Today’s holiday gift guide features books for elementary school-aged children. Our librarians have pulled together books that are constantly in demand by Baldwin’s patrons, have been well-received during our book clubs, and that span a wide spectrum of interests.
You can find these books at local bookstores (we recommend Book Beat in Oak Park or Books-A-Million in Beverly Hills) or you can place the books on hold using the links below. Don’t forget to inscribe the book with a special message to the recipient!
Graphic Novels
The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy’s Great Idea Graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier, based on the novel by Ann M. Martin
Follows the adventures of Kristy and the other members of the Baby-sitters Club as they deal with crank calls, uncontrollable two-year-olds, wild pets, and parents who do not always tell the truth.
Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea! by Ben Clanton
A happy-go-lucky, waffle-loving narwhal and a cynical, no-nonsense jellyfish forge an unlikely friendship and share adventures while exploring the ocean together.
Positively Izzy by Terri Libenson
On the day of the school talent show, the lives of shy Bri and dreamer Izzy converge to create an event even more dramatic than either could even imagine.
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
A graphic novel adventure about a girl who discovers roller derby right as she and her best friend are growing apart.
Sanity & Tallulah by Molly Brooks
Sanity and Tallulah live in a space station at the end of the galaxy. When Sanity’s illegally created three-headed kitten escapes, the girls have to turn their home upside down to find her in this graphic novel.
Books for Students in Grades K through 3
Flubby Is Not a Good Pet! by J. E. Morris
Although Flubby the cat refuses to do pet tricks, he proves his pet worthiness during a scary situation.
Henry and Mudge: The First Book written by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Suc?ie Stevenson
Henry, feeling lonely on a street without any other children, finds companionship and love in a big dog named Mudge.
A Monkey & Cake book: This Is My Fort! written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Olivier Tallec
Monkey and Cake are normally good friends, but today Cake is building a no-Monkey fort–until Monkey teaches him a lesson about being alone and he realizes that forts (and other things) are much better when they are shared.
Once Upon a Fairy Tale: The Magic Mirror written by Anna Staniszewski and illustrated by Macky Pamintuan
The Ice Princess’s magic mirror is broken, one piece is missing, and without it the Enchanted Kingdom is locked in a terrible, unseasonable, heat wave (even the palace is melting); two children, Kara and Zed, are determined to help, but first they must figure out whether the break is the result of the sibling rivalry between the Ice Princess and her sister the Sun Princess–or did the monkey do it?
Penny and Her Marble by Kevin Henkes
Penny feels guilty after taking a beautiful blue marble that she sees in Mrs. Goodwin’s grass, but gets a pleasant surprise when she goes to return it the next day.
The Princess in Black written by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale and illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Defeating a monster just in time to attend her own birthday party, Princess Magnolia, the secret superhero Princess in Black, is repeatedly interrupted throughout the party by the Monster Alarm in ways that threaten to expose her.
Pug Pals: Two’s a Crowd by Flora Ahn
Sunny’s new little sister, Rosy, is getting her paws into everything. When Rosy takes Sunny’s favorite toy, Mr. Bunny, and loses him, Sunny is barking mad. But when Rosy sets off on her own to find and rescue Mr. Bunny, Sunny starts to worry. Rosy’s never been outside by herself before. Sunny will have to gather all the canine courage she has and go after them — before Rosy and Mr. Bunny are both lost fur-ever!
Unicorn and Yeti: Sparkly New Friends written by Heather Ayris Burnell and illustrated by Hazel Quintanilla
Unicorn and Yeti run into each other (literally) while looking for sparkly things, and despite some differences, (for instance Unicorn is magic, Yeti is not, Yeti likes snowball fights, Unicorn can not throw snowballs)–the two become friends over a shared love of hot chocolate with rainbow sprinkles.
Who Would Win? Killer Whale Vs. Great White Shark written by Jerry Pallotta and illustrated by Rob Bolster
Shares facts about killer whales and great white sharks, comparing their behavior and physical characteristics to determine which would win in a fight.
Books for Students in 4th, 5th & 6th Grades
Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar
Gandhi asks for one member of each family to join the fight for independence from the British, and when ten-year-old Anjali’s mother is jailed for doing so, Anjali must step out of her comfort zone to take over her mother’s work.
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her.
I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967 by Lauren Tarshis
Eleven-year-old Melody Vega and her family visit Glacier National Park every summer, but this year Mel comes face-to-face with a terrifying grizzly bear.
Masterminds by Gordon Korman
A group of kids discovers they were cloned from the DNA of some of the greatest criminal masterminds in history for a sociological experiment.
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
In the summer of 1968, after travelling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.
We’re Not From Here by Geoff Rodkey
Imagine being forced to move to a new planet where YOU are the alien! From the creator of the Tapper Twins, New York Times bestselling author Geoff Rodkey delivers a topical, sci-fi middle-grade novel that proves friendship and laughter can transcend even a galaxy of differences. The first time I heard about Planet Choom, we’d been on Mars for almost a year. But life on the Mars station was grim, and since Earth was no longer an option (we may have blown it up), it was time to find a new home. That’s how we ended up on Choom with the Zhuri. They’re very smart. They also look like giant mosquitos. But that’s not why it’s so hard to live here. There’s a lot that the Zhuri don’t like: singing (just ask my sister, Ila), comedy (one joke got me sent to the principal’s office), or any kind of emotion. The biggest problem, though? The Zhuri don’t like us. And if humankind is going to survive, it’s up to my family to change their minds. No pressure.
More to the Story by Hena Khan
As features editor of her school newspaper, thirteen-year-old Jameela Mirza wants to impress her father by writing a spectacular story about the new student, but a misunderstanding and family illness complicate matters.
Interested in other book selections? View our full guides:
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