04 December 2012

Books to love and give this Christmas

A few weeks back when I ran a giveaway for Blue Gnu I asked for your favourite book ideas for Christmas, so here's a selection of tried and tested favourites to be on the look out for this Christmas:

Do You Want To Be My Friend? by Eric Carle 
Recommended by Nikki 
$8 paperback, $20 hardback at The Book Depository

Do You Want to be My Friend?

"Do you want to be my friend?" asks the lonely little mouse. He follows a tail but all he finds at its end is a rather unfriendly horse. The little mouse justs wants someone to play with - but he'll have to follow a lot of tails before he can find just the right companion.

Llama Llama Red Pyjama 
Recommended by Miriam $21 on The Book Depository
Age level: 3 and up


Red Pyjama
In this infectious rhyming and read-aloud, Baby Llama turns bedtime into an all-out llama-drama. Young children will relate to Baby Llama's need for comfort, as much as parents will appreciate Mama Llama's reassuring message.


Dogger 
Recommended by Ange. $11 at The Book Depository
Age level: 4 and up
Dogger

When Dave loses his favourite toy, Dogger, he is desolate. But then Dogger turns up at the school summer fair, and everything seems all right - until someone else buys him before Dave can get the money!

Tuesdays at the Castle 
Recommended by Sarah Louisa. $10 paperback or $18 hardback at The Book Depository
Ages: 8 and up (240 pages)

Tuesdays at the Castle
Tuesdays at Castle Glower are Princess Celie's favourite days. That's because on Tuesdays the castle adds a new room, a turret, or sometimes even an entire wing. No one ever knows what the castle will do next, and no one - other than Celie that is -takes the time to map out the new additions. But when King and Queen Glower are ambushed and their fate is unknown, it's up to Celie, with her secret knowledge of the castle's never-ending twists and turns, to protect their home and save their kingdom.

Gooney Bird Greene 
Recommeded by Jan. $7 paperback and $20 hardback at The Book Depository
Age level: 9 and up (96 pages)


Gooney Bird Greene



A most unusual student who loves to be the centre of attention entertains her teacher and fellow second graders by telling absolutely true stories about herself, including how she got her name.

The Pirates Next Door
Recommended by Lyn $13 paperback and $19 hardback at The Book Depository
Age: 3 and up
The Pirates Next Door

The Jolley-Rogers - a pirate family, are moving to Dull-on-Sea, a quiet seaside town. Stopping to fix up their ship, this unusual family get the whole neighbourhood spreading rumours. Defying the grown-ups, Matilda from next door decides to become friends with the youngest pirate son. When the Jolley-Rogers leave, the town discovers they were wrong to assume the worst - the pirate clan have buried treasure in everyone's gardens. Matilda feels sad until she discovers her own treasure - an exciting new pen friend.

The Fault in our Stars 
Recommended by Louise $19 hardback at The Book Depository
Age: Teen (336 pages)
The Fault in Our Stars

Diagnosed with Stag IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs...for now. Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, post high-school, post-friends and post-normalcy.

The Gruffalo's Child 
Recommended by Remaliah. $13 paperback at The Book Depository

The Gruffalo's Child

One dark night the Gruffalo's child disobeys her father's warnings and ventures out into the snow. After all, the Big Bad Mouse doesn't really exist....or does he?

Guess How Much I Love You
Recommended by Nikki. $10 at The Boook Depository
Age: 3 and up


Guess How Much I Love You Board Book
The story of Little and Big Nutbron Hare's efforts to express their love for each other in ever greater means has become a phenomenon, and includes such lovely phrases such as "I love you right up to the moon - and back"

Each Peach Pear Plum 
Recommended by Nikki. $7 at The Book Depository

Each Peach Pear Plum
The classic children's game book. Thousands of children have enjoyed the Ahlbergs' pictorial guessing game - not only because the game is fun, but also because the pages contain action and humour and a sense of beauty.

Wilfrid Gordon Mcdonald Partridge
Recommended by Bron. $13 at Amazon.


Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge is a small boy who has a big name - and that's why he likes Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper, because she has too. So when he finds Miss Nancy has lost her memory, Wilfrid determines to discover what memories are so he can find it for her. 

Marmaduke Duck and the Marmalade Jam
Recommended by me. $20 at Whitcoulls online.

Marmaduke Duck and the Marmalade Jam

"Then down to the river came a little green frog and a hog from the bog and a dog on a jog..." Wonderful rhyme and hilarious actions makes this a truly wonderful read aloud title - wait till you come across llama farmer Palmer!

Wanted: The Perfect Pet
Recommended by me. $10 paperback, $20 hardback at The Book Depository
Age: level 5 and up

Wanted: The Perfect Pet

Once upon a time, there lived a boy called Henry. What Henry wanted more than anything in the whole wide world...MORE than chips...MORE than a cowboy costume...MORE than an all-expenses-paid trip to the moon...was a DOG. A loveable tale of adventure and friendship...and the lengths some will go to find it.

I hope that rather long list has sparked some inspiration for you for kids of all ages!

2 comments :

Miriam said...

great list Meghan - thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

Awesome list, we got the marmalade book from the library the other day, I must buy it, its a great one!

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