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Did you see my stunning toy-and-all-around-great ideas gift guide? Well, if you’ve already bought and wrapped all your gifts, I think you still need to buy a book or two, am I right?! I think books are pretty much the best gift ever. So, based on our reading habits this last year, here are some of my top picks for under your tree!
TOP 3 BIBLE-BASED BOOKS FOR KIDS
I bought this for Asa earlier this year so he could do a devotion by himself in the morning. Each story uses only a few words over and over to help with new readers. For example, the Christmas story from Luke 2 only uses the words a, at, is, go, baa, coo, the, look, said, born, night, sheep, birds, Jesus, angel, silent, donkey, shepherd, hee-haw and holy. Cool, right?
Adding this book to my 31 Best Bible Books for Kids series NOW.
Susan Hunt wrote the My ABC Bible Verses book that resulted in both my kids making a decision to follow Jesus. This book goes through each verse of Psalm 23 and has the most beautiful illustrations. We doodled our way through this one. I really enjoy it.
I’m a firm believer in kids having their own Bible. When Lydia was in kindergarten, we bought her a beautiful purple edition of this Bible. This year, Asa is getting a green one! I highly recommend the NIRV because it’s on a 3rd grade reading level.
TOP 3 CHAPTER BOOKS FOR GIRLS
My 9 year old daughter has been keeping track of all the books she’s read this year. I asked her to tell me her top three and here are her picks:
The Fight for Kidsboro by Marshal Younger (this is an Adventures in Odyssey book, so of course she loved this one!)
Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield (Do you know how happy this makes me??)
Little Princess by Francis Hodgson Burnett (I read this for the first time this year, too!)
Honorable Mention: Gooseberry Park by Cynthia Rylant and Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
TOP 3 PICTURE BOOKS
These aren’t the top 3 of all time. Just the top 3 new ones we discovered this year. I’d like to own all of these!
Brave Irene by William Steig (I cried at the end of this one. The mother is an example of using your words to build up your kids!)
Unspoken: a Story from the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole (This is one of those no-words, just-pictures books. *shiver*)
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco (Speaking of crying–I sobbed all the way through this book about family generations!)
TOP 3 READ ALOUDS
OK, these are really the only 3 big read-alouds we did this year. Still, we liked them all!
Pippi Goes on Board by Astrid Lindgren (If you haven’t read this, make sure to read Pippi Longstocking first. Preferable Lauren Child’s version!)
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick (fyi: there’s some kids out-of-wedlock questions that come up!)
TOP 3 NON-FICTION BOOKS FOR GROWN UPS
Well-Versed Family by Carolyn Boykin (I cannot tell you how much I loved this book. I think I want to do a book club on it this year. Fab.)
Tweetable Leadership by Jim Wideman (Jim’s wisdom has stayed with me for years. I am so glad he put it all into one book!)
Tramp for the Lord by Corrie ten Boom (and if you haven’t read The Hiding Place, read that first!)
TOP 3 BOOKS I WANT
The Inspired Room: Love the Home You Have by Melissa Michaels (with us building a house, I need all the help I can get–and I love Melissa Michaels’ blog!)
Choose Joy by Sarah Frankl & Mary Carver (OK, I already bought this book but I’m so excited about it!)
Defy the Night by Lydia and Heather Munn (This is the sequel to How Huge the Night which was one of my favorite books a few years ago.)
I’ve read 51 books this year–mostly fiction so I’ll have a post up about those later. Maybe after Christmas so I can squeeze in a few more before my final count for the end of the year!
What book are you hoping for under your tree?
