The Best Children’s and YA Books of December 2018
by Keith Rice
December is upon us and alongside the colder climes, potential flurries, and those ever-magical snow days are a mix of engaging stories to interest every fan of picture books, middle grade books, and young adult books (particularly those who want to stock up on love-centric stories ahead of Valentine’s Day!). Here are our top picks for the month of December:
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Picture Books:
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I Love You Little One
Available from:An LED light-up moon is the highlight of this entertaining and sweet tale celebrating the loving bond between parents and children. With its charming, calming rhymes and illustrations, I Love You Little One is a perfect bedtime read.
(On sale: 12/4/18)Also available from: -
Pop-Up Peekaboo! I Love You
Available from:My little one loves the Pop-Up Peekaboo! series and it’s a safe bet yours will also be enthralled by the latest in the series. With colorful and engaging scenes under every flap, Pop-up Peekaboo! I Love You will bring a smile to your child’s face.
(On sale: 12/4/18)Also available from: -
Peter Rabbit, I Love You
Available from:Peter Rabbit and his friends have delighted generations of early readers. This board book features all the adorable hijinks children expect from Beatrix Potter’s beloved characters as well as a peekaboo surprise at the end.
(On sale: 12/24/18)Also available from: -
Love Makes a Family
Available from:This one is a wonderful way to introduce your little one to the concepts of inclusivity and what makes a family a family: Love. Following a number of diverse family structures, it is a celebration of not only what binds a family together, but the many forms a family can take.
(On sale: 12/24/18)Also available from: -
Who Loves Boo?
Available from:Who Loves Boo! is a guessing game in board book form that creatively engages little ones in the read-aloud process. As your child searches each page for Boo’s heart, they’ll explore a range of tactile elements perfect for encouraging motor skills and exploration in little fingers.
(On sale: 12/24/18)Also available from:
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Middle Grade Books:
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It’s Up to You, Abe Lincoln
This interactive and laugh-out-loud funny biography is a great way to encourage your child’s interest in history. Featuring archival and original art, historical trivia, and fun facts, It’s Up to You, Abe Lincoln explores the life of one of America’s most influential Presidents.
(On sale: 12/4/18) -
Never Evers
This middle grade novel follows a group of students on a particularly eventful ski trip. Centering on a 13-year-old girl named Mouse, Never Evers is a story about being the new kid at school and all the crushes, awkwardness, and unexpected friendships adolescence can bring.
(On sale: 12/4/18)Available from: -
Who Was Nikola Tesla
Available from:This latest entry in the Who Was? series introduces middle grade readers to Nikola Tesla, a pop culture icon and one of the most influential scientists of all time. Covering everything from his bitter rivalry with Thomas Edison to his pioneering work in electricity, X-rays, and wireless communications, Who Was Nikola Tesla? is an engaging overview of the life and career of this renowned scientist and inventor.
(On sale: 12/4/2018)Also available from: -
Seven Wonders of the Milky Way
Based on the latest scientific findings on our galaxy and rendered with gorgeous illustrations, Seven Wonders of the Milky Way is sure to encourage your young reader’s interest in the stars. As the former Director of Science Information at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, David A. Aguilar not only has a deep understanding the galaxy we live in, but also presents the information in a kid-friendly way. (Want to learn more about his creative process? Check out our interview with Aguilar in Brightly here!)
(On sale: 12/11/18)Available from: -
Marvel Fearless and Fantastic! Female Super Heroes Save the World
Featuring profiles of over 50 of Marvel’s most incredible female superheroes, this book is an ideal way to introduce your middle grade reader to the diverse world of comic book superheroes, get them thinking about what makes someone heroic, and fire up their imaginations.
(On sale: 12/18/18)
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Young Adult Books:
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Fire & Heist
For Sky Hawkins, taking on her first heist is a monumental task and a major milestone — one that means acceptance not only by her family, but also within her society. Stealing your first treasure is a complicated endeavor, perhaps more so for wyvern like Sy, a human who can morph into a dragon.
(On sale: 12/4/18) -
Strange Days
This sci-fi adventure sees a young man named Alex Mata thrust into a world of dangerous conspiracies and aliens hiding in plain sight. When his parents are murdered by an alien, Alex is forced to go on the run and is soon caught up in time-bending conflict — and the future of the Earth hangs in the balance.
(On sale: 12/4/2018)Preorder from: -
The Fade
This chilling ghost story is sure to bring the scares for any YA horror fans. Haley knows something terrible happened in her basement. Four girls went missing several years ago and the case was never solved. Haley, however, knows they were murdered because she’s seen their ghosts ... and whoever, or whatever, murdered the girls could be coming for her next.
(On sale: 12/11/18) -
Tides of the Dark Crystal #3
The third book in J.M. Lee’s original Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal is an imaginative series perfect for YA fantasy fans. With Netflix’s “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” just around the corner, now’s the perfect time to get caught up on this series, which serves as a prequel to the wonderfully realized world introduced in Jim Henson’s 1982 film, “The Dark Crystal.”
(On sale: 12/24/18)
