Gift Book Suggestions for Your Family - The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance

When you buy a special book for a child at Hanukkah, Christmas, or Kwanzaa, it helps your child to create emotional connections linking family, tradition, and reading. It also sends the message that receiving books is as pleasurable an experience as receiving toys.

I asked Natacha Liuzzi, librarian and book buyer, for some age-pertinent book suggestions for gift giving this year. Natacha’s youthful appearance belies the fact that she has years of experience connecting kids to books. For eight years, Natacha was the Children’s Services Librarian at the Hinesburg Public Library in Hinesburg, Vermont. There she was responsible for buying all the children’s, middle grade, and young adult materials, servicing children from toddlers through to high school students. Currently, Natacha operates the independent Brown Dog Books and Gifts in Hinesburg, Vermont. She has served on a committee that nominates picture books for the Red Clover Award, Vermont’s annual student choice awards. She is also the RIF coordinator for the Hinesburg Community School, providing each student with a free book three times yearly, and she was the Hinesburg Literacy Team coordinator working with area preschool and reading teachers throughout Chittenden County.

Finding a special book for the child you love can be an overwhelming task given the selection available at your bookstore. Natacha offers the following advice:

Find out what the child or teen has read already. Ask them what authors they like to read.
Discover the subjects and topics that interest them.
Find out if they prefer fiction or nonfiction, fantasy or reality.
Don’t be afraid to ask your neighborhood children’s librarian or children’s books seller for suggestions and advice.
Read your local newspaper’s book section. Many newspapers and magazines feature book suggestions this time of year.
Be consumer savvy. The books with biggest marketing budgets are not necessarily the best books for you child or teen. And conversely, a book you’ve never heard of may contain the story that changes your child’s or teen’s life. Natacha says, “Just because a book jacket may look promising does not mean the story is going to live up to it. We all fall victim at one time or another to ‘judging a book by its cover.'”
Take into consideration the content and age recommendation. I think great care needs to be taken, especially if a young reader is at a higher reading level. Even though the child can read the material the content is not always appropriate.
No one is ever too old for a picture book!!

Consider all possibilities: great literature and fun, entertaining books. Says Natacha, “Think of books in terms of chocolate mousse and a Hershey kiss. There are moments for both!”

Great Book Gift Suggestions

Going to the bookstore with a list of recommended books in hand can help guide your choices. Take a look at the following lists for some authoritative advice:

Reading Rockets’ Holiday Buying Guide (Birth through Age 12)

AdLit.org’s Great Books for Teens (Listed by Theme)

The NCBLA’s In Search of Wonder Lists of Book Recommendations By Category (Birth through Young Adult)
Be sure to scroll down to “Lists of Common Core Book Recommendations by Academic Discipline.”

The Horn Book Fanfare, Best Books for 2015 (Birth through Young Adult)

Cooperative Children’s Book Center Book Choices 2015 (Birth through Young Adult)

The New York Times Notable Children’s Books of 2015

Young Adult Library Services Association Best Fiction for Young Adults 2015

American Library Association Youth Media Awards (Birth through Young Adult)

Great Reads Author and Illustrator Recommendations