Book gifts and holiday reading for kids 3 to 8
Book-first gift guides and holiday reading lists for parents and grandparents.
9 guides
- The best Christmas books for kids: 24 read-alouds for every night of December One story for each night from December 1 to Christmas Eve, sorted by age: rhyming picture books for the little ones, classics for everyone, and longer stories for kids ready to sit a little longer.
- Thanksgiving books for kids: the best read-alouds for November Sixteen picture books for the weeks before Thanksgiving: silly turkeys and big family dinners for the little ones, Native voices on the harvest of 1621, and true stories about how the holiday came to be.
- Stocking stuffers for kids that aren’t junk The test is simple: will they still use it in January? Small books, art supplies, games for two and a few useful things that earn their spot in the stocking.
- Non-toy gifts for kids that still feel like a gift Nothing against toys. If the playroom is already full, here are gifts that give a child something to do, something to look forward to, or something to keep.
- Gifts for grandkids that last longer than Christmas morning Start with the books you loved as a child, add a tradition only you can give, and you have a gift that is still around long after the wrapping paper.
- Books as gifts for kids: how to pick one they’ll actually read A good book gift gets opened twice: once on the day, and again every night after. How to choose one by age and interest, pair it with something to do, write a note they will keep, and wrap it so it feels like the big present.
- Books about giving for kids: stories about sharing what you have An ice cream cone, a plate of cookies, a quilt for a greedy king. Picture books that make generosity feel like something a child can actually do.
- Book subscription for kids: is it worth it, and what to get instead Mail with your own name on it is a thrill at five. Here is how kids’ book clubs actually work, how to pick one, and when a library card or a single set does the job better.
The library behind the Journal
The Money & Business Library is five illustrated picture books for ages 4 to 8 that follow money from a first dollar to a small business: earning, ideas, worth, building and growing. Audiobook editions are available too.
We publish the Journal so parents get the research for free, whether or not the books end up on your shelf.
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