2012 Good Reads for Kids Book List

My favorite Christmas gifts to give are books. Duh! When it comes to the kids in my life, I'm absolutely positive I have more fun picking out the books than they have opening them. I make up for it with things like reindeer headbands (an all-around hit and critical factor in me holding onto my 'Favorite Auntie' title).

This year, my friends have created even more children. Seriously, slow down y'all. I'm up to 15 little munchkins from the ages of 6 months to 10 years to shop for. In case you're wondering, I keep them all on a spreadsheet to avoid sending families copies of the same book year after year.

So, without further ado, here are my top picks for this year's holiday gifts:

#4: No, David!
 

David is like every typical kid. He jumps on the bed, tracks mud through the house, even breaks a plant pot. Through it all, his mom tells him "No! No! No!" Young readers love watching the naughty David get into trouble. Maybe that's why this book was named a Caldecott Honor Book and earned a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year Award. Naughty or Nice, It belongs on every kid's bookshelf.



#3: Giraffes Can't Dance!

Gerald, the Giraffe, longs to dance but his skinny legs and long neck keep getting in the way. At the Jungle Dance, the warthogs waltz, the chimps cha-cha, and the lions tango and they all laugh at clumsy Gerald. But one creature believes in Gerald: The cricket, who reminds him "Everything makes music, if you really want to." This is a wonderful book about differences and dancing to your own tune. It's beautifully illustrated and a fun read.



#2: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Making it's return to the Good Reads for Kids Book List is Mo Willems' hilarious, bus-driving pigeon. I shared this book with my English friends, and they fell it love with it too. Willems is a former Emmy-winning writer for Sesame Street and, not surprisingly, knows how to engage a young audience. The illustrations are simple; the pigeon a riot. Don’t be surprised if your munchkin requests it again and again.
 


#1: I Want My Hat Back

The premise of this book is simple: The Bear's hat is gone, and he wants it back. One by one, he asks each animal he sees whether they've seen it. Each answers no, some more elaborately than others. Just as Bear is about to give up, a deer asks him a question that sparks his memory and sends him on the search again. The illustrations are hilarious, even the grown-ups will be laughing along. This is the winner of the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award for a reason. It's a wonderful book, and a must-have addition to your favorite munchkin's library.


As a special bonus, I also wanted to include one of my new favorite books for older readers (8-12 age range).

New Favorite Book for Older (8-12) Readers: Cosmic

Liam is a boy stuck between two worlds. This is because he's 12, but looks more like he's 30. While looking like an adult has its rewards (he tricks a Porsche dealer into letting him take a test drive), mostly it's just a pain. That is, until Liam cons his way onto the first spaceship to take children into space (as the adult chaperone. What else?). It's not long, however, before he finds himself stuck between two worlds again -- but this time, he's 239,000 miles from home. 

I read Cosmic as part of my Writing for Young People course this semester and saw Frank Cottrell Boyce during a Children's Literature Festival. He's hilarious, and so is his writing. I absolutely loved this book, and your kids will too. Go check it out!

{Images via Powell's Bookstore (aka the Greatest Bookstore in the World)}