Gina Rae Mitchell

The 2018 Children’s Holiday Book List is here!

Time is getting short to find the perfect holiday book gifts for your younger recipients. If you are stuck for gift ideas, I have a few suggestions for you that are grandchildren approved!

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Now on to the book list. Goodness, I love book lists!

2018 Children’s Holiday Book List: Toddler Age

  Motor Goose: Rhymes that Go! by Rebecca Colby

In this picture book, author Rebecca Colby reimagines Mother Goose rhymes with vehicles― trains, planes, trucks, and boats! Motor Goose is a favorite of one of my grandsons.

Hey Digger, Digger
(sung to Hey Diddle, Diddle)

Hey digger, digger,
the hole’s getting bigger.
Your shovel’s been scooping since ten.
Beware the loose rubble.
Too late―you’re in trouble!
You’d better start digging again.

  The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith

This hilarious book is back in print after the viral YouTube hit of a Grandmother attempting to read it to her your grandchild. Children will be in fits of laughter with this perfect read-aloud tale of an endearing donkey. By the book’s final page, readers end up with a spunky, hanky-panky, cranky, stinky, dinky, lanky, honky-tonky, winky, wonky donkey! If you need proof of the hilarity, watch this video. I listed this under toddlers but it works for all ages. When we read it, everyone from six to sixty was laughing hysterically.

“I was walking down the road, and I saw . . .
A donkey,
Hee Haw!
And he only had three legs!
He was a wonky donkey.”

  Little Owl’s Snow by Divya Srinivasan

“Winter’s almost here!” says Little Owl, as he observes leaves falling, animal friends hibernating, and a chill from his feathers to his feet. And just as he and his friend raccoon are watching their breath make fog in the cold air, it happens — Snow! Here is the perfect follow-up to Little Owl’s Night and Little Owl’s Day, and an excellent introduction to the changing of the seasons!

  Construction Site on Christmas Night by Sherri Duskey Rinker

A new toddler book and Christmas classic: VROOM and ZOOM into the holidays with this classic Christmas book from the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and Mighty, Mighty, Construction Site!

The trucks are gearing up for Christmas by building a special gift! But, there’s a surprise waiting for each of them, too! Presents await for Excavator, Bulldozer, Crane, Dump Truck, and Cement Mixer as each finishes their part of this big, important job and rolls off to a sweet and sleepy goodnight.

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2018 Children’s Holiday Book List: Ages 5-8

  Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 13 by Jeff Kinney

When snow shuts down Greg Heffley’s middle school, his neighborhood transforms into a wintry battlefield. Rival groups fight over territory, build massive snow forts, and stage epic snowball fights. And in the crosshairs are Greg and his trusty best friend, Rowley Jefferson.

When snow shuts down Greg Heffley’s middle school, his neighborhood transforms into a wintry battlefield. Rival groups fight over territory, build massive snow forts, and stage epic snowball fights. And in the crosshairs are Greg and his trusty best friend, Rowley Jefferson.

Harry Potter Books 1-7 Special Edition Boxed Set by J.K. Rowling

A new special edition boxed set of the complete Harry Potter series, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

This collectible new boxed set contains the complete bestselling Harry Potter series, books 1-7 by J.K. Rowling, brilliantly redesigned by Caldecott Medalist Brian Selznick. A perfect gift to introduce a new reader to this beloved series, as well as a gorgeous addition to any fan’s bookshelf.

This one is a great gift for anyone on your holiday shopping list, not just kids!

 It’s Not Easy Being Mimi (Mimi’s World) by Linda Davick

Mimi and her cat Marvin must adjust to life with an unexpected new neighbor in this hilarious, quirky, and heartwarming start to a brand-new illustrated chapter book series. (releases Dec. 4, 2018)

Meet Mimi! She’s a cat-loving, convertible-driving, bucket-cake-baking girl who loves living in the Periwinkle Tower with her best pals, Yoshi and Tonya. When the friends learn that someone new is moving into the building just before Thanksgiving, Mimi hopes it will be a girl just like her to share all of her hobbies and adventures. But the new neighbor is not what Mimi envisioned at all. And by Christmas, things have gone from iffy…to bad…to worse! Will life in the Periwinkle Tower ever be as fabulous as it was before?

  Dog Diaries: A Middle School Story by James Patterson YES, that James Patterson!

2018 Children’s Holiday Book List: Ages 9-12

   North to Benjamin by Alan Cumyn

Hatchet meets Maybe a Fox in this piercing novel about Edgar, a boy who has lost the ability to speak and can only bark, and his dog Benjamin as they travel through the freezing Yukon wilderness to stop Edgar’s mother from making a huge mistake.

Eleven-year-old Edgar knows whenever his mother gets “the look” they won’t be staying wherever they are for much longer. Soon it will be another town, another school, and, for Mom, another man. This time they’re leaving Toronto—and Roger—behind for the wilds of northwestern Canada.

For once, though, Edgar is excited. They’ll be housesitting, and with the house comes Benjamin, an old Newfoundland for Edgar to take care of. Soon after landing in Dawson, Edgar and his mom meet Caroline, a girl Edgar’s age, and her dad, Ceese. The moment his mom and Ceese meet, Edgar knows She’s going to make him the next Roger; the next man his mom will leave. It doesn’t matter that Ceese has a longtime girlfriend, or that Edgar and Caroline are becoming friends—his mom always gets what she wants.

Edgar talks to Benjamin about his concerns, and to Edgar’s great surprise, Benjamin not only understands but wordlessly answers. Just as surprising, Edgar loses his ability to speak to anyone but Benjamin; whenever he tries to talk to a human, his voice becomes a bark. But his mom and Ceese begin to take things too far, and Edgar needs his voice, his human voice, more than ever. Desperate to stop his mother from ruining other people’s lives and upturning their own once again, Edgar embarks on a dangerous journey across the frozen Yukon River with only Benjamin by his side.

But the wilderness is not kind. Edgar and Benjamin find themselves in a situation right out of Edgar’s favorite Jack London story. With cracking ice, freezing water, bone-chilling temperatures, and looming, lurking wolves, Edgar must find a way to survive before he can stop his mother from wrecking everything.

  Gamer Army by Trent Reedy 

After Rogan Webber levels up yet again on his favorite video game, Laser Viper, the world-famous creator of the game invites him to join the five best players in the country for an exclusive tournament. The gamers are flown to the tech mogul’s headquarters, where they stay in luxury dorms and test out cutting-edge virtual-reality gaming equipment, doing digital battle as powerful fighting robots. It’s the ultimate gaming experience.

But as the contest continues, the missions become harder, losing gamers are eliminated, and the remaining contestants face a growing suspicion that the game may not be what it seems. Why do the soldiers and robots they fight in Laser Viper act so weird? What’s behind the strange game glitches? And why does the game feel so…real?

Rogan and his gamer rivals must come together, summoning the collective power of their Gamer Army to discover the truth and make things right…in a dangerous world where video games have invaded reality.

  The Prince Problem by Vivian Vande Velde 

Telmund is a prince who loves fables. But when a hasty witch mistakes him for bully in need of paranormal punishment, he’s cursed to transform into a new animal every time he falls asleep. With his shape constantly changing, Telmund discovers that actually living in a fairy tale has its drawbacks.

Amelia is a practical princess with a wide range of skills, none of which are helpful for escaping the ball her parents have thrown to select her future husband. But then the unthinkable happens: Amelia is kidnapped by the dangerous Prince Sheridan, setting off a plot that will throw the realm into chaos.

As their stories become intertwined, the dreamer prince and no-nonsense princess must work together to rescue each other. Otherwise, there will be no happy endings for either of their kingdoms.

From Vivian Vande Velde–master of the magical romp–comes an enchanted tale of princes, fairies, and the transformative power of stories.

That wraps up (pun intended) the 2018 Children’s Holiday Book List. I hope you find some suggestions you can use while shopping for your young book readers or even the not-so-young.

You can find more book lists here.

Thanksgiving Book List

5 Favorite Halloween Books for Kids