A Mini Gift Guide for Holiday 2022
a special edition, just for you!
Happy December!
I thought I’d pull together a short gift guide of standout chapter and middle grade books. Unlike other gift guides you’ve probably come across this year, the books I feature here are all part of a series.
A full boxed set is an awesome gift for a kid, and there’s really nothing better than watching a young reader get so into a book that they dive immediately into the sequel.
Also, real talk: winter break can get a little…long, so having plenty of books available is one great way to survive enjoy the extended time out of school.
Since I’m still new to this newsletter thing, I didn’t have time to curate all the books I wanted to include here. Please, PLEASE reach out to me directly if you want more/different recommendations for book gifts! I am always happy to help.
And one more thing! I’ve recently created a storefront through Bookshop.org. My storefront has almost all the books I’ve recommended in this newsletter thus far. If you purchase a book using one of my links, I receive a teeny commission, which will support my work on this newsletter.
Chapter Book Gifts
The Adventures of Sophie Mouse (series), by Poppy Green, Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell
Sophie is an art-loving 8-year-old mouse who has adventures with her forest friends. The stories are simple and super sweet, with Sophie and her friends learning something new in each adventure. Illustrations on every page will keep even the youngest children’s attention.
Sophie Mouse is one of my favorite early chapter book series. I’ll admit that I get reallll excited every time a new book comes out, probably more than my 2nd grader does at this point! The series is well written, and the characters aren’t sassy at all—nor are they overly sweet. With 18 books and counting, this series makes an awesome gift for a young reader.
Recommended for ages 5-8
(Note: these are probably best to read in order, but not totally necessary.)
Peter and Ernesto (series), by Graham Annabel
We love these hilarious graphic novels featuring two very different sloths—homebody Peter and explorer Ernesto. Their adventures help them appreciate the perks of traveling, the comforts of home, and the strength of friendship. The author does a nice job with this odd couple, portraying their personalities as simply different from one another—the extrovert is not “better” than the introvert, and vice versa.
This book series (a trilogy thus far) appeals to a wide age range!
Recommended for ages 5-10
Dory Fantasmagory (series), by Abby Hanlon
Early chapter book series featuring Dory, a strong willed 6-year-old girl. Excluded from her older brother and sister’s fun, Dory is often left to her own devices. Luckily, her imagination is over the top!
The black and white pencil illustrations do a great job showing how Dory slips between her imaginative world and real world. My daughter laughed out loud while reading every story in this five-book series.
Recommended for ages 5-8
Kingdom of Wrenly (series), by Jordan Quinn, illustrated by Robert McPhillips
An early chapter book series about the fantastical adventures of Prince Lucas and his friend Clara. Young readers will love that these two get to roam around the Kingdom unsupervised, solving problems and making friends with trolls, unicorns, mermaids, and other fantastic creatures along the way. Any suspense is light and quickly resolved. There are 18 books, with the 19th coming out in March 2023.
Recommended for ages 5-8
Zach and Zoe Mysteries (series), by Mike Lupica
Zach and Zoe are twin 8-year-olds who love playing sports and solving mysteries. The twins are kind to one another and have supportive parents, and each mystery is wrapped up neatly at the end. Great pick for sports loving kids who are new to chapter books.
About the author: Mike Lupica is a long time sportswriter who has penned over 60 books for adults and children. He writes some excellent middle grade sports novels, which I’ll cover in a later edition.
Recommended for ages 5-8
CatStronauts (series), by Drew Brockington
Catstronauts is a six book graphic novel series about cat astronauts and their madcap adventures through space. The characters—Major Meowser, Waffles, Blanket, and Pom Pom- are hilarious and full of personality. Perfect opportunity for reading aloud with different voices (I’m Blanket.) Readers love the dash of science mixed in with plenty of cat jokes.
Recommended for ages 7-9
Secret Agent Jack Stalwart (series), by Elizabeth Singer Hunt
In this series, 9-year-old Jack is an ordinary kid by day, secret agent by night. As a member of the Global Protection Force, Jack uses a secret portal (located in the map on his bedroom wall, obviously) to travel through time and space.
Jack is on a mission to find his missing brother Max (also a member of the GPF) before their parents realize he’s really NOT attending boarding school in Switzerland. Jack collects clue on Max’s whereabouts all throughout the world, thwarting evil at every turn. Best to read these 14 fast paced books in order. Once your reader has finished the series, there’s a four book spin off: Secret Agents Jack and Max Stalwart.
Recommended for ages 8-10
Middle Grade Book Gifts
Wings of Fire (series), by Tui T. Sutherland
This wildly popular fantasy series tells the stories of dragon tribes who have been at war for generations. According to an ancient prophecy, five young dragons (called “dragonets”) are the kingdom’s only hope for peace.
Currently, Wings of Fire is a 15 book series. The first five books are also available as graphic novels, with the 6th being released at the end of December.
I wasn’t going to mention these books because they are SO wildly popular, having been on the New York Times bestsellers list for 122 weeks (as of 12/1/2022) —but on the off chance your reader hasn’t found them yet, a boxed set makes an excellent gift. My son is totally captivated by each book in the series.
Recommended for ages 8-12
Land of Stories (series), by Chris Colfer
This best selling series is awesome for middle grade readers who love fractured fairy tales. On their 12th birthday, twins Alex and Conner receive an old book from their grandmother. The book literally sucks them into its pages, transporting the twins into an intricate fairy tale world. As the series progresses, Alex and Conner encounter all the characters they grew up reading about, and realize that people (even fairy tale people) are not always what they seem.
Recommended for ages 9-11
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library (series), by Chris Grabenstein
World famous game maker Luigi Lemoncello designs a futuristic library for a town that has gone without for twelve years (I’d die), then invites twelve 12-year-olds for an overnight lock-in.
But when the morning comes, the fun really begins. The kids must solve a series of puzzles in order to find the library’s secret escape route and win a fabulous prize. The book is interactive, inviting readers to solve the puzzles along with the characters.
If your reader loves puzzles and games, they’ll love this book and the rest of the series (6 books so far!)
Recommended for ages 9-12
City Spies (series), by James Ponti
Another spy adventure series on this list, this one for kids ready to move on from Jack Stalwart. This series follows a group of diverse, multitalented kids ranging in age from 12-15, who are recruited as top secret operatives. Named after the cities they’re from, Brooklyn, Kat (Kathmandu), Paris, and Rio must learn how to work together on a variety of world saving missions. The books are full of mystery, suspense, and the secret sauce that makes a book “unputdownable”. You’ll thank me when your middle grade reader spends hours on the couch, lost in this series!
Recommended for ages 9-12
Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales (series), by Nathan Hale
If your middle grade reader loves history, humor, and graphic novels but hasn’t read this series, congratulations— you just found the perfect holiday present.
Nathan Hale (the author’s namesake) was America’s first spy, hanged by the British during the Revolutionary War.
Remember the famous quote ‘I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country?’ That was supposedly him.
The historical fiction series begins with Hale magically able to see into the future. He stalls his execution by offering to tell his captors the “thrilling, shocking, gruesome and TRUE stories of American history.”
The author presents key moments in American history in a captivating and highly entertaining way.
This series is best read in order, beginning with One Dead Spy.
Recommended for ages 9-13
I have Sophie Mouse on my list! Thanks for the recs as always!
Love this, Katie -- such fantastic recommendations! (Sophie Mouse will always have a special place in my heart -- that series is a treasure.)