Books Inc. Kids Blog

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Our month-long holiday gift guide continues with Jennifer Donnelly's REVOLUTION. Andi and Alexandrine. Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present. A surprising and beautiful novel for teens (or adults!)
 

Sugar and Ice by Kate Messner

Our next holiday pick is SUGAR AND ICE by Kate Messner. It will make a perfect gift for any girl who likes skating, theatre, dance or other competitive athletic or artistic endeavors. For Claire Boucher, life is all about skating on the frozen cow pond and in the annual Maple Show right before the big pancake breakfast on her family's farm. But all that changes when a charismatic Russian skating coach offers Claire a scholarship to train with the elite in Lake Placid. Tossed into a world of mean girls on ice, where competition is everything, Claire realizes that her sweet dream come true has sharper edges than she could have imagined.

Just One Bite


For the child who appreciates facts, may we recommend JUST ONE BITE? This is a color-saturated, gorgeous and life-sized introduction to what animals eat, how they eat it, and how much they eat in a single bite, and it is full of compelling facts and images. From drops of nectar and tiny sand-grain-sized bits of earth, to the vast tentacles of the giant squid that is a snack for a sperm whale, this book and the eleven animals in it are EXACTLY as large as life!

Penny Dreadful

 Our next featured gift idea is PENNY DREADFUL , by one of our favorite new voices in children's lit, Laurel Snyder. What better book for the season of spending than one about how money isn't everything?  When bored, lonely, Penelope Grey makes a wish that "something interesting would happen, just like in a book," her dad suddenly quits his job in The City and the family fortune melts away, leaving the Greys floundering.  So Penelope's next wish is simply that something would happen to make things better. But that only lands them all in a ramshackle house in rural Tennessee, surrounded by a cast of oddball characters.  This is a warm and whimsical treat for book lovers aged 8-12.

10 Little Penguins

Meet the ever-so-slightly subversive 10 LITTLE PENGUINS. This small-sized book is from the same makers as the very popular 365 Penguins from a couple years back, and of course, the title animals are as adorable - and mischievous - as ever. But these dare-devil tuxedo'ed beasts find that fire and ice make a dangerous mix. They get into quite a lot of hot water (among other perils!) on every page. Still, keep going all the way to the end for a happy surprise!  This has been a big hit with little kids.

Interrupting Chicken

Our festival of awesome gift ideas continues with one of the funniest entries on the list, INTERRUPTING CHICKEN by David Ezra Stein. The antics start at storytime, when papa chicken reads... or TRIES to read... fairy tales to an enthusiastic little one. She just can't help interrupting to make the stories JUST a little better by inserting herself into them to save the day. Anyone who has ever told a fictional character "HE'S BEHIND YOU!" will relate to this chicken tale.

Jenny & the Cat Club

JENNY & THE CAT CLUB by Esther Averill is a true classic, reissued by the New York Review Children's Collection, and one of our favorites no matter what time of year! In Greenwich Village a gentle little black cat lives with her master, a sea captain. She would like nothing more than to join the local Cat Club, but she is too shy. Will her new friends (and her red scarf!) help her become brave enough to take on her fears? Discover the world of Jenny and her friends, including the wonderful Pickles the Fire Cat among others, and find out why The Atlantic Monthly called Jenny " a personality ranking not far below such giants as Peter Rabbit."  Jenny is just perfect to read aloud as a family with 4-7 year olds, or for young independent readers.

Beauty and the Beast

As promised, we're going to be featuring some of our favorite children's book picks for this holiday season all December long.First up is the extraordinary and magical pop-up BEAUTY AND THE BEAST by master paper engineer Robert Sabuda. Anyone who has seen his versions of Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland knows that his work is amazing - BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is no exception. This is a book for the whole family to enjoy. (Ages 4+) 

 

 

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