Little bookworms love bookish gifts, whether it’s a birthday, holiday, or special occasion. Check out our favorites, below!
What to get for young bookworms?
Toys, toys and more toys!
When the holidays roll around, it seems like my kids’ new toys — you know, the ones they HAD TO HAVE for the holidays — get discarded as quickly as they are opened.
With so many shiny new things competing for their attention, one game or gadget can hardly stand out above any other.
Let’s be honest. Do your children really play with more than a few of those new gifts within a week or two after those gifts were given to them? If your little ones are anything like mine, the answer is a pretty resounding no. My six-year-old reverts back to throwing a football (or turning any object he finds in the house INTO a ball to toss around!), and my five-year-old inevitably turns back to his guitar and his Daniel Tiger trolley within an hour.
But here’s the deal. If you have a child who loves reading — or if you need a special gift for one — there are so many awesome bookish gifts out there that will be cherished by young book lovers.
So for your little bookworms of all ages, I’ve put together the perfect list of bookish gifts for avid readers. Celebrate and honor their love of stories with these unique presents — and say goodbye to the toys that will only end up cluttering your closets!
Enjoy!
RELATED: Looking for our favorite stories to add to your bookish gifts? Check out our awesome children’s book lists!
Little Bookworms: Bookish Gifts for Babies and Toddlers
There’s nothing cuter than a baby or toddler in pajamas that match his favorite book. I adore these Hungry Caterpillar PJs! Whether you give these as a standalone gift or pair them with The Very Hungry Caterpillar book, stuffed animal, and an Eric Carle Alphabet Puzzle, your little bookworm (and his parents) will love it!
If you want a bookish gift that will make the parents of a new baby swoon, check out this beautiful memory book to capture the baby’s big moments from birth through five years old. While this is a gorgeous gift on its own, it’s made even more special with the actual picture book, The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin, and a matching growth chart!
Oh, how we loved this set when my boys were toddlers! Each tower comes with ten chunky books that are just perfect for little fingers to explore. Simple words, vibrant pictures, and expertly sized to “read” or stack up high, these books make a perfect gift, whether alone or with the complementary Melissa and Doug Natural Play Blocks that depict shapes, colors, numbers, letters, and animals!
The TouchThinkLearn books are, in my humble opinion, some of the best board books on the market. Pictured here is the ABC book, which features raised, die-cut pieces to make this ABC book a tactile experience so different from the other alphabet books out there. The graphics are simple and bright, and this book so brilliantly engages children on both visual and sensory levels, creating a much more immersive way to learn ABCs. When paired with other concept books from the remarkable TouchThinkLearn series, such as Numbers, Colors, and my personal favorite, Wiggles, one kiddo will be gifted the most marvelous books for her library collection.
Nursery Rhymes are pure magic when read aloud to children. They make for the perfect first stories, boost language development, and help your child fall in love with being read to each night. And be on the lookout – Read to Your Toddler Every Day will be out this March, complete with 20 folk tales to read aloud. These two together are perfection! Get Read to Your Baby now for a special little one, and then surprise her with Read to Your Toddler for another upcoming milestone or event!
If this wasn’t one of your favorite books from childhood (or to read with your own kids now!), pick it up and reread it tonight. And then think about how excited a new parent will be when gifted a package of all of these adorable slippers paired with the book, Where the Wild Things Are. With options ranging from newborn clothes to onesies to an adorable shirt for mom to wear, this gift will undoubtedly result in big smiles!
When I think back to storytime when my boys were toddlers, I remember their squeals of laughter every time I grabbed this joyful book off the shelf and pulled on my tickle monster gloves. This kit is pure magic and a surefire way to help little kids fall in love with storytime.
Bookish Gifts for Kids!
If you have a child that loves reading ’til dawn, they will LOVE becoming a member of The Dawn Society. This innovative virtual book club for kids, run and moderated by Lauren Bercuson of Happily Ever Elephants, meets approximately once a month to connect and have fun discussing an awesome novel with other tween book lovers from across the United States and Canada. Not only will members enjoy talking about great books, but they will also meet authors of many of the books the club reads together in exclusive webinars! The Dawn Society offers two options: Tweens (5th-7th grades) and Juniors (3rd-4th grades).
When my six-year-old lost his first tooth, I had this kit on hand. The look on his face when I gave it to him was pure joy. This fabulous kit contains a beautiful picture book about how the tooth fairy came to be, a star plush the perfect size to hold teeth safely under a pillow (and to hold notes and treasure from the tooth fairy!), and a keepsake journal for recording the story of each of your child’s lost teeth. I am in love! For any child who is waiting to lose his first tooth, The Tooth Fairy Kit makes a unique and memorable gift!
As far as book boxes and monthly subscriptions go, I’ve seen them all. And the KidArtLit box is my absolute favorite. Each month, the box is expertly curated and contains one fabulous picture book in combination with process-based art activities. There’s little to no mess, easy-to-follow instructions, and supplies for two kids to share to complete the low-frustration projects together. This box creates amazing family experiences, and I can’t rave about it enough. This is one of my favorite bookish gifts that lasts for as many months as you wish to give!
If you have a kiddo who is introspective and loves writing, being with, and learning about family, this journal is breathtaking. Fostering connections between parents and their children, the Loom Journal is a beautifully designed book that encourages both parents and their kids to communicate, express themselves, and connect freely. Complete with writing prompts and affirmations, this journal will undoubtedly become an heirloom, creating meaningful conversations, memories, and experiences. This is a treasure!
This beautiful boxed set contains three of our all-time favorite books (which also happen to be New York Times Best Sellers): What Do You Do With An Idea, What Do You Do With a Problem, and What Do You Do With a Chance? Each book is more stunning, and more thought-provoking, than the last, challenging children to think about how they will respond to various situations and encouraging a growth mindset, perseverance, and confidence. These books are absolute treasures and must-haves for every child’s book collection. For our review of What Do You Do With a Chance?, click the link.
There’s no debating it – my children and my students absolutely love Brad Meltzer’s Ordinary People Change the World books. If you want to talk to your kids about what makes a hero, or if you know someone who loves nonfiction stories and learning about remarkable historical figures, these books are a must. This particular set features four books (Abraham Lincoln, Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks, and Albert Einstein), and we also love the Strong Girls Gift Set (Amelia Earhart, Harriet Tubman, Jane Goodall and Sacagawea). For more awesome biography books for kids, click the link!
This is the most darling book to encourage our children to celebrate those simple things in life that bring us joy each day of the year. From finding and spotting flowers to learning to make delicious baked goods to finding excitement on rainy days, The Little Book of Joy is a true delight. Through its daily prompts encouraging children and families to find wonder in the simplest things around us, the book offers us a tender reminder to be grateful for everything and everyone we have in our lives, each and every day.
These beautiful cards are so much fun and make for a great gift! Whether playing with friends or with family, your child will be prompted by a story starter on the card. Each card ends with the words “and then…” — and then your little one’s imagination will set soar! These imaginative prompts and illustrations are great for prompting self-expression and creativity, and the stories children come up with as a result of these prompts are simply brilliant. My students love these!
I don’t know what it is about these neck book lights, but kids think they are so cool. After all, when you give this to a child you’re basically telling him that he can stay up after “lights out” to read! Is there anything better? In various colors, these make such a fun addition to a stack of books!
If you need a gift for a young writer, this story journal, paired with some awesome colored pencils or a set of great pens, makes for a fabulous present. This great journal helps kids create their own stories through child-friendly fun, wit, and vibrant illustrations. From narratives to song lyrics to comics, Write On is equal parts fun and unique, teaching kids everything from writing with detail to crafting engaging hooks in a brilliantly creative way!
You guys. If you have a reader who is anywhere from first through third grade, this collection is basically the best ever. Kids, young and old, both boys and girls, are totally obsessed with this series, and they fly off the shelves in our library as soon as they are returned. Dog Man is SO much fun, perfect for all readers, and — most importantly — will make your kids crack up. I already have this collection wrapped and ready to go for my first grader for Hanukkah! For more great easy chapter books, click the link!
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Little Bookworms: Bookish Gifts for Big Kids and Tweens
If you have to buy a gift for a Harry Potter lover, you need to click this link immediately Ito purchase this stunningly illustrated collection of the first three books in the Harry Potter series. This gorgeous set has oversized pages, each of which contains colored illustrations. Each volume also has a ribbon bookmark to hold your spot. This is a perfect gift for Harry Potter fans old and young alike, and I can’t wait to get this set for my own kids when they are old enough to discover the Harry Potter magic! For more awesome middle-grade fantasy books, click the link!
If you know a kid who is obsessed with his or her book collection but also enjoys sharing her books with friends, this personal library kit is fabulous! Watch kids become masters of their own libraries by giving them a fun and easy way to keep track of the books they loan out to their buddies. I wish I had this when I was a kid!
Another item I WISHED I had when I was a kid! These customizable stamps are just perfect for young readers, providing them with a special way to mark and claim those wonderful books in her collection. With all of their books uniquely stamped, she’ll have confidence her books will always get returned when she loans them out — and they make it much easier to remind book borrowers to whom the special stories belong.
For the tween who has books coming out of his ears, why not simplify things for him (and make his backpack a lot lighter!) by gifting him a kindle? Not only can all of his books be stored and read on one small device, but he can even borrow books from the library through his device. There’s nothing better than a kindle that lets you keep your entire book collection in your bag! Kindles are amazing for the book-loving kid who is constantly on the go! Even better? Fill it with some awesome tween books before you wrap it up!
Graphic novels have taken the world by storm, and kids can’t get enough of this awesome format. Let your tween readers be the stars of their own graphic novels with this comic book kit that provides all the goods necessary for children to craft and create their own comics!
Why not let your tween book lover show off her love for reading with a bookish pop socket for her phone? Confession – I have this one and I love it! If you need a gift for a child who loves books as much as their iPhone, a collection of book pop sockets rocks! In addition to the one featured above, we also love these two: just one more chapter! and book nerd! They make great stocking stuffers!
This is great storytelling fun for preteens to play with friends or family. It allows you to tell stories collaboratively or competitively, and it’s perfect for Friday night game night! If you need a gift for a budding author, this one can’t be beaten! This one box contains fodder for hundreds of stories, and the game can be played for hours each time. No story will ever be the same!
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