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The categories of great books to gift to kids are certainly not as simple as fiction versus nonfiction, or books with pictures versus books without. That’s especially true as they start to expand beyond “just” reading picture books: By the time kids are about 6 years old, and before many can even fully read on their own, they’re more discerning and have honed some of their interests. At the same time, they can handle stories that ask more of them, as characters become more complex, worlds become richer, and both fictional tales and scientific facts are presented through more nuanced styles of writing.
So gifting kids a book at this age (and beyond) presents a potentially greater opportunity to surprise and delight them with something truly transporting, but it’s also harder to choose one that’s just right. To pull together a list of exceptional books to gift kids 6 and up (or to a precocious and curious younger child), I talked to authors, editors, booksellers, journalists, illustrators, and parents. Their recommendations covers a range of puzzle books, graphic novels and comic books, fact-filled compendiums, and more. I also included several of my own go-tos — the books my two kids, ages 7 and 9, and I have particularly loved. And if you’re looking for more kids’ books to gift, I’ve put together a list for little kids, as well as roundups of activity books for a wide range of ages and the best kids’ books of 2024.
Interactive and puzzle books
“My kids love poring over the detailed photos, trying to find all the hidden objects,” says Courtney Klein, co-founder of Storq and parent of two. “It’s one of those books that keeps kids engaged for ages — and it never gets old, no matter how many times you revisit it.”
Klein also suggests Usborne’s transfer books as a new variation on an activity book. “Kids can create intricate, artistic garden scenes by rubbing detailed transfers onto the pages — completely mess-free, and the finished product can be enjoyed long after it’s completed,” which is a very nice bonus. The Wild Garden one Klein has is out of print, but Flowers is a more readily available book from the series.
The Sleuth & Solve series by Ana Gallo asks kids to detect logical impossibilities, inconsistent details, and gaps in narrative to try to figure out the answer to a riddle. The mysteries are each ranked by their level of difficulty, so you can work your way to the more challenging ones. My kids like to try to solve the mysteries first, then peek at the answers, then challenge the adults in the house to figure them out too.
“The book I gift the most to kids is Ed Emberley’s Make A World — the greatest drawing book of all time,” says writer and artist Austin Kleon. “It’s something like $7 in paperback, so I buy a bunch of copies and have them handy, along with a package of Crayola markers, for any kids’ birthday parties I get invited to.”
Story collections
“My go-to for gifts are the two books of mythology written and illustrated by the D’Aulaires,” says Isaac Butler, a writer and the co-host of Slate’s Working podcast. “These books, first published in the 1960s, have introduced literal generations to the incredible mythology of the Greeks and Vikings. They’re the books I read over and over again when I was in fourth grade, and I’ve read them both to my kid, who loves them,” he says, adding that “the storytelling is clear and vivid, the language lucid without being condescending, and the art is hilariously weird, even though the husband and wife team of Ingri and Edgar Parin were both trained artists.”
“Better known for her book The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Joan Aiken was a terrific fabulist who brings everyday magic into a British family,” says writer and book editor Lauren LeBlanc of The Serial Garden. “Told in stories, this is an ideal book to read aloud at bedtime for kids who are perhaps reluctant to commit to bigger novels.”
Even though nursery rhymes may be considered more toddler play, Jon Scieszka’s collection makes art of these familiar word schemes. “This one messes with familiar nursery rhymes, deconstructing them, flipping them upside down and reconstructing them in absurdly funny ways. It’s a perfect book for a clever kid,” says Erin Jang, an artist, designer, and parent of two.
“If you’ve only read the adult versions of this famous Yorkshire veterinarian’s animal encounters — well, don’t worry. In this gentle collection, he’s not up to his elbows in a cow’s vag or drinking his 15th pint before driving all over the English countryside,” says Catherine Newman, author of the recently published novel Sandwich and many others. “In this collection, he’s meeting and healing a series of lovely farm animals, and the illustrations are as warm and quietly good-natured as the stories are.”
Graphic novels
“Mac Barnett is one of those writers who can do anything,” says Emma Straub, author and owner of Books Are Magic in Brooklyn. “In this series, he (Mac) is a child drafted by the queen of England to — yes — be a spy.” This premise takes young Mac on many adventures as he must crack secret codes, travel to Iceland, and ultimately save the world. “He gets extra points from me for the New Kids on the Block subplot in one of the books,” notes Straub, a reminder that Barnett will always find the perfect balance between cool and hilarious.
In Sara Varon’s graphic novels, characters navigate seemingly simple but profound missions that are unexpectedly affecting. Robot Dreams is her “wordless, funny, poignant book about loneliness and companionship,” says Ruth Chan, a Brooklyn-based illustrator and author. She recommends this story about the relationship between an anthropomorphized dog and a robot, which takes place all over New York City. Recently made into a film, it was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2024 Academy Awards. Other Varon titles worth checking out include Bake Sale and New Shoes.
Cece Bell’s autobiographical graphic novel tells the story of losing her hearing as a child, and moving to a new school where she is the only one with this disability. As Cece becomes acclimated and gains confidence, she realizes her hearing aid is also a superpower, redefining the idea of what a superhero could look like. Both of my kids have read and re-read this book, finding humor in what’s misheard, charmed by Cece and her friends, and curious about what it means to live with hearing loss. There’s also now a new Superpowered Edition with bonus photos, sketches, and notes from Bell herself.
Chan also recommends Sharee Miller’s new entry into the navigating-middle-school canon. “This graphic novel perfectly encapsulates the feelings that come with moving, friendships, and finding how to be your true self,” says Chan. Curlfriends has overlapping themes with Chan’s recently published graphic memoir, Uprooted.
The most read and re-read graphic novels in our house for many years running have been the various graphic novels by Raina Telgemeier, which navigate the big feelings and complex relationships of being a kid who is often not in charge of big life decisions. In Sisters, older sister Raina is navigating life with her younger sister. In Smile, Raina accidentally knocks out her front two teeth and has to go on a journey through agonizing dental work, challenging her own confidence and self-image. In Ghosts, a family with two girls has to move to a new place for its cool, breezy air because the younger sister has cystic fibrosis. In Guts and Drama, the characters also delve into the true ups and downs of growing up, a subject Telgemeier takes very seriously.
If your recipient liked Dog Man, they’ll also like this comic series because of its similar sense of adventure and friendships, and because it also follows anthropomorphized animals through somewhat absurd plots. (Dog Man is Dav Pilkey’s best-selling graphic-novel series about an unlikely protagonist, a cop who is half-human, half-dog. He has a strong sense of justice, and leads a misfit band of characters on adventures to fight for good in the world.) Hilo comes recommended by Alex Aranda, co-founder of Majo Ideas and mom of two. “My kids just got into them and quickly read all ten books that are currently available within a span of a few weeks. A bit of a binge, but it’s a fun adventure story centered around misfits who become heroes in their own right.”
This vintage graphic series was recommended to Aranda by a friend who is a sci-fi-book editor. “We have received and purchased a number of vintage comic books over the years and they never really seem appropriate for my kids, who are younger. Originally published in 1984, the Power Pack books have illustrations with a wonderful retro vibe and the story centers on four siblings — each given different powers — who figure out ways to work together. Feel good? Comic book? Best of both worlds.” There are ten volumes in this series, so there are many adventures for kids to dive into if they like the first.
A beloved set for the fantasy-loving crowd is the 5 Worlds series, featuring three kids on an adventure to save the five worlds. Each takes place on a different planet, where these unlikely heroes must battle for the galaxy. It’s a perfect series for kids, like my son, who love interplanetary battles (if they like Star Wars, it will appeal).
Chapter books for tweens and teens
“I love giving The Westing Game,” says Erica Cerulo, co-founder of 831 Stories, a modern romance-fiction company. “It’s a kids’ book that reads like an adult book, and because of that, it serves as a good entry into genre mystery more broadly.” The novel, which won the Newbery Medal shortly after its publication in 1978, is structured as a puzzle, where readers need to figure out which of the tenants at an apartment is responsible for the death of a wealthy businessman. “I personally loved mysteries as I started tiptoeing out of the children’s section,” Cerulo says.
“I recommend anything by Kate DiCamillo,” says Eric Fan, one-third of the Fan Brothers trio who are behind many beautiful children’s books. “I only discovered her books as an adult, but I know I would have loved them when I was younger too. I gave my niece” — then 11 — “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, and it’s now her favorite book. I also love Flora & Ulysses, which is very charming and funny.”
“I loved the combination of ghost story and journey of self-discovery,” says illustrator and children’s book creator Sarah Jacoby, of Kyle Lukoff’s Too Bright to See. In this National Book Award Finalist, Bug and Moira, two friends on the cusp of middle school, are trying to figure out who they are while hunting for the ghost hiding in Bug’s Vermont farmhouse. “It’s a genius concept, gently told, and emotional but also so true,” says Jacoby.
After finishing the Harry Potter books last year, my then-8-year-old daughter picked up Kelly Yang’s Front Desk series, a set of five middle-grade chapter books (with the sixth slated for the summer of 2025) that feature Mia Tang, who runs the front desk at her family’s motel in Southern California. Mia navigates both the motel’s guests and the community, serving as a conduit from one to the other. If your recipient has ever wondered what it’s like to live in a motel, or if they’ve experienced the feeling of having multiple identities, or figuring out the ins and outs of relationships at home and at school, this series will speak to them.
Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu are the titles of the books in Jason Reynolds’s middle-grade Track Series, as well as the names of the kids at the heart of the stories. Chosen to compete on an elite track team, each of the protagonists comes from a very different background, rife with its own challenges. They each have their own motivations for being there — to escape, to prove themselves, to find themselves — and through these characters, Reynolds creates a complex world showing how a group of talented young kids is confronted with and navigates the world.
“It’s hard not to love the Vanderbeekers,” says Jang. This series features the five Vanderbeeker siblings and takes place in and around their Harlem apartment. “They’re a chaotic bunch, but the siblings manage to come together, help each other and their neighbors, and care for their community with their warmhearted hijinks. The world of the Vanderbeekers is the kind of NYC I want to live in,” Jang says.
From the acclaimed adult writer of Fugitive Pieces and the Booker-nominated Held, this is an “utterly enchanting series about an independent young woman with a family of many, many cats,” says LeBlanc. “Parents who appreciate the strong vocabulary embedded in other series like Fancy Nancy will be impressed by the literary acumen and the confectionary illustrations of these books.”
Nonfiction and compendiums
“The biggest hit I’ve given this year is Working Boats: A Look Inside Ten Amazing Watercraft. It’s absolutely gorgeous, with cross-section illustrations of boats that absolutely beguile readers of all ages,” says writer and journalist Anne Helen Petersen. “Younger kids treat it more as a picture book, and older kids can get into the nerdy stuff.” Petersen also notes that the author and illustrator, Tom Crestodina, “is a working fisherman and engineer and sells a bunch of other nerdy boat-illustration stuff on his website.”
My favorite niche subject book of all time is this truly hilarious and emotionally complex title by Italian artist Noemi Vola. It’s written as though from the perspective of a worm, considering, with increasing existential agony, all of the ways their lives are challenging, the odds are stacked against them, and how they might survive. But the book is not (all) straight facts. Vola takes artistic liberties to imagine worm celebrities, worm socializing, worm houses, and so on, while also filling it chock-full of fascinating details about worms. I delight in this book as much as my children do, both the writing and the illustration.
Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas, the duo behind the much-loved kids’ podcast Wow in the World, have also created illustrated compendiums about the human body, animals, and space. Each one is jam-packed with fun facts, comics, and all kinds of scientific information. My kids’ favorite is The How and the Wow of the Human Body (they love the section about poop, obviously). These are great companion books to the podcast but can be thoroughly enjoyed even if you’re not a listener.
Randall Munroe is the creator of the web comic xkcd, through which he often answers preposterous questions or gives outlandish advice for common concerns. Munroe has compiled many of the very funny answers to these strange questions into this book. “Every kid I’ve given this book to devours it. It’s a great gift for that teen who loves science, engineering, and a bit of absurdity. It’s smart, funny, and sure to spark their curiosity,” says Jang.
“The hold of the Guinness Book of World Records endures, and in my opinion, they only get better,” says Priyanka Mattoo, a mom of two and the author of the recently published memoir Bird Milk & Mosquito Bones. “My son can pore over them for hours, and it’s a great book to take along on a day of errands just in case he gets bored.” I can also attest to the staying power of this book; the latest edition has more color, more photographs, and more absurd records than ever to enjoy.
“I was the sort of kid who read the encyclopedia and the Guinness Book of World Records for fun,” says Jason Kottke of Kottke.org. “If there’s a kid like that in your life, Atlas Obscura’s book of cool and weird places might be just the thing.” The hefty edition takes readers to hundreds of unusual and unique spots in destinations around the world, highlighting often overlooked, bizarre, and mysterious “wonders” — both natural and man-made.
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