Looking for the best book gift ideas for this year? I’ve got you covered!
2022 has been a great year for books. There are so many titles worthy of your special recipient. Books make wonderful gifts for friends and loved ones. They are a thoughtful way to show someone that you care about them and they offer the opportunity to share in the joy of reading. Books can be a way to connect with others, as they provide a common point of interest and can be used as a starting point for conversations. Giving books as gifts can be a great way to support authors and to promote literacy. Books are my favorite gifts to give!
A few notes before we begin:
- I’m a lover of all things literacy. I’m both an avid writer and reader. I taught high school ELA for 15 years, so my specialty is Young Adult Literature, but I also have a young child and follow a lot of authors. If you’re curious about my rating process, click here. (I felt like this point was necessary to establish a bit of credibility for this list. If you’re a regular around here, just move to the next point. haha.)
- If you want to follow my book reviews, you can find me on Instagram and Goodreads.
- I could have picked HUNDREDS of titles for each category. In the interest of keeping this blog post somewhat manageable, I tried to choose at least three in each category. Trust me, I had a very, very hard time doing this.
- I’m an Amazon affiliate, so when you purchase something from this list, I receive a very small commission. Thank you for supporting my journey as someone who aims to spread the love of literacy.
Babies (Ages 0-1)
Never Touch A… Series
These books are great for babies because they provide different textures that babies can explore. My daughter was obsessed with these when she was a baby and I still find her enjoying them as a toddler. They’re definitely a series that can grow with children! Click on any of the titles to see the book.
My First Library
Sets that come with multiple topics are always a hit at this age. Again, I’m a huge fan of books that babies can grow into. This set has so many different topics, bright colors, and plenty of interesting things for babies to look at. They’ll love them as toddlers, too. Both of these sets would make great gifts!
Toddlers (Ages 1-3)
Sandra Boynton Board Books
You can’t go wrong with Sandra Boynton for toddlers! The colors, silly stories, and illustrations all keep toddlers so engaged in these books. A box set of these would make a great gift for any toddler.
Little Blue Truck
To this day, I think I’ve read this book at least 1000 times. Little Blue has been a staple in our house for well over a year. This sweet story is all about helping others and being kind. Perfect for the toddler in your life.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
I’m going to be honest, the first few times I read this book, I was like… what in the world is going on here? It took me quite a while to realize this silly story is being used for letter recognition. My daughter LOVES this one and points along to the letters as we read.
Llama Llama Board Books
Llama Llama is a staple in our household and at this age, board books made great gifts. This set comes with four titles and will grow with your toddler as they inevitably come to love Llama Llama into their preschool years.
You Are My I Love You
This book might take the cake as one of my absolute favorite books for young people of all time. (I dare you to try to read it without shedding a tear.) The language is beautiful and the illustrations are stunning. I’m listing this as a board book for toddlers, but you can get it in hardback for older kids, too.
Preschoolers (Ages 3-5)
Pete the Cat
Pete the Cat worked his way into our home this year. My daughter is absolutely obsessed with him. (And her three year old self can’t make the ‘T’ sound, so he’s ‘Peep’ right now…) Pete is perfect for this age group.
Llama Llama (Hardcover Books)
Llama Llama is still very popular with this age group, but we’ve graduated to hardcover books now. The stories are a little bit longer, but just as fun.
Little Critter Books
Little Critter was a favorite of mine when I was a child and I’m so happy that my daughter now loves him too. We like this one specifically because the stories are shorter. The longer Little Critter books are great as they grow, but since my daughter is on the younger side of the Preschool age, this one is perfect. If yours are a bit older, you might want to consider a few paperbacks instead.
I Spy Books
I Spy books are great for this age group. My daughter LOVES these so much. She does them over and over even after I’m positive she’s memorized where everything is. I often switch up the tasks myself so she’s finding new things the book doesn’t always list. It’s a great way to keep their little brains moving.
Early Elementary (Grades 1-3)
You Have a Voice by Vera Ahiyya
This is a book written by a lovely woman I follow on Instagram @thetututeacher. I watched her do a read aloud of this one and bookmarked it to get for Cici when she’s a bit older. I thought it was so well done and perfect for this age group.
Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park
Junie B. Jones is a staple for lower elementary students. I’m listing the first grade set here, but if you click through, they group them by age range. These books are hilarious and make reading so much fun for lower elementary students.
Roald Dahl Collection
These are classic stories like Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory packaged together. Dahl has so many classic stories that children love year after year. Definitely recommend getting the set!
Upper Elementary (Grades 4-6)
Big Nate Books
There are so many Big Nate books that it can be hard to know what to buy, but the truth is that they can be read in any order. This set has the first book (Boy with the Biggest Head) in it and many others.
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
This is a teacher-favorite and I constantly see educators recommending it. It’s an amazing book that young kids will get so much out of!
Restart by Gordon Korman
This book is probably best for grades 5-6, but it’s such a good book.
Middle Grades (Grades 7-8)
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
I haven’t met a single middle schooler who dislikes this book. Even when students get to high school, they’re still talking about.
Refugee by Alan Gratz
I don’t have words for how phenomenal this book is. Sincerely, any book by Alan Gratz is sure to get your middle schooler reading. I enjoy his books as an adult and still to this day read anything he writes.
Starfish by Lisa Fipps
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought about the fact that I wish there was a book like this when I was in middle school. Starfish is a novel-in-verse about a young girl who is struggling to accept herself as she is. (Isn’t that seriously the theme of middle school?) This book is just beautiful in so many ways. Perfect for any middle schooler.
Young Adult (Grades 9-12)
Young Adult Literature is my specialty, so it’s very difficult for me just to pick a few to list here. If you have a specific young person in mind and you’d like to talk through some options, please feel free to reach out to me on Instagram. I’m happy to give personalized recommendations.
YA Lit can be kind of gritty and adults tend to have varying comfort levels with the books their young people consume. Teenagers are all different, some more mature than others. Make sure to read all summaries, reviews, and check for content warnings on Common Sense Media. Make sure the title is the right fit for your young person.
The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson
Tiffany D. Jackson is one of my favorite YA authors. This is a fresh take on the Stephen King classic Carrie with fantastic writing.
Better than the Movies by Lynn Painter
This is a laugh-out-loud rom-com with some serious heart. It’s definitely one of my favorite titles of the year.
Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer
This title is by far my top pick for YA this year. The writing is breathtaking, the story is unputdownable, and the characters are so raw. I would recommend this for mature 10th graders and up. Grab this one for the teenager who wants to read Colleen Hoover, but you’re a savvy enough adult to know they probably aren’t ready for that yet.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
This series is perfect for the fantasy lover in your life. Even as an adult, I found myself totally engrossed in Faerie! Such a fun series and Black is a fantastic writer.
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
This book won the National Book Award for 2022 and for good reason. This is a story that stays with you long after you’ve read it. Again, the content is pretty heavy, so this would be best for a mature young person, grades 10 and up.
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
This series is one of the best mystery offerings I’ve read in a long time. The story is intriguing, the characters are charming, and the setting is just so good. Get the box set of all three stories (there is a fourth and fifth coming out soon, but the first three are a good start) because your teen is going to whip right through them just like I did.
Adult (Age 18+)
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Stunning is the only word I can think of to describe this novel. The writing, the story, the fascinating video game plotline… it’s all just so good. You’re going to see this all over book lists this year and for good reason. It’s worth every single mention.
Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
I am obsessed with this series. It is by far some of the funniest reading material I’ve encountered in a long time. I listened to this as an audiobook and found myself cackling in the car a hundred times over. Absolute perfection.
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
I had to include this title because it absolutely ripped my heart out and I still think about it. The writing is beautiful and so is the story.
Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
For my fantasy lovers, this one was a blast. It was a wild ride from beginning to end with fascinating characters. I can’t wait to read the sequel!
I’m going to cut myself off even though I could keep going for ages. I hope this list gave you some ideas for the special reader in your life. I’m hoping to make this list a yearly thing so make sure you follow me on Instagram for the latest updates.
Happy reading!
