Woah. You guys. December! I barely got the advent calendar filled today, it snuck up on me so fast. And this month, as you might imagine, there are tons of holiday books as well as winter selections and just regular old any-time titles. Shall we? 
Elf
Llama Llama Holiday Drama – These Llama Llama books are, to be honest, not the favourites of
parents, but young kids love them, because they really capture the way a
toddler works, that is to say, Llama throws a fit when he is
overwhelmed with emotion, and then reassured by his mama. This title is
about the difficulty of waiting for something as exciting as Christmas.
Let’s Count Goats! – I’m going to be honest here – I haven’t read this book. I very rarely rely on a favourite author without reading the book, but in this case? Mem Fox and Jan Thomas? And goats? It’s bound to be way fun. I’m ordering this one.
Five Little Monkeys Collection – Fans of bouncy rhymes and silliness love these monkeys, and can’t get
enugh, as they move from jumping on the bed to getting into other
mischief. An included CD reads the stories aloud, as well, for
read-along fun.
Mighty Machines Pack – Scholastic’s simple non-fiction books for little kids are really very good these days – bold, clear photos and simple text are perfect, and this set is a pretty surefire hit with the truck-loving set.
Trucks Pack – Three really great books about trucks in one pack. Perfect for your little trauck maniac.
David Shannon Pack – This is another set of silly favourites that make kids howl. David gets
in lots of trouble, which kids love, but they always end on a sweet note
as affirmation that makes it all okay. I love Shannon’s illustrations,
and kids never fail to scream with laughter over the page with the bare
bum, as you can imagine…
Knuffle Bunny Pack – I love these books. The first is a familiar tale of a little girl who temporarily loses her stuffy, an flat-out panics. The second involves another girl who – gasp – has the same bunny! There is a third, but it’s worth picking up these two, and waiting for the new one to come around in paperback eventually.
Big Machines Pack / I’m Dirty! – More big machine books – this time, stories told in the brash voices of the machines themselves. These are really fun to read out loud, but not for the quiet. A major hit with kids, they beg to be read at full throttle with as much rowdy as you can muster.
Scaredy Squirrel – Scaredy is a squirrel – a neurotic, agoraphobic, OCD-plagued nut of a
squirrel, in fact. He is also hilarious, and a massive hit with kids,
making this a pack worth picking for sharing out loud. These show up often enough to wait for the full collection, if you want to have them all.
Chester Pack – Chester is not pleased with the direction his author is taking, and
tries to steer things his way in these very funny picture books that are
a
big hit with kids. Chester is likely to appear again, though he is not a
constant, so if don’t necessarily want them all, you could wait it out.
Munsch Board Book Collection – Of Munsch’s new books, these are three of my favourite, and the board book format means they will stand up to the rigours of youngsters. if you are a Munsch fan or looking to get just a few into your library, this is a good set.
SeeSaw
Jan Brett – Jan Brett is a favourite of parents, kids, and teachers alike, and is famous for gorgeous, highly detailed illustrations. of the three offerings here, my top pick would be the waiter tales pack.
Bear and Friends Collection – I love the bear stories, which are set in a great rhythm and rhyme, and
feature really, really good friends. These do show up in various
different packs on and off through the year, so if you don’t need ALL of
them, hold off.
A Porcupine in a Pine Tree – This very Canadian rewrite of the Twelve Days of Christmas is a lot of
fun, and even works well with the song (I hate it when they force it too
much!). This is a less expensive version, but for those who would want
it, I will tell you this book is also available with a plush porcupine
as a gift set from bookstores.
The Magic School Bus Winter Readers Pack – These are great books, and kids love them. They mesh factual
information with fun adventures that a class goes on with their wacky
teacher and her magic bus. The kids are consistent characters, and each
has a personality that you come to know. There are lots of little extra
bits with factoids, little jokes, and so on that makes it fun for kids
to peruse on their own, as well. these do show up in various different packs often enough, as well.
Magic Tree House – I’m not always a fan of big series for kids, although they very
definitely serve a purpose. They are by nature formulaic, and often not
well-written. These definitely follow a formula, but the writing is
better than it has to be, and the various times and places visited give
kids a nice little taste of history and different cultures, which I
like.This new series of Merlin Missions feature different cultural
highlights, and of course this Christmas one is perfect for holiday reading or gifting.
Little Critter Pack – I’m a big fan of the rambunctious little critter, who is well-meaning,
but klutzy and impulsive, just like most little kids. These are also fun
for kids, who recognize themselves, and I remember loving them when i
was little, too.
Chicka Boom Collection – These are nothing short of modern classics, a term I use sparingly. They
are bold and bright in their illustrations, have great rhyme and rhythm
(Bill Martin really is a master), and introduce letters and numbers in a
fun way. I also like that the alphabet features both upper- and
lower-case letters, which is not always the case.
Biscuit Readers Pack – Biscuit books are early readers, for real beginners. They are not great
stories, but feature a cute puppy, limited vocabulary, large text, and
lots of repetition, which is just what emerging readers need to succeed.
Elephant & Piggie Set – These books. Oh, I love these so very much. Mo Willems at his cartoonish best, these little episodes between two friends are perfect beginning readers, and not only fulfill my need for friendship stories, but crack me right up every time.
Arnold Lobel Classics Pack – I love Arnold Lobel’s little story books. Famous for Frog and Toad, he
also has a pair of books of mouse stories which are big hits in my house
– I was reading one tonight, in fact. These books are full of short, fun stories that are great for reading in little snippets.
Winter Award Winners Pack – The Snowy Day is simply the best winter book going, still. Owl Moon is a lovely, quiet story of an older child and her father going looking for owls in the woods at night. White Snow, Bright Snow is a simple classic. This? Is a solid pack for winter.
Days of the Week Pack – Two great little books about weekdays – Eric Carle’s is fun to sing along with, too. Don’t know the tune? Sharon, Lois, and Bram sang it – borrow the CD!
David Adventures Pack – Kids love these for their
humour, and for the fact that even after all the trouble he gets into,
David is always reassured at the end that things will be okay. These do also show up in bigger packs with all of the books, so if you are going to want them all, you could wait on this.
Miss Nelson Pack – These are fantastic and very funny books about a teacher with a horribly behaved class and a trick or two up her sleeves. I loved these as a kid, and am still surprised by how hilarious they are.
Pippi Longstocking Pack – The silly, wonderful world of Pippi has been amusing kids for decades,
and just begs to be shared. She is charmingly offbeat, and drags along
her much more regular neighbours on some crazy adventures.
Lucky
National Goegraphic Kids That’s Gross! – Kids luuurve gross stuff, and if it will gross you out too, so much the better! For the reluctant reader, the kid who loves non-fiction, and the gross-out master, this is a great pick, and coming from National Geographic, you can figure the information here will be solid – if they absorb it over the cries of, “Ewwww!”
Diary of a Wimpy Kid – This series has been wildly popular with kids from about grade 2 up to
grade 6, even among the most reluctant of readers, who appreciate its
humour and its half-graphic format. It’s an easy read, and his school
troubles resonate with kids. The pack is on frequent offer, and the new
one is also on offer alone here.
Wayside School Pack – The Wayside stories books are each a collection of totally silly stories
set in a school where the ridiculous is the norm. They are funny,
short, and easy to read, making them favourites among younger kids and
kids who are not strong readers or like lighter fare.
Magic Tree House Library – I’m not always a fan of big series for kids, although they very
definitely serve a purpose. They are by nature formulaic, and often not
well-written. These definitely follow a formula, but the writing is
better than it has to be, and the various times and places visited give
kids a nice little taste of history and different cultures, which I
like.
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Collection – Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is the kind of classic story that has been out of
vogue for a while, but when you read it, you find that apart from a few
things that take you aback, it is mostly really great stuff, with a
silliness you weren’t necessarily expecting. I am considering these for
my girl, who I think could quite enjoy them.
Encyclopedia Brown Mysteries Pack – Remember these? Little, short mysteries that hinge on a fact that
Encyclopedia Brown (not his real name) knows, but someone else doesn’t.
You have the chance to guess the answer to each one before flipping to
the end of the book to read the solution. For a kid who loves a puzzle,
this is really fun.
Beverly Cleary Collection – I am a massive Cleary fan. I mean. Ramona Quimby. Ralph S. Mouse. Socks. This is a great collection, though not all of the Ramona books are here, so if you will want every last volume, it might be worth waiting for a Ramona pack and a Ralph pack separately.
Little House Collection – Truly, I was not a huge fan of these books as a kid,
but I know LOTS of people who love them, and they are certainly
seriously classic fare for reading together or for a strong reader. If
you think your family will want to read through them, this is a really
good buy.
The Borrowers pack – Fun classics from the Borrowers series! These are great for nostalgic parents (and grandparents) and for reading aloud to your kiddos.
Arrow
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever – The Herdman family were the worst, most ill-mannered bunch around, and
caused mayhem no matter what they did or where they went – mayhem that
is written to perfect hilarious effect by Robinson, who also manages to
find the heart behind their madness. My grade school teacher read this story to us every year – I recently asked her how she managed, because I laugh too hard to talk when I read it, myself.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid – This series has been wildly popular with kids from about grade 2 up to
grade 6, even among the most reluctant of readers, who appreciate its
humour and its half-graphic format. It’s an easy read, and his school
troubles resonate with kids. The pack is on frequent offer, and the new
one is also on offer alone here.
Ancient Civilizations section – I love that there is a nice mix of fiction and non-fiction here. For the kids who have become interested in the classics, it’s great to feed that interest, which will stand them in good stead when it comes to literature and history later. Also? There are some really good stories, even in the non-fiction!
Percy Jackson Library – I love this series. The writing moves quickly, the quests are studded
with many mythological monsters, and the overarching storyline is the
stuff of archetype. I highly recommend this series, which grabs readers
and carries along so masterfully that even a lot of reluctant boys at
work have chewed through them.
Mythlopedia Pack – the Percy Jackson books have, to my great joy, brought renewed interest
to the fantastic stories to be found in mythology, something every kid
should have passing acquaintance with. Whether your kid is a Percy fan
or not, these are great for perusing alone or reading together.
The Chronicles of Narnia Boxed Set – Another series that needs no introduction, because not only is it a
serious classic, but the movies have been coming out over the last few
years, bringing it a whole new audience. It’s seven books strong, a
perfect introduction to fantasy, and should be read by or to everyone.This could make a great holiday gift.
Farm Boy / War Horse Pack – this Michael Morpugo was in the news a lot this past year, as the play was in
Toronto, and the movie came out. A story of a boy and a horse in
times of war, it’s not light reading either, but again, possesses the
magic of friendship and heroism. Here it’s in a pack with the new sequel, also available on its own.
The 39 Clues – This series is written by some of the top names in adventurous kidslit,
and keep kids guessing and following along. If you get started with
these, be prepared to have an obsessed kid, but these are another
often-featured set, so you can always put this on the back burner and
know you can order later, too.
Magic Tree House Library – I’m not always a fan of big series for kids, although they very
definitely serve a purpose. They are by nature formulaic, and often not
well-written. These definitely follow a formula, but the writing is
better than it has to be, and the various times and places visited give
kids a nice little taste of history and different cultures, which I
like.
Little House Complete Collection – Truly, I was not a huge fan of these books as a kid,
but I know LOTS of people who love them, and they are certainly
seriously classic fare for reading together or for a strong reader. If
you think your family will want to read through them, this is a really
good buy.
The Moon Over High Street – Natalie Babbit is, it must be said, a wonderful writer, and this is very much a worthwhile read.
Because of Winn-Dixie – Another gorgeous writer, DiCamillo is a favourite of many of us kidslit readers, and this is the one that made her a household name. A moving and fun story of a girl who has trouble fitting in until a dog with a gift for friendship comes along, it’s satisfying in every way.
The Girl with Silver Eyes – I remember reading this over and over when I was a kid! A girl with silver eyes and some unusual abilities discovers that not only is she not alone, but she has been found by some people who want to get hold of her and use those abilities to nefarious ends. It’s a fast-paced read, and one i’m happy to see is still around!
A Light in the Attic – I’m a huge fan of Silverstein’s poetry, though not so much of his
stories. This has been an enduring favourite of mine and many others,
and is packed full of fun, silly, a occasionally wise verses that make
for great reading together now, and something they can read on their own
as they get older.