Before we get to today’s post, we’d like to announce the winner of the giveaway celebrating the release of Mindy Baker’s new book, Soledad and the Curse of the Phoenix! Congratulations to Crystan! You’ve won a copy of both of Mindy’s books. We’ve sent you a message so we can be sure to get your prize to you!

The holidays are upon us, and that means that we are recommending some of our favorite books to give as gifts this year. And because we believe in extending the magic of story time (and independent reading) beyond the last page, we’ve paired our book recommendations with coordinating gift ideas. We hope this list of picture book and middle grade titles will inspire you to not only give books to the children in your life, but to pair those books with gifts that will encourage real life, book-inspired fun and connection.

Note: Some links will take you to the Read, Discuss, Do bookshop.org storefront. Purchasing a book from the storefront will support independent bookstores and help maintain Read, Discuss, Do at no additional cost to you.

Picture Books

Don’t Trust Cats (Life Lessons from Chip the Dog) by Dev Petty and illustrated by Mike Boldt is the sequel to Don’t Eat Bees, a book we shared last year, and we HOPE there are more on the way! In this book, Chip tells you all the funny things you can trust like a porcupine, your humans, and a skunk!! There are many pet owner jokes within the pages. Your little pet lovers will love both of these books!

Hot Dog by Doug Salati. One day a little city dog is on a walk with his owner. In the middle of a crosswalk, he simply refuses to get up! His owner realizes that the little dog needs a day at the beach where he can run and be happy! You will fall in love with this little city dog who knows what he needs and is determined to get it. The lovely word choice and illustrations make this book even more special.

Pair these books with veterinarian play set, such as this one from Melissa & Doug.

Duck, Duck, Taco Truck written by Laura Lavoie and illustrated by Teresa Martínez is a silly and playful rhyming picture book that shows how teamwork really is the best solution. Two ducks have a successful taco truck business and are saving to buy a boat. Along comes Goose with his pizza and burger truck, and he steals all their business. But with so much demand, the goose is exhausted. He notices the two dejected ducks and invites them into a partnership. The last scene shows all three of them cruising away on their new boat! This is bright, energetic story that your child will want to read over and over!

Pizza and Taco Super-Awesome Comic (Part of a series of easy-to-read graphic novels) by Stephen Shaskan. Pizza and Taco are trying to collaborate to create a comic book. Despite their conflicts and disagreements, in the end the reader gets to see the final product they wrote together. This series is perfect for beginning and/or reluctant readers. The realistic humor and conversation exchanges between the pizza and the taco make the books especially hilarious. If you like Mo Willems humor with Elephant and Piggie books, you will love this series.

Pair either (or both) of these fun taco books with a taco night play set like this one!

The Blue Jays That Grew a Forest by Lynn Street, Illustrated by Anne Hunter. In this lyrical, informative story with captivating illustrations, the reader is taken on a journey with bluejays as they carry acorns and transform land into growing forests of oaks. This story spans the course of a year and includes rhythmical seasonal explorations. It also includes back matter that provides a plethora of blue jay and oak info for interested learners.

Forests (Adventure Through Nature) by Nell Cross Beckman, Illustrated by Kalen Chock. In this beautifully illustrated book, readers are taken on an adventure of wonder on how forests are grown using poetic language and engaging side bars of nonfiction information. This story will invite readers into all types of forests and fill them with wonder about one of the world’s most common eco-systems.

Either of these books would pair well with a set of kids’ gardening tools or a pair of binoculars.

Dinos That Drive, Poems by Suzy Levinson, Illustrated by Dustin Harbin. This collection of poetry is hilarious and entertaining. Learn about different dinosaurs as they do ridiculous things—like drive, engineer trains, bike, and more. You won’t believe how these dinosaurs disappear! This is a fun read aloud with interactive text, illustrations that pop, and fun side characters. The poetry is perfect and the dinos don’t disappoint!

Pair this book with a fun toy like this dinosaur vehicle transport or a dinosaur themed car play set.

Dinosaur Farm, by Frann Preston-Gannon is a funny story where the pictures tell a parallel farm story--and it’s more than a regular farm! The text uses farm language to describe chores, but the illustrations show that this is a dinosaur farm! The chores sound ordinary, but are nothing of the sort--And what happens if you don’t close the gate? This silly story is great for readers of all ages, but is short for young attention spans.

This book would pair well with a few dinosaurs and farm vehicles.

Painting Wonder: How Pauline Baynes Illustrated the Worlds of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien by Katie Wray Schon. This is a beautiful picture book about the artist who helped the worlds of Narnia and Middle Earth (and more) come to life. The text in this book has a lyrical, flowing quality that is helped along by Schon’s whimsical art. This book is perfect for a fan of Lewis and/or Tolkien, especially a young artist who would enjoy learning more about the creators behind beloved books.

Pair this book with a set of art supplies. Be sure to include a sketchbook, such as this one that is great for a variety of wet and dry media.

The Giant of Jum by Elli Woollard, illustrated by Benji Davies. This book is an absolute delight to read aloud, and will tickle the funny bones of any discerning reader, young or old! It’s the story of a grumpy, hungry giant who sets out to find a tasty morsel named Jack! But when he encounters a group of children, things don’t quite go the way he planned, which is a good thing for everyone!

Pair this hilarious book with a baking play set like this one from Little Tikes or, for younger readers, this wooden pretend cake from Fisher Price.

Middle Grade Books

24 Hours in Nowhere by Dusti Bowling. This adventure story is set in a poor, nearly desolate, Arizona town. When Rossi, a 13-year-old girl, gets her dirt bike stolen, Gus tries to help. (This book does involve bullying but is redemptive.) Rossi and Gus set out to find gold in an abandoned mine to help their families—and get the dirt bike back. They are joined by other kids who feel like outcasts on their quest for gold. Along the way, they encounter dangerous situations like a cave-in and a mountain lion, but they won’t give up!

A fun gift to pair with this book? A gold-panning kit like this one!

Jack and the Red Giant by Amanda Cleary Eastep. This is the newest installment of the Tree Street Kids Series. In this book, Jack gets a black eye from the snowball throwing of the neighborhood bully Buzz. But then Buzz’s house catches on fire and burns down. Much to Jack’s dismay, his mom volunteers to let Buzz stay at his house until their family can get back on their feet. Even though Buzz is staying at his house and now going to participate in the church nativity play, Jack plots his revenge by building and incredible machine called the Abominable Snowmanator. He also suspects that Buzz might have started the fire, but he needs proof. NIGHT SKY CONNECTION: In this book, one of the characters named Ruthie is very interested in the stars. She even plays a star in the nativity play. There are many fascinating facts in the sidebars of the book about the night sky.

Pair this book with a telescope, like this National Geographic Lunarscope.

Mari In the Margins by Rebecca J Gomez. Marivel is a middle child in a family of nine who feels like her life is full of chaos. Feeling overlooked by everyone accept her three-year-old sister, Susana, Mari dreams of having time to herself. She pours herself into her poetry and then art journaling as she processes life with grandparents, older siblings, and her best friend. When a contest arises at school, Mari sees that as her chance to finally get out of the margins.

Pair this book with a sketchbook or journal and some fun pens and/or pencils.

Soledad and the Curse of the Phoenix by Mindy Baker. Soledad is a victim of the Phoenix’s evil plagues that has ruined her former village. Soledad runs away with her mother’s flute, which the Phoenix is determined to find. Hiding in the mountains, Soledad discovers some secrets that could help her people and save them from the Phoenix’s power, but she’ll have to learn to trust and forgive after experiencing betrayal. With the help of a llama and an old friend, Soledad sets out on an adventure of healing and restoration.

Perfect pairing for this book? A stuffed llama!

We hope this post has helped you find the perfect gifts for someone on your list this holiday season. If you need more ideas, see our lists from 2024 and 2023.