Twitter chat recap: "What kids want in books" holiday gift guide

Michael Barrett  //  Dec 12, 2014

Twitter chat recap: "What kids want in books" holiday gift guide

Yesterday afternoon, Scholastic hosted a live Twitter chat related to the research we released last week titled "What Kids Want in Books" -- a "sneak peek" from our upcoming Kids and Family Reading Report™ (set to debut in January 2015).

We know what kids want in books (when reading for fun), but we took it one step further with specific book lists – perfect for the holiday season.

We asked parenting expert Maggie McGuire (Scholastic Parents & Kids Online) and book expert David Allender (Scholastic Reading Club) for their personal picks on some hot topics related to the Kids and Family Reading Report™  such as "books that make me laugh" and age-specific lists.

We hope this helps guide you for your holiday gift shopping.

Happy Holidays and share your ideas now! #KFRR

 

FUNNY READS

  • DATA: 70% of children (ages 6-17) want books that “make me laugh” when reading for fun

Maggie's picks:

  • Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey
  • Fly Guy series by Tedd Arnold
  • I Funny by James Patterson
  • Elephant & Piggie series by Mo Willems
  • Smile by Raina Telgemeir

David's picks:

  • Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by Eric Litwin / illustrated by James Dean
  • Waiting is Not Easy: An Elephant & Piggie Book by Mo Willems
  • Junie B., First Grader: Turkeys We Have Loved and Eaten (and Other Thankful Stuff) by Barbara Park/ illustrated by Denise Brunkus
  • Roald Dahl's Whipple-Scrumptious Chocolate Box (box set of the "Charlie and the..." series)
  • Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul by Jeff Kinney
  • Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett / illustrated by Jon Klassen
  • The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak
  • Emperor Pickeltine Rides the Bus: An Oragami Yoda Book by Tom Angleberger
  • Sisters by Raina Telgemeir

 

HOLIDAY-THEMED READS

Maggie's picks:

  • Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore **great read aloud** 
  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas  by Dr. Seuss**great read aloud**
  • Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost (illustrated edition)
  • The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett

David's picks:

  • The Last Christmas Tree by Stephen Krensky #DiverseReads
  • The Seven Days of Kwanzaa by Angela Shelf
  • Simon and the Bear: A Hanukkah Tale by Eric Kimmel
  • The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

 

OUR READING GROWTH CHART

Ages 6-8 – want books with “characters that look like them”

Maggie’s picks:

  • Wonder by R.J. Pacio
  • If Kids Ran the World by Diane Dillon
  • Under the Same Sun by Sharon Robinson
  • The Great Greene Heist by Vairan Johnson
  • Gold Medal Winter by Donna Freitas

 David’s picks

  • Annie: The Junior Novel by Lexi Ryals
  • Weird School series by Dan Gutman

 

Ages 9-11 – want books with a “mystery of problem to solve:

Maggie’s picks:

  • Cam Jansen series by David Adler
  • Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine

David’s picks:

  • The Angel Tree by Daphne Benedis-Grab
  • Greenglass House by Kate Milford
  • The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier

 

Ages 12-14 – want books with “smart, strong or brave characters”

Maggie’s picks:

  • Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo
  • Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan
  • Brotherband Chronicles series by John Flanagan
  • Redwall series by Brian Jacques

David’s picks

  • Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
  • Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
  • I Survived series by Lauren Tarhis
  • Fantasy League by Mike Lupica
  • The Boundless by Kenneth Opal
  • Alex Rider: Russian Roulette by Anthony Horwitz

 

Ages 15-17 – want books that “let them forget real life for a while”

Maggie’s picks:

  • Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
  • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
  • The Raven Boys series by Maggie Stiefvater
  • The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

David’s picks:

  • The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
  • Divergent by Veronica Roth
  • Maze Runner series by James Dashner
  • Skink No Surrender by Carl Hiassen
  • Half Bads by Sally Green
  • Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

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