2016 Holiday Gifts for Growing Readers Ages 6 - 8

Early readers are my fave. Whether you’re reading longer books to them at night, or they’re digging into beginning books on their own, there are so many new characters, gorgeous illustrations, and increasingly nuanced storylines to explore.

Here’s my holiday shortlist of activity books, new titles, themed sets, and some particularly special books for the 6- to 8-year-olds in your life.

For the LEGOphile

365 Things to Do with LEGO® Bricks

by Simon Hugo

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This is a no-brainer in my household. I think my son may have come out of the womb with LEGO in hand, that’s how obsessed he is. And while I firmly believe in imagination-driven free building, some inspiration and instruction just helps the little ones with the basics.

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For the Future TED Talker

Ada Twist, Scientist

by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts

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Boy, girl, doesn’t matter — both will enjoy the latest by Beaty, a New York Times bestseller about a curious little thinker named Ada. For a more robust gift, get the trio of STEM-minded books, which includes Rosie Revere, Engineer and Iggy Peck, Architect — a.k.a. Ada’s classmates.

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For the Treehugger

The Great Spruce

by John Duvall, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon

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As an arborist, John Duvall has a special relationship with trees — and he shares that in The Great Spruce, the story of a special tree and the boy who loves it. Any child who has marveled at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will gain perspective from this book.

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For the Comic Book (and Comedy) Fan

Hilo Series

by Judd Winick

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Kids who love stories that go big — big laughs, big adventure, big fun — will love the Hilo series. With a memorable cast of characters, graphics that hook you from page one, and a storyline that keeps you coming back for more, it's no surprise Hilo has been a hit. This season, you can gift the first two books in the series, The Boy Who Crashed to Earth and Saving the Whole Wide World, and if your young reader is hooked, you can follow up with the third book, The Great Big Boom, when it comes out in February.

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For the Future Art Star

Radiant Child

by Javaka Steptoe

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There’s a room full of Basquiats at the Broad Museum, where I live in Los Angeles, and I’ve always been struck by the way his work speaks to kids and parents alike. So this book, a portrait of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s life (and not so much his death), is not so shocking to my sensibilities. Kids easily embrace the textures, the raucousness of the mixed-media works. And it’s a wonderful celebration of an artist’s vision.

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For the (Christian) Faithful

Miracle Man

by John Hendrix

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Christmas, after all, is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. This book captures stories of Jesus, replete with miracles — though it is not a comprehensive re-telling of all that the Bible offers. The illustrations are what make this book truly special.

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For the Future I Spy Whiz

The Lost House

by B.B. Cronin

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At this age, seek and find books are still appealing — and this intricate one is a delight! Whimsical illustrations of Grandpa’s cluttered house, and the grandchildren have to help him find what he’s lost in each jam-packed room. You can take your time and spread the hunt over many nights.

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For the Kung Fu Aficionado

North Pole Ninjas: MISSION: CHRISTMAS!

by Tyler Knott Gregson and Sarah Linden, illustrated by Piper Thibodeau

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Ninjas + Christmas, what more could you ask for? How about 50 stealth ninja missions, to accompany the 32-page book, and a plush “sensei” to keep your skills sharp.

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For the Future Animal Planet Host

The Deadliest Creature in the World

by Brenda Z. Guiberson, illustrated by Gennady Spirin

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Vipers, sharks, the dreaded mosquito … which scares you the most? The Deadliest Creature in the World is exactly the kind of book to pique a child’s interest in the scarier side of nature. Gorgeously illustrated, to say the least. And it can easily combine with two other Guiberson-Spirin works — The Greatest Dinosaur Ever and The Most Amazing Creature in the Sea — for kids who love all things scaly, slimy, or wild.

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For the Aspiring Storyteller

The Storyteller

by Evan Turk

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Incredible stories-within-stories, incredible illustrations. This book reminds us why we spend all our money at the bookstore in the first place — the power of storytelling.

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