How do you round out a year of reading for kids of all ages? Throughout the year, we strive to recommend age-appropriate books in different genres about a wide range of subjects.

We want to get them walking down the aisles of their school libraries and public libraries with eyes open hunting for new authors and exciting adventures. A library card makes a great holiday gift!

This month we have another eclectic assortment of books grouped by age for you to share with your children.

Reading to kids and teaching them to love reading has many benefits:

1.    It helps you bond with your child.

2.    It supports cognitive development.

3.    Improves language skills

4.    Helps prepare them for academic success

5.    Increases focus, concentration, and discipline

6.    Improves creativity and imagination

7.    Cultivates a lifelong love of reading which may help prevent cognitive decline as they grow older

Enjoy!

Holly Celebrates December by Kimberly Kendall – Holly comes from a multicultural family, and they celebrate several holidays during the month of December. What makes this book so special is the love that surrounds each family celebration and the wonderful family stories and traditions that are shared. For children of all ages

December Holidays From Around the World by Baby Professor – Teach your children about the many celebrations that take place in December around the world. For ages baby – teen

Little Red Sleigh by Erin Guendelsberger – A reminder that no dream is out of reach if you try. Little Red Sleigh has always wanted to grow up to be Santa’s sleigh, but no matter how hard she tries, she never seems to get bigger. With the help of her friends can she meet Santa and help him create some Christmas magic? For ages 2-6

Snowmen at Play: A Sticker Book by Caralyn Buehner – Kids will love positioning the snowmen for their adventures in this fun celebration of snow and winter fun. For ages 3-5

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh by Mo Willems – Pigeon has made his list, he’s checked it twice, but can his number one holiday wish come true? Will Pigeon get to drive the sleigh this year? For ages 3-7

The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper – A poem about the winter solstice for kids of all ages to enjoy with beautiful illustrations. For ages 3-11

December Dog by Ron Roy – It’s the twelfth book in the popular Calendar Mysteries Series. On Christmas Eve, Bradley, Brian, Nate, and Lucy find a lost puppy that was meant to be a Christmas gift for some lucky boy or girl, but where did this puppy come from? Can they solve this mystery before Christmas morning and get the puppy home without spoiling the surprise? For ages 6-9

The Finest Hours by Michael J. Tougias – The true story of one of the U.S. Coast Guard’s most daring rescues. On February 18, 1952, two oil tankers were torn apart in one of New England’s worst winter storms. Four coast guardsmen set off in a lifeboat to try to save as many survivors as possible. Their story is now a major motion picture starring Chris Pine and Casey Affleck. Read the book first then watch the movie. For ages 9 and up

The Key House by Mike Curtis – Book One of the Nolan Kids Adventure Series – The Hardy Boys meets The Goonies, figuratively, in this new mystery series. After the death of their great-grandfather, Caleb and Jacob must work together to solve the mystery surrounding the house and restore their great-grandfather’s good name. For ages 10 and up

The Ultimate Brain Games and Puzzle Book for Teens by Donovan Ellis – Keep your teens and tweens occupied and entertained this holiday season with challenging games and puzzles.  For ages 11 and up

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum – Jessie is having a hard time adjusting to her father’s hasty marriage after her mother’s death, their move from Chicago, and her fancy new prep school in Los Angeles. Her stepmother and new stepbrother seem distant and pretentious. When Jessie receives an email from a person identifying themselves as Somebody/Nobody (SN) offering to help her adjust to her new life, is it a trick or the lifeline she badly needs? For ages 12 and up

The Paper Girl of Paris by Jordyn Taylor – When sixteen-year-old Alice inherits her grandmother’s secret apartment in Paris, she must wade through seventy years of lies of deceptions to learn the truth about her grandmother’s life in Nazi occupied Paris during World War II. Was Adalyn merely a wealthy socialite or was she a member of the French Resistance? For ages 12 and up