Charlesbridge Holiday Gift Guide 2024: Perfect Children's Books For Your Readers 0

'Tis the season and time to search for the perfect present for children and families. For book lovers, we have a great selection. Be sure to check out our holiday gift guide for more recommendations.

Our holiday gift guide includes the perfect books for:

• Winter Holidays
• Pre-Schoolers
• Spanish Readers
• Science Lovers
• Picture Book Favorites
• Ages 8 and Up
• Storytime

Winter Holiday Gifts for Kids:

For fans of the holidays this winter, we have plenty of titles to share from Gingerbread Dreidels, celebrating both Chanukah on Christmas day. Or, maybe a classic like Latkes and Applesauce, which celebrates a special Hanukkah moment. Sometimes, plans don’t go as planned and holiday traditions are interrupted like in Just Us.

Gifts for Preschoolers:

We have a range of board books for little listeners. Indigenous titles like On Powwow Day and We Are Grateful Ostaliheliga: Seasons will captivate the little ones. Or, if they enjoy dinosaurs, they’ll love Baby Loves Paleontology. We also have a series of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Babies board books imparting life lessons, which warm the heart with heaping spoonfuls of good humor.

Gifts for Spanish Readers: 

We have an amazing collection of Spanish language books. Readers can explore superstitions in La mala suerte me sigue. They can follow along with adorable Adela as she tries to find her place in a mariachi band in Los mariachis de Adela. Nonfiction lovers can learn about axolotls in No es un monstruo. If a child has trouble speaking Spanish, they can learn how to communicate in Un graznido en espanol and that it’s okay to not be perfect, but that trying is what matters.

Science Books for Kids:

Any readers looking for women who paved the way for others will enjoy She Sells Seashells, a story about Mary Anning, an unlikely paleontologist. If a young reader loves dinosaurs, then they’ll love Dinosaurs Can Be Small. Know someone crazy for robots? They'll love How to Explain Robotics to a Grown-Up, a playful STEM picture book filled with fun facts, empowering kid experts to explore complex scientific concepts with their grown-up.

Gifts for Picture Book Faves:

We have a huge variety of picture books, many of them favorites for different reasons. If your reader loves fairy tale retellings, Mahogany is a delightful contemporary retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Basketball fans will love the motivational picture book, If Lin Can. ARTificial Intelligence is a fn story for creative kids who also love tech. Of course, we can’t forget about unicorn fans. They’ll find delight in the father-daughter book, Giddy Up, Unicorn.

Gifts for Ages 8 and Up:

We kicked off our new middle grade fiction imprint Charlesbridge Moves this year. Hum is a llama rescue adventure for readers who love something fast-paced. Novel-in-verse lovers will enjoy Wings to Soar. And if your reader is a wild wild west fan, they'll enjoy The Kid. These books are great gifts for reluctant readers packed with adventure, engaging characters, and compelling stories. One cool feature sure to delight your reader is the poster on the other side of the cover and the QR code leading to a dedicated page with extra content to explore.

Gifts for Storytime Reads:

Lastly, we have great storytime books like Is That the Bus? exploring different vehicles and the sounds they make. There’s the rhythmic Every Here Has a There, and the action-packed picture book, Clack, Clack! Smack!, about Cherokee stickball. And, anyone who enjoys fun wordplay and food will love Pickle Words.

Once again, if you want more recommendations, please check out our holiday gift guide for a more comprehensive list.

Fall 2024 Preview Recap – Enjoy Autumn With These Children’s Books 0

Starting kindergarden or pre-school - tips 0

Starting kindergarden or pre-school - tips

Eating out with young children... 0

Guest blog post by author Anna McQuinn

So this story was born of a particular experience...

I went to visit friends who had, shall I say, a 'lively' toddler. A babysitter was booked so we adults could go out for dinner, but at the last minute, my friends got a call to say she couldn't make it.

My lovely friends thought it would be just too much to expect their little boy, David, to sit quietly with us while we ate, and suggested we order out... but I was sure he could cope and went out to my car to get my teddy (a longer story...) Dan.

I sat David down and told him that we were going to a restaurant but we were not sure Dan would be able to behave. I asked David if he would take charge of Dan, explain to him that he would have to sit nicely while we waited for food; that he was not to play with the cutlery, the plates OR the food; but that we would bring along some toys. It wasn't quite an opportunity for play, but close... and David seemed keen to take responsibility!

We were lucky to have a wonderful elderly waiter, just like Bruno. Not only did he get a suitable chair for David, but he got one for Dan too AND put a napkin on both their laps - exactly as he did for the adults.

I can report that Dan did really well, and only had to be called to attention once or twice by David! And we all had a wonderful meal and evening together.

So when I came to write this story of course I had to chanel this experience almost exactly (except that Leo has his own Mr. Seahorse).

Just this weekend - a few weeks before publication, I welcomed David to my home. He was accompanied by his wife Levi and his young son, Huxley, as well as his brother Dylan. We didn't go out to lunch, but I can report that Huxley behaved beautifully at the table at lunch and David, Levi and Dylan enjoyed my old story - and my new one!

For more tips for taking toddlers to eat out, click here.