Books make fantastic gifts! Here is our list for some of the best books that make great gifts!
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Entertaining and enchanting, suspenseful and funny, there's something for every young reader on our list!
Here are our 50+ Best Books For Kids
That Make Great Gifts!
1. The Seraphina Series
by Robert Beatty
Lead Character: Girl (with strong supporting boy character)
Series
This elegant series combines nature, magic and suspense with a unique cast of characters that takes place at the Biltmore Estate and area surrounding Asheville, North Carolina.
The Gothic feel of the writing along with the setting, combined with the voice that author, Robert Beatty gives to the characters in the Seraphina Series, will make you feel like you are walking alongside and bearing witness to every suspenseful moment as these captivating and magical stories unfold!
2. Theodore Boone: The Accomplice
by John Grisham
Lead Character: Boy
Series
Theo's parents are both lawyers and that's all he wants to be! In the small city where he lives, Theo sees himself as the next big courtroom attorney and finds himself with plenty of clients and cases!
The Accomplice by John Grisham is the seventh in this series of legal thrillers for kids where Theo must help his good friend Woody, who's been accused of robbery. Plenty of page-turning suspense makes this a great pick!
3. Greenglass House
by Kate Milford
Lead Character: Boy + Female friend (my daughter and I loved this book!)
Sequels/Follow-ups
Quirky characters, a captivating mystery, hot cocoa and stained glass at a smuggler's inn!
The son of Greenglass House inn's owners, twelve-year-old Milo and his new found friend, Meddy decide to uncover the mysteries behind missing objects and mysterious guests alike in this clever tale set in an enigmatic and intriguing house!
A great story combined with fabulous illustrations make Greenglass House the perfect read to cozy up with!
4. The Mysterious Benedict Society
by Trenton Lee Stewart
Lead Character: Ensemble - two boys / two girls
Trilogy + Follow-ups
Four kids pass a series of challenging tests and puzzles that bring them to the next step - to go undercover on a secret mission!
Arriving as students at an educational institute located on an island, Reynie, Sticky, Kate and Constance must work together to thwart the attempts of a criminal mastermind!
Far from your average kids' book, The Mysterious Benedict Society's intricately woven plot has clever twists, fantastic characters and worthy surprises that will capture and hold your attention to the very end!
5. The School for Good and Evil
by Soman Chainani
Lead Character: Girls
Series
At The School for Good and Evil, students are trained to become the heroes and villains of fairy tales and fables.
Best friends and total opposites Sophie and Agatha are sure they know which school each will be in- glamorous Sophie has made it her lifelong mission to enter the School for Good, and negative Agatha will be in Evil.
When Sophie gets dropped in Evil's halls, and Agatha is the one placed in Good's hands, the girls are surprised and determined to find out why in this memorable, magical series, The School for Good and Evil!
6. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid
by Jeff Kinney
Lead Character: Boy
Series
This series features fun illustrations, a handwritten font and an easy conversational style of writing that makes it a great series to pour through!
A cross between a comic book and a journal, Diary of a Wimpy Kid will have even kids who don't normally love reading turning page after page and laughing along with Greg Heffley's adventures!
7. Percy Jackson and the Olympians
by Rick Riordan
(The Lightning Thief is the first installment)
Lead Character: Narrated by a boy but ensemble cast - we both loved this series!
Series
Great cast of characters led by 12-year-old Percy Jackson brings Greek mythology to life in the most entertaining way possible!
Overflowing with funny scenes, fantasy, action and adventure, The Lightning Thief is a fantastic first book to an amazing series! Once you've finished The Lightning Thief, the other books in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series will be there to entertain!
8. The Princess Academy
by Shannon Hale
Lead Character: Girl
Every girl from this mountain quarry town must attend the academy to be trained in the ways of royalty. In one year, one will be chosen to be the next princess.
The opposite of fluff, this book has great characters, competition, thrilling moments and terrific emotion!
If you're fans of The Princess Academy, you'll definitely want to read The Goose Girl! Another fantastic ready by New York Times Bestseller, Shannon Hale!
9. Lost in a Book
by Jennifer Donnelly
Lead Character: Girl
A fantasy within a fantasy! When Belle discovers a book in the Beast's castle library, she is transported to another place that promises all that she wishes for. Is it for real? Should she give up her friends from her castle?
Fans of the Disney's princess looking for a more in-depth book will love Lost in a Book by bestselling author Jennifer Donnelly!
10. My Side of the Mountain
by Jean Craighead George
Lead Character: Boy
Trilogy
Tired of city life, Sam runs away to the Catskill Mountains in search of land owned by his grandfather. My Side of the Mountain is an excellent coming of age and adventure story!
11. When You Reach Me
by Rebecca Stead
Lead Character: Girl
A quickly-paced novel filled with twists and turns, When You Reach Me centers around Miranda, a sixth-grader living in New York City whose life has always been predictable- until now!
A great companion book to the timeless classic, A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline D'Engle, When You Reach Me is one of those great books you can't stop thinking about long after you've finished the last page!
12. The Missing Series
by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Lead Character: Boy, but ensemble cast
Series
Mysterious letters start showing up in mailboxes. Always a good start to a mystery!
Sci-fi thriller and mystery centering around the plot of famous babies that have accidentally been taken from their homes and times and brought to families in modern day!
The Missing books are great reads for fans of history, mystery and suspense!
13. Three Times Lucky
by Sheila Turnage
Lead Character: Girl, but with hysterical friends (boys included) and townspeople
Series
Feisty and witty Mo LoBeau has an enjoyable summer laid out for herself. However, plans go awry when a detective shows up with questions, a murder occurs, and Mo takes it upon herself to figure it all out!
Mo and her best friend, Dale, along with a mystery- filled plot, witty one-liner dialogue, and a town like no other, make Three Times Lucky a book you'll want to read again and again!
14. The BFG
by Roald Dahl
Lead Character: Girl
You may have read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but have you enjoyed The BFG?
When ten-year-old Sophie is whisked away by a friendly giant, their whimsical and daring adventures will keep the pages turning and your reader enjoying every minute of this fun-fantasy read!
15. The American Girl Stories
Mysteries and/or the Books that go along with each of the American Girl dolls!
Lead Character: Girls
A variety of stories are available to go along with each of the American Girl Dolls.
Historical stories like the Mary Ellen book pictured here really show the reader how girls lived during different time periods and are an amazing way to enjoy and learn about various eras throughout American history!
There are also mystery stories for each American Girl character for those craving a good mystery to round out the experience!
16. Harry Potter Series
by J.K. Rowling
Lead Character: Boy, ensemble cast
Series
And now we've arrived at the series that we all knew would be part of this post!
It is rare that we bump into someone that isn't a Harry Potter fan and it's usually the first answer we get when we ask for a fave book or recommendation!
Harry Potter is the quintessential 'rise above it all' hero that inspires all who read this series!
The Harry Potter books give every one of us a hero to cheer for, characters that we absolutely adore (my fave is Luna!) and a well-planned and detailed storyline that weaves it all together in a perfect tapestry of writing that will last for a very long time!
Looking for more high interest books featuring boys as the lead character? Visit our post: 25+ Books With Boys as Main Characters!
17. The Sisters Grimm - The Fairy-Tale Detectives
by Michael Buckley
Lead Character: Girls
Series
Sisters Daphne and Sabrina have gone to live with their Granny Relda in Ferryport Landing and are in for the shock of their lives!
Discovering that they are the descendants of the Grimms brothers is surprising enough, but to realize that those stories and magic are based in reality is more than they bargained for!
Laugh-out-loud funny, clever writing and best-ever characters will have you on a mission to read every book in The Sisters Grimm Series from beginning to end and anxious to share and recommend this unforgettable series!!
18. Holes
by Louis Sachar
Lead Character: Boy
Sequel
A multilayered mystery, quirky characters and a family curse make this a book that is impossible to put down until you've reached the last page!
Stanley Yelnats is sent to Camp Green Lake for a crime he didn't commit, and once there, is set to work digging holes to build character.
Soon though, Stanley realizes that's not all they're digging for! Holes is a great read and is has been read more than once in our household!
19. Nancy Drew
by Carolyn Keene
Lead Character: Girl
Series
A series worth introducing to your daughter that will whisk her away into that wonderful world of mystery, adventure and the pinnacle of great detectives: Nancy Drew!
The iconic sleuth never goes out of style! Choose from the classic Nancy Drew titles, updated Nancy Drew Diaries or for the youngest detective lovers, Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew books!
20. The Heroes of Olympus Series
by Rick Riordan
Lead Character: Boys and Girls take turns narrating - Ensemble
Series
The Heroes of Olympus series is great if you loved the Percy Jackson books, or are in search of an entertaining and action-packed saga to enjoy when you're looking for a great read!
Greek mythology is brought into the modern day with quests, characters, magic and wit!
Each of the The Heroes of Olympus books are winners and so fun to dive into-whether you've never read them before or have memorized every line!!
21. Savvy
by Ingrid Law
Lead Character: Girl
Sequels/Follow-ups
In Mibs' family, once you turn thirteen, you get a Savvy, a magical power that's could be anything from causing storms to catching music in a jar!
Mibs Beaumont has been looking forward to her 13th birthday her whole life, but when her turn comes to discover her Savvy, her life goes down an entirely different road then she planned!
Quirky, funny, heartwarming and unforgettable, this book is writing at its best!
22. Scumble (Companion to Savvy)
by Ingrid Law
Lead Character: Boy
Sequels/Follow-ups
A companion to Savvy (above), Scumble is just as fun and enticing, chronicling the magical misadventures of what happens in a family when reaching your 13th birthday means acquiring a magical power!
23. The Westing Game
by Ellen Raskin
Lead Character: Ensemble -equal boy/girl
A mystery that is truly one of the best I've ever read!
Sam Westing has created a scavenger hunt for his heirs to complete-and whoever wins, wins a fortune!
The stakes are high in this intricate and twist-filled mystery and The Westing Game will keep you guessing till the final page!
24. A Little Princess
by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Lead Character: Girl
A much loved classic, A Little Princess will enchant and delight you no matter how many times you read it!
Always looking on the bright side, Sara Crewe shows the true meaning of being a princess with her grace, strength and kindness, and you'll love every chapter of this timeless tale!
25. The Invention of Hugo Cabret
by Brian Selznick
Lead Character: Boy
This phenomenally illustrated book tells the tale of a young boy whose anonymous life in a Parisian train station is turned upside down by a secret, an encounter with an odd girl and more in this riveting mystery you won't be able to put down!
Set in 1930's Paris, The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a fabulous gift for anyone who enjoys history, art, or a fantastic mystery with memorable characters!
26. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
by C. S. Lewis
Lead Character: Ensemble equal- boy/girl
Series
Four curious siblings discover a magical wardrobe that leads them to the fantasy land of Narnia-a place under the spell of an evil witch.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has been a favorite for years and continues to put readers of all ages under it's spell!
27. Ella Enchanted
by Gail Carson Levine
Lead Character: Girl
What if you had to do whatever you were told, no matter what?
Not all fairies are kind, and given the 'gift' of obedience at birth by a mischievous one, Ella must obey every order, however outrageous!
Not willing to give up, however, Ella sets out to undo the curse, encountering fairy godmothers, ogres and princes along the way!
This spin on a classic is a spellbinding read, and Gail Carson Levine has others like it once you've finished Ella Enchanted!
28. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
by Roald Dahl
Lead Character: Boy with boy/girl ensemble
