cookbook - Kid focused recipes are inspired by all the “geeky” things my kids love - video games, reading, science, math, etc.
The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs - From America’s Test Kitchen, tested by 750 kid chefs, filled with pictures and step-by-step guides.
Puzzles
Sticker Sudoku - Kids LOVE to solve Sudoku puzzles. This sticker book version, made by Solving Fun, is an accessible way to introduce kids to logic puzzles. Solving with stickers and symbols really engages them. Warning, they might become addicted.
Extreme Dot to Dot - Extreme is the right word for these dot to dot! Each page has between 400 and 1500 dots. It is so rewarding to finish each puzzle!
24 Mazes - Beautifully designed and filled with optical illusions and geometric shapes, this is a challenging maze book that makes a perfect gift for adults and kids alike.
Science
Basher Book Series - These books are a great way to introduce science topics in a fun and creative way.
Weird But True - For kids that are into non-fiction, these are a big hit. Weird But True covers every non-fiction topic that you can think about. Seriously - every kid I know loves these!
This Book is A Planetarium...And other Pop-Up Contraptions - Because we love it so much, I just ordered another for a holiday gift for a relative. It’s REALLY cool because it is more than just a book - it becomes a lot of other contraptions by folding pages into them. It can be a speaker, a spiralgraph, a decoder ring, and so much more! Talk about a fantastic gift...
Alphabet/Picture/Art
The Ultimate Alphabet - An oldie, but an updated and republished goodie! Every page is dedicated to a new letter and has intricate illustrations of words with lots of items to represent that letter.
AlphaBetter Book - Each page has detailed illustrations shaped like the represented letter with sentences. Beautiful and fun for alphabet, picture, and art book lovers.
What are your favorite books for kids’ gifts?