Need gift ideas? These books were especially chosen by our librarians as great gifts for kids, teens, and adults for the holiday season! Feel free to check them out from GBPLD first before you buy!

 

 

Books for Kids

Books for Teens

Books for Adults

 

 

 


Books for Kids

Best for Babies & Toddlers (0-2 year-olds)

 

 

 

 

 

Who? A Celebration
of Babies
by Robie Harris,
illus. by Natascha
Rosenberg
Bookies for Babies

 

 

 

 

 

A Parade of Elephants
by Kevin Henkes
Books by Author

 

 

 

 

 

Every Color Soup
by Jorey Hurley
Building Blocks

 

Nita’s First Signs
by Kathy MacMillan,
illus. by Sara Brezzi
Bookies for Babies

 

But First, We Nap
by David Miles &
Darya Dremova
Bookies for Babies

 

This Story is for You
by Greg Pizzoli
Books by Author


 

 

 

 

Busy-Eyed Day
by Anne Marie Pace,
illus. by Frann
Preston-Gannon
Toddler Time

   
     

Best for Preschoolers (3-6 year-olds)

 

 

Square
by Mac Barnett
Building Blocks

 

 

All of Us
by Carin Berger
Growing & Changing

 

 

What If?
by Samantha Berger,
illus. by Mike Curato
Ribbons & Bows

 

 

Mixed: A Colorful Story
by Arree Chung
Building Blocks

 

 

Love
by Matt de la Peña,
illus. by Loren Long
Growing & Changing

 

What Can a Citizen Do?
by Dave Eggers,
illus. by Shawn Harris
Growing & Changing

 

 

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates
by Ryan T. Higgins
School Stories

 

The Digger and the Flower
by Joseph Kuefler
Growing & Changing

 

There’s a Hole in the Log on the Bottom of the Lake
by Loren Long
I Like Animals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dreamers
by Yuyi Morales
Books by Author

Niblet & Ralph
by Zachariah Ohora
Growing & Changing

 

Vivid: Poems & Notes About Color
by Julie Paschkis
Building Blocks

Anywhere Artist
by Nikki Slade Robinson
Books by Author

Don’t Blink!
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal,
illus. by David Roberts
Books by Author

 

Crash, Splash, or Moo!
by Bob Shea
Books by Author

Hey Wall: A Story of Art and Community
by Susan Verde, illus. by John Parra
Books by Author

Play This Book
by Jessica Young,
illus. by Daniel Wiseman
Books by Author

 

 
     

Best for Elementary (K - 5th grade) 

 

 

Bob
by Wendy Mass & Rebecca Stead
J Nonfiction

 

 

The Miscalculations of Lightening Girl
by Stacy McAnulty
J Fiction

 

 

A Dash of Trouble
by Anna Meriano
J Fiction

 

How Things Work: Then and Now
by T.J. Resler
J Nonfiction

 

 

Betty Before X
by Ilyasah Shabazz
J Fiction

 

 

The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most
Adventurous Kid
by Dylan Thuras & Rosemary Mosco
J Nonfiction

 

 

Front Desk
by Kelly Yang
J Fiction

 

 

Bat and the Waiting Game
by Elana K. Arnold
Ready for Chapters

 

 

The Hall Monitors are Fired!
by Jack Chabert, illus. by Sam Ricks
Ready for Chapters

 

 

Super Rabbit Boy Blasts Off
by Thomas Flintman
Ready for Chapters

 

 

Aquicorn Cove
by Katie O’Neill
J Graphic

 

Drawn Together
by Minh Lê, illus. by Dan Santat
E Growing & Changing

 

The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare
by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale,
illus. by LeUyen Pham
Ready for Chapters

 

The Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague
by Julier Finley Mosca
Main Youth(J) Biography

 

Baby Monkey, Private Eye
by Brian Selznick
Beginning Readers

 

 

Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor
by Patricia Valdez,
illus. by Felicita Sala
Books by Author

 

New Shoes
by Sara Varon
J Graphic

 

From the Heart of Africa:
A Book of Wisdom
by Eric Walters
E Books by Author

 

Sing a Song of Seasons
by Fiona Waters,
illus. by Frann
Preston-Gannon (J) Nonfiction

 

The Day You Begin
by Jacqueline Woodson,
illus. by Rafael López
E Growing & Changing

 

Haggis & Tank Unleashed
by Jessica Young,
illus. by James Burks
Ready for Chapters

 

Granted
by John David Anderson
J Fiction

 

Aru Shah and the End of Time
by Roshani Chokshi
J Fiction

 

 

Finding Langston
by Lesa Cline-Ransome
J Fiction

 

Saving Winslow
by Sharoon Creech
J Fiction

 

 

The Serpent’s Secret
by Sayantani DasGupta
J Fiction

 

Louisiana’s Way Home
by Kate DiCamillo
J Fiction

 

Little Leaders:
Bold Women in Black History
by Vasti Harrison
J Biography

 

Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World
by Katherine Halligan,
illus. by Sarah Walsh
J Nonfiction

 

Parker Inheritance
by Varian Johnson
J Fiction

 

The Science of Breakable Things
by Tae Keller
J Fiction

 

You Go First
by Erin Entrada Kelly
J Fiction

 

Animal Smackdown: Surprising Animal Matchups with
Surprising Results
by Emily Krieger
J Nonfiction

     

Best for Middle School (6 - 8th grade) 

 

 

Checked
by Cynthia Kadohata
Zone Game On!

 

 

Does it Fart?: The Definitive Field Guide to Animal Flatulence
by Nick Caruso & Dani Rabaiotti
Zone Knowledge with Power

 

 

For Every One
by Jason Reynolds
Zone Knowledge with Power

 

 

The Prince and the Dressmaker
by Jen Wang
Zone Getting Graphic

 

 

Making Friends
by Kristen Gudsnuk
J Graphic

 

 

Grenade
by Alan Gratz
Zone Blast from the Past

 

 

Rad Girls Can: Stories of Bold, Brave, and Brilliant Young Woman
by Kate Schatz & Miriam
Zone Blast from the Past

   
     

Best Spanish Books (all ages)

 

El lector
by Amy Hest,
illus. by Lauren Castillo
E Libros para pequeños

 

 

The Wheels on the
Bus/Las ruedas del autobus
by Elodie Pope,
illus. by Laura Zarrin
E Libros para pequeños

 

 

¡Este es el dia!/This is the day!
by Amy Parker,
illus. by Leeza Hernandez
E Libros para pequeños

 

 

De colores/In All Colors
by Elodie Pope, illus. by Laura Zarrin
E Libros para pequeños

 

El cumpleaños de la abuela
by Jacqueline Jules,
illus. by Kim Smith
J Primeros Lectores

 

Pedro y el tiburón
by Fran Manushkin,
illus. by Tammie Lyon
J Primeros Lectores

 

¿Estás lista para jugar
afuera?: Un libro de
Elefante y Cerdita
by Mo Willems
J Primeros Lectores

 

Bravo!: poemas sobre
hispanos extraordinarios
by Margarita Engle,
illus. by Rafael López
J Spanish Nonfiction
920.009268 Engle

 

El gran libro de las bestias
by Yuval Zommer
J Spanish Nonfiction
590 Zommer

 

¡El recreo es una jungla!
by Jack Chabert, illus. by Sam Ricks
J Spanish Fiction

 

Armstrong: el increíble viaje de un
ratón a la luna
by Torben Kuhlmann
J Spanish Fiction

 

Eva y la nueva lechuza
by Rebecca Elliott
J Spanish Fiction

 

Stef Soto, la reina del taco
by Jennifer Torres
J Spanish Fiction

 

Alma y cómo obtuvo su nombre
by Juana Martinez-Neal
E Libros para pequeños

 

Puedes bostezar como un cachorrito
by Monica Sweeney,
illus. by Laura Watkins
E Libros para pequeños

 

El árbol de Navidad del señor Viladomat
by Robert Barry
E Libros para pequeños

 

Mi pequeña ardilla
by Britta Teckentrup
E Libros para pequeños

 

Te quiero noche y día
by Smriti
Prasadam-Halls,
illus. by Alison Brown
E Libros para pequeños

     

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Books for Teens

     

Oldies but Goodies 

 

Red Queen

Red queen
by Victoria Aveyard
HarperTeen
Main Teen Fiction (AVeyard, V)
Rakow Teen Life (AVeyard, V)

 

The sun is also a star

The sun is also a star
by Nicola Yoon
Delacorte Press
Main Teen Fiction (Yoon, N)
Rakow Love & Loss (Yoon, N)
South Elgin Teen Zone (Yoon, N)

 

Lady Midnight

Lady midnight
by Cassandra Clare
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Main Teen Fiction (Clare, C)
Rakow Magic & Mayhem (Clare, C)

 

Lord of Shadows

Lord of shadows
by Cassandra Clare
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Main Teen Fiction (Clare, C)
Rakow Magic & Mayhem (Clare, C)
South Elgin Teen Zone (Clare, C)

 

Scythe

Scythe
by Neal Shusterman
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Main Teen Fiction (Shusterman, N)
Rakow Thrills & Chills (Shusterman, N)
South Elgin Teen Zone (Shusterman, N)

 
     

Graphic Novels

 

Yvain

Yvain : the knight of the lion
by M.T. Anderson, illustrated by Andrea Offermann
Candlewick Press
Main Teen Graphic Novels (Anderson, M)
Rakow Graphic Novels (741.5 Anderson)

 

Piper

Piper
by Jay Asher & Jessica Freeburg, illustrated by Jeff Stokely
Razorbill
Main Teen Graphic Novels (Asher, J)

 

I am Alfonso Jones

I am Alfonso Jones
written by Tony Medina, illustrated by Stacey Robinson and John Jennings
Tu Books
Main Teen Graphic Novels (Medina, T)

 

Lighter than my shadow

Lighter than my shadow
by Katie Green
Lion Forge
Main Teen Graphic Novels (Green, K)

   
     

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Books for Adults

 

Non-Fiction 

 

A baker's life

A baker's life : from childhood bakes to five-star excellence
by Paul Hollywood
Bloomsbury
Main Market Place Cooking (641.815 Hollywood)

 

Chicago Flashback

Chicago flashback : the people and events that shaped a city's history
by Chicago Tribune
Midway
Main Market Place History & Politics (977.311 Chicago) 

 

Organization Hacks

Organization hacks : over 350 simple solutions to organize your home in no time!
by Carrie Higgins, Creator of MakingLemonadeBlog.com
Adams Media
South Elgin Home & Garden (648.8 Higgins)

 

Chicago Cubs: Story of a Curse

The Chicago Cubs : story of a curse
by Rich Cohen
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Main Market Place Sports (796.35764 Cohen)
Rakow Sports (796.35764 Cohen)
South Elgin Sports (796.35764 Cohen)

 

The secret art of being a grownup

The secret art of being a grown-up : tips, tricks, and perks no one thought to tell you
by Bridget Watson Payne
Chronicle Books
Main Market Place Self-Help (305.253 Payne)

 

The gentle art of Swedish death cleaning

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning : How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter
by Magnusson, Margareta
Simon & Schuster
Main Market Place Home & Garden
Rakow Home & Garden
South Elgin Home & Garden

     

Fiction    

 

A hundred small lessons

A hundred small lessons : a novel
by Ashley Hay
Atria Books
Main Market Place Fiction (Hay, A) 

 

Artemis

Artemis : a novel
by Andy Weir
Crown
Main Market Place Fresh Picks (Weir, A)

 

Little fires everywhere

Little fires everywhere
By Celeste Ng
Penguin Press
Main Market Place Fiction (Ng, C)
Rakow Fresh Picks (Ng, C)

 

Manhattan Beach

Manhattan Beach : a novel
by Jennifer Egan
Scribner
Main Market Place Fiction (Egan, J)

 

Year One

Year One
by Nora Roberts
St. Martin's Press
Main Market Place Fresh Picks (Roberts, N)

 

The Boy

The Boy
by Tami Hoag
Penguin Group USA
Main Market Place Fresh Picks (Hoag, T)
South Elgin Thriller (Hoag, T)
Rakow Thriller (Hoag, T)

 

Origin

Origin : a novel
by Dan Brown
Doubleday
Main Market Place Fresh Picks (Brown, D)

 

The Snowman

The snowman
by Jo Nesbø
Alfred A. Knopf
Main Adult Mystery (Nesbo, J)

 

 
     

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 Good Reads @ GBPL