Books are usually one of the firsts that come to mind when I think of meaningful and long-lasting gifts for children. Here's my list of gift-worthy reads from 2022.
Picture Books
By Julio Torres
Illustrated by Julian Glander
Ages: 4-8
Former SNL writer and comedic rising star Julio Torres takes readers on a journey through the lives and intimate dramas of some of the unsung shapes of our time in this picture book inspired by his HBO special My Favorite Shapes.
Shapes. You’ve heard of them. You might have even interacted with a few. But do you really know them? From plucky Plunger, who wishes to defy his shape and become a beautiful vase, to other household objects with dreams of a life beyond their predestined roles, I Want to Be a Vase takes readers on an essential and visually stunning journey through the lives and intimate dramas of often-overlooked household appliances.
By Alex Willan
Illustrated by Alex Willan
Ages: 4-8
In this hilarious follow-up to Unicorns Are the Worst! and Dragons Are the Worst!, Gilbert the Goblin’s next adventure takes him to the frozen tundra where he’s determined to find the legendary yeti.
Gilbert the Goblin is the first to admit that he was, ahem, mistaken—unicorns actually throw the best tea parties, and dragons make delicious ice cream soup. This time, though, he can absolutely confirm that YETIS ARE THE WORST!
Sure, they may seem cool and mysterious, but once you meet one, he’s CERTAIN they’re not all they’re cracked up to be! And that’s what Gilbert plans to do: meet a yeti. That is, if he can find one…but how hard can that be?
Hippos Go Berserk! The 45th Anniversary Edition
By Sandra Boynton
All Ages
From the one and only Sandra Boynton comes an all-new deluxe edition of the picture book that started it all: Hippos Go Berserk!Celebrated for 45 wild years, this modern classic has been completely redrawn and redesigned by Boynton for a new generation of readers (and hippos.) And don’t worry—the board book version (first published in 1996) is still alive and well!
The story begins quite simply, with no hint of the chaos ahead:
One hippo, all alone, calls two hippos on the phone…
Exuberant hippopotamus guests show up in ever-increasing numbers, until an all-night party is inevitable. This snazzy new edition honors the enduring power of a deft and nuanced depiction of the Hippo Condition.
By Jonathan Graziano
Illustrated by Dan Tavis
Ages: 4-8
From the creator of the viral “Bones or No Bones” TikTok videos comes a sweet and entertaining picture book following Noodle the pug and his human as they navigate Noodle’s first No Bones Day—a day for being kind to yourself!
Noodle is a sweet, silly old pug who enjoys doing all his favorite activities with his favorite human, Jonathan. But one day when Jonathan goes to take Noodle on his morning walk, he finds Noodle still comfortable in bed. When Jonathan lifts Noodle up, Noodle just flops over. It’s almost like Noodle woke up without any bones!
Noodle isn’t sick or sad—but he also isn’t interested in going for walks or sitting outside (he will accept snacks, though). Today, all he needs are extra snuggles and belly rubs. Jonathan soon learns that not every day can be a Bones Day, and sometimes a No Bones Day is exactly what you need to get through the week.
By Michelle Sterling
Illustrated by Dung Ho
Ages: 4-8
Celebrate the Lunar New Year through a young girl’s family traditions in this charming picture book featuring illustrations by New York Times bestselling artist Dung Ho that also includes a recipe for pineapple cakes!
Little Ren looks forward to the preparation for and festivities of Lunar New Year, but she is always too little to help make the delicious pineapple cakes that are her favorite. She watches family members rolling out the dough and loves the mouth-watering smell. Watching and waiting, when will Ren be old enough?
Snow Horses: A First Night Story
By Patricia MacLachlan
Illustrated by Micha Archer
Ages: 4-8
From Newbery Medal–winning author Patricia MacLachlan comes a cozy picture book of love, light, and community during New Year’s and taking the past with us as we step into the future, brought to life with tender and intricate cut paper illustrations.
On the very last evening before the new year, when the snow is falling soft and thick, two black horses wait for the jingle of their sled. As they ride about town, they will spread light to their beloved neighbors, bidding farewell to the last night—and saying hello to the first morning.
Chapter Books
By Stuart Gibbs
Ages 8-12
In the tenth book in the New York Times bestselling Spy School series, Ben Ripley races against time and across state lines—by car, train, boat, and plane—to avoid his new cyber enemies and track down Murray Hill. Ben Ripley’s longtime nemesis, Murray Hill, has put a price on Ben’s head and accused him of being at the center of a conspiracy on the internet. Now Ben finds himself in his greatest danger yet, on the run from both assassins and conspiracy theorists. Ben must find Murray before his machinations catch up to Ben—but with so much at stake, even some of Ben’s most trusted friends might not be at the top of their game, leaving Ben to be tested like never before.
Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor
By Xiran Jay Zhao
Ages: 8-12
Percy Jackson meets Tristan Strong in this hilarious, action-packed middle grade contemporary fantasy that follows a young boy as he journeys across China to seal the underworld shut and save the mortal realm.
Zachary Ying never had many opportunities to learn about his Chinese heritage. His single mom was busy enough making sure they got by, and his schools never taught anything except Western history and myths. So Zack is woefully unprepared when he discovers he was born to host the spirit of the First Emperor of China for a vital mission: sealing the leaking portal to the Chinese underworld before the upcoming Ghost Month blows it wide open.
The mission takes an immediate wrong turn when the First Emperor botches his attempt to possess Zack’s body and binds to Zack’s AR gaming headset instead, leading to a battle where Zack’s mom’s soul gets taken by demons. Now, with one of history’s most infamous tyrants yapping in his headset, Zack must journey across China to heist magical artifacts and defeat figures from history and myth, all while learning to wield the emperor’s incredible water dragon powers.
And if Zack can’t finish the mission in time, the spirits of the underworld will flood into the mortal realm, and he could lose his mom forever.
By Jenny Han
Ages: 12+
Belly has an unforgettable summer in this stunning start to the Summer I Turned Pretty series from the New York Times bestselling author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Jenny Han.
Some summers are just destined to be pretty.
Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer—they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.
By Chloe Gong
Ages: 14+
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends comes the first book in a captivating new duology following an ill-matched pair of spies posing as a married couple to investigate a series of brutal murders in 1930s Shanghai.
It’s 1931 in Shanghai, and the stage is set for a new decade of intrigue.
Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was brought back from the brink of death, but the strange experiment that saved her also stopped her from sleeping and aging—and allows her to heal from any wound. In short, Rosalind cannot die. Now, desperate for redemption for her traitorous past, she uses her abilities as an assassin for her country.
Code name: Fortune.
But when the Japanese Imperial Army begins its invasion march, Rosalind’s mission pivots. A series of murders is causing unrest in Shanghai, and the Japanese are under suspicion. Rosalind’s new orders are to infiltrate foreign society and identify the culprits behind the terror plot before more of her people are killed.
To reduce suspicion, however, she must pose as the wife of another Nationalist spy, Orion Hong, and though Rosalind finds Orion’s cavalier attitude and playboy demeanor infuriating, she is willing to work with him for the greater good. But Orion has an agenda of his own, and Rosalind has secrets that she wants to keep buried. As they both attempt to unravel the conspiracy, the two spies soon find that there are deeper and more horrifying layers to this mystery than they ever imagined.
Disclosure: I received free copies of these books to facilitate my posting.
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