Bookish Holiday Gift Ideas for 6- to 8-Year-Old Kids
by Naima Jasmine Russell
If you could wave a magic wand and create a gift for a 6- to 8-year-old that would spark joy, foster imagination, create belly laughs, and encourage snuggling and family bonding time, what do you think would appear? You already know the answer. This holiday season, the best gifts for kids are the ones that keep on giving: books!
Whether beautifully illustrated picture books, silly and adventurous graphic novels, captivating chapter books, or boredom-busting activity guides, these hand-picked selections will keep young readers enchanted long after the holidays.
Ready to make your holiday shopping easier? These books will have your child turning pages with excitement — no magic required!
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Gift-Worthy Picture Books
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The Book That Almost Rhymed
Available from:What do you do when you try to tell a carefully written, rhyming story, but your little sister interrupts with wild ideas that do not rhyme? This hilarious read-aloud has themes of sharing, storytelling, and adventure. Wordplay, vocabulary development, and thinking outside the box make this clever story a must-read.
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Perla The Mighty Dog
Available from:The literary powerhouse and New York Times bestselling author Isabel Allende wrote a children’s book. Perla, an adopted dog, wows her new family with her ability to inspire and make everyone love her — and her mighty lion’s roar. When she learns her human brother Nico Rico is being bullied, can she teach him a new trick?
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The Most Magical Time of the Year!
Available from:Our favorite Afro Unicorns, Magical, Unique, and Divine, are back in this festive holiday story. In book three of the series, these best friends eagerly await Santa’s arrival. Join in the adventure and celebration with this adorable book that includes a countdown calendar and stickers.
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Women Who Rock, Pop, and Hip-Hop!
Available from:Share your love of current music and your nostalgia for Little Golden Books with a new reader. This boxed set features five Little Golden books about the lives of singers Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Dolly Parton, and Barbra Streisand. These stories will dazzle big and little music lovers alike. Readers will learn about the humble beginnings, struggles, perseverance, and well-deserved accolades of each amazing artist.
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For Our Daughters
Available from:In this beautifully illustrated work, an omnipresent maternal narrator speaks to a baby as she grows up. She has an uplifting affirmation to counter each microaggression the girl faces. This book would make a fantastic gift from a mother, grandmother, aunt, or mother figure to boost the confidence of young girls from various cultures.
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World of Wonder
Available from:Whenever Wonder Baby encounters something new, they exclaim, “Wow! WHOA! You’re a part of me I don’t yet know.” From activist and award-winning documentarian Valarie Kaur comes a lyrical affirmation-style book encouraging young children to look at the world with empathy, love, and wonder.
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Just Because
Available from:Just because I’m in the race,
doesn’t mean I’m fully ready.
Just because I’m shaking,
doesn’t mean that I’m not steady.I would argue that one of the hardest things to teach your child is not their ABCs but a healthy growth mindset. Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey’s debut picture book imparts his particular combination of humor and wisdom into everyday life lessons. He lets young readers know that their social and emotional journey can be complex, and that’s alright.
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Entertaining Activity Books
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Draw with Art for Kids Hub Christmas
Available from:One of our favorite boredom-busters during the pandemic years was this delightful YouTube channel for kids. Art for Kids Hub features Rob and one of his four children sitting side-by-side as they draw together and interact. The 30 drawing projects in this book show the adult and child versions of the lesson. This encourages kids to focus on the process of drawing and having fun and not get caught up in recreating something perfect. Young artists will also enjoy the other titles in this series, including Draw with Art for Kids Hub Animals.
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Fun With Outer Space
Available from:My kid loves science! However, trying to keep up with her current interests — black holes, light years, and solar storms — is outside my comfort zone. This latest book in the Fun With series features an outer space theme and has over 100 mazes, dot-to-dots, word searches, coloring pages, and more. Facts about the solar system are sprinkled throughout the book, which is perfect for STEM lovers ages 6- to 10 years old.
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brainPLAY Funniest Puzzles Ever
Available from:Keep your kids entertained and engaged during the winter break with this boredom-busting activity book! The puzzles in this book are designed to entertain, amuse, build confidence, and sharpen creativity and critical thinking skills for kids. It contains 176 screen-free activities like finding your way through a slimy science lab or hunting for a cupcake at a doughnut race.
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Rebel Girls Stick Together: A Sticker-by-Number Book
Available from:Give your little world changer a hefty dose of girl power and creativity with this activity book. Sticker-by-number books keep my girls busy for hours, so I was happy to come across this book by the global empowerment brand Rebel Girls. Each poster has accompanying stickers that help you create the following trailblazers: Amelia Earhart, Jane Goodall, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Simone Biles, and more. Check out Rebel Girls of Black History: A Sticker-by-Number Book for more sticker-ific girl power.
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Knock-Knock Jokes and Silly Stories for Kids
Available from:If I were a betting woman, I would dare say that everyone loves to tell a good joke — kids included. This book brims with hilarious, kid-friendly jokes and silly stories to get everyone laughing. The jokes progress in length and reading difficulty throughout the book, helping kids increase their reading skills and confidence!
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Picturepedia, Second Edition
Available from:An oldie but goodie, this is one of the most loved and used books in our house. This high-quality kids' encyclopedia is filled with thousands of pictures and facts covering everything from science and technology to history and culture. It's a must-have for curious kids of all ages.
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Cozy Christmas Coloring Book
Available from:When the holidays get a little crazy, there is nothing like busting out a coloring book to help calm things down. Even for adults, coloring can be a relaxing activity. This Christmas-themed coloring book, created in collaboration with Coco Wyo — a collective of independent artists based in Vietnam — is filled with adorable characters and comforting scenes for kids and adults alike to escape into.
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Awesome Chapter Books
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Anne Dreams
Available from:Are you and Anne of Green Gables kindred spirits? Even if your kid is not quite ready to read the classic novel and its sequels, don’t worry! This full-color, illustrated chapter book series inspired by the original text will spark the interest of future kindred spirits. Anne Dreams is the sixth book in the series.
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The Boxcar Children 100th Anniversary Edition
Available from:Gift the keepsake edition of the first book in The Boxcar Children series. The classic story of the Alden children searching for a home is even more captivating with full-color illustrations. The beautifully detailed hardcover, bonus content about the author, photos, personal correspondences, and archival historical content make this book an excellent family read-aloud for cozy winter nights.
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Unicorn Academy: Sophia's Invitation
Available from:My girls have been binge-watching the Unicorn Academy series on Netflix, and it’s much easier to entice them to turn off screens and read when there is a companion book for a favorite TV show. Readers will dive into the adventures of Sophia, who receives an invitation to Unicorn Academy. There, she bonds with a unicorn and learns to ride it to unlock its magical powers.
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Must-Have Graphic Novels
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Scaredy Squirrel Gets Festive
Available from:If your first or second grader has tried the Pizza and Taco or Narwhal and Jelly series, then add the Scaredy Squirrel series to your list. Our anxious and rule-oriented hero, Scaredy Squirrel, would much rather stay in his tree than socialize. He has lots of schedules, lists, arrows, signage, and opinions about how to avoid aliens (and other disasters). Readers will laugh along with his worries and cheer as he finds a way to be brave and make friends. In this fourth book, Scaredy invites his friends over to his tree for the holidays. What could go wrong?
Pair with Scaredy Squirrel in a Nutshell and Scaredy Squirrel Gets a Surprise.
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Shark Party
Available from:If you have a Narwhal and Jelly fan, check out this new graphic novel series for early readers (ages 5-7). Kitana, the first and only whale shark princess, doesn’t feel like attending a party to which her best friend Mack and the other sharks have been invited. When she finds out that another shark wasn’t invited, she and Mack head deep into the ocean to find out why.
Pair with the first book in the series, Shark Princess.
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Stephen Curry: The Official Graphic Novel
Available from:Although he started as an underdog, Stephen Curry became one of the greatest basketball shooters of all time. With its graffiti-style illustrations, sports fans will eagerly dive into this graphic novel biography and learn more about the life of Stephen Curry. This is the first volume in the Stephen Curry Sports Superheroes series, and we can’t wait for more.
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Pizza and Taco: Best Christmas Ever!
Available from:This popular best-friend duo gets another silly installment. Pizza and Taco are ready to celebrate Christmas, but have they been naughty or nice? Santa Slaw is watching. If you’re not familiar with this young graphic novel series, it’s an excellent bridge between early reader books and chapter books. If you already have a Pizza and Taco fan on your hands, grab the Pizza and Taco Lunch Special: 6-Book Boxed Set for an extra-special gift!
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Max Meow Boxed Set: Welcome to Kittyopolis (Books 1-4)
Available from:Max Meow is a fan-favorite graphic novel that my 3rd grader loves. It’s a laugh-out-loud, pun-filled adventure series in which Max and his superhero friends try to save Kittyopolis from bad guys. With the inclusion of science to solve problems, how-to-draw activities in the back of each book, and themes of friendship and working together, this giftable boxed set is a surefire win.
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Disney/Pixar Inside Out 2: The Graphic Novel (Includes Inside Out!)
Available from:Calling all Inside Out fans! This graphic novel retelling takes us inside Riley’s mind as she processes her emotions. This volume includes two books, Inside Out and Inside Out 2, and a bonus sticker sheet. Pair this book with an Inside Out t-shirt and some socks for the perfect gift for your little Disney fan. You’re welcome!
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