Recommended literature for the 2015 Holidays
We are always surprised that all our friends do not spend their
days reading picture books or books written for K-12 kids. It appears that staff here at the Doucette
are a special bunch of characters who read funny picture books, graphic novels,
teenage angst and adventure, pretty much the same way we breathe.
At this time of year especially, Tammy and I are often asked
for recommendations for good gift books for kids. We usually respond by email, listing scads of
books we love. This year, we did it up
properly and spent a whole afternoon at Chapters, searching for just right
books for all the kids in your life.
Watch for the movie version next year, as we video our frank discussion
of good and bad, interesting and not, while slurping a festive drink. The result of our one afternoon at the store
and some other recent reads will be published over the next 4 days. Day 1, today, will contain lists from Pre-K
to High School crossing into Adult books.
These books are all fiction books.
Day 1. Picture books
Middle
grade novels
Young
Adult novels
Crossovers:
adult books for teens
Books suggested on days 2 to 4 usually have more than one
grade-level attached to it and are divided into categories including “Making
and Doing, “ “Fan-based Lit,” and “Subversive Choices for the Holidays.” These
titles will be a mixture of fiction and non-fiction.
Each title is linked to the Chapters website for further
information and quick ordering if you are doing it soon. For you last minute folks, the listing will
let you know that your nearby Chapters has 0 copies but the one in Chinook has
10.
Day 2. Hard-to-buy-for
Making &Doing
Play,
Play, Play
Pretty
Pictures
Day 3. Chick lit
Guy lit
Fan-based
lit
Day 4. Christmas
books
Advice
for the ages
The subversive Grinch
Happy Holidays and enjoy your families at this special time
of year,
Tammy and Paula
DAY 4
*high school *art *counter culture *parody
DAY 3
*non-fiction
* autobiography *memoirs *education *grades 6-9
*grades 9 and up *fantasy *sequel/companion book *dragons
*Canadian
DAY 4
Christmas Books
We not of
the “naughty or nice” Christmas custom but we thought we should add a couple
for good cheer.
*grades K-3 *ugly
sweaters *picture books *humour
*grades K-3 *Canadian *picture book *humour
*grades K-3*Christmas *picture books
*plasticine art
*grade 7-up * short stories
*Christmas
Advice for the Ages
For those on
your list who need a little advice. From
the very young to the older student, we can all use a little social story to
help up when the going gets tough. These
are a few suggestions…
*high school*social media *articles *life lessons *advice
*grades preK-4 *humour *life lessons
*grades K-3 *humour *belonging
*picture book
*grades K-3 *building things *inventing
*creativity *life lessons
The Subversive Grinch
These few titles seemed to imbue a certain anti-Christmas,
hipster vibe that didn’t necessarily fit in other categories. So if the schmaltz of the season is getting
to you one of these may be an antidote.
*high school *art *counter culture *parody
*high school *art *journals *free-spirit *travel *writing
*grades 3-6 *novel *humour
*high school *art *body art
DAY 3
Chick Lit
This is a
great category for those “girl” readers in your life! Spanning pre-K to adults,
we have chosen something for everyone and, of course, slipped in some of our
favourites…
*non-fiction
* autobiography *memoirs *education *grades 6-9
*classic
*adventure *humour *nonsense *150th Anniversary *new edition
*Canadian
*grades 5 and up *adventure *fiction *classic *new edition
*non-fiction
*crossover
*grade
7-up *geeks *non-fiction *humour
*grades
K-4 *princess books *humour
*graphic novel *grade 7 and up
*fantasy
*graphic novel *grade 7 and up
*humour
*fiction *Canadian *collection *humour
*grades K-3
*grade 5 and up *fiction *sisters*classic
*new edition
*grades K-4 *princess books *humour
*Canadian *grades K-3 *humour
*rhyming
*grades 2-5 *humour *series
Guy Lit
Boys can be
a difficult group of readers to buy for. We’ve included a few nonfiction titles
plus several books that should tickle the bathroom-humour funny bone. A couple of the books were selected with an
eye to those guys who are so into gaming that the only way to get them to read
something other than gaming manuals would be to give them books about gaming.
Good luck.
*high
school, adult crossover *hockey *sports *memoirs *Canadian
*high
school, adult crossover *hockey *sports *Alberta
*grades
K-4 *picture book *art *imagination *fiction & nonfiction *memoirs
*grades
3-7 *novel *humour *science *inventions
*grades
7 and up *novel *gaming *computers *suspense-fully creepy *mystery
*grades
4-7 *mystery *suspenseful
*grades
7 and up *gaming *computers *dystopias
*grades
8 and up *nonfiction *physics *astronomy *space exploration *science
*grades
K-3 *picture book *boys *digging *deep hole *treasure *humorous
Fan-Based Lit
It doesn’t
matter what these people write, people will buy ‘em and read ‘em. We all have our favorite authors that we’ll
follow through hell and back if it means staying loyal.
*grades 10 and up *contemporary *mystery
*romance*monsters *magic – oh, my!
*grades 10 and up *adult crossover *tv *historical
*grade 7 and up *short stories *contemporary *love
*kissing *humour
*grade 7 and up *contemporary *romance *adventure *humour
*grades 9 and up *fantasy *sequel/companion book *dragons
*Canadian
*grades 9 and up *contemporary *mystery *relationships *footnotes!
*Canadian
*grades 9 and up *fantasy *heroes *powers
DAY 2
Hard –to-buy-for…
Seeking a book for someone who is hard to buy for, look through this list for some great fact books, trivia and interesting topics.
*all ages *trivia *outrageous *browser
*all ages *trivia *outrageous *browser
*grades 3-6 *trivia *browser
*grades 3-8*browser *facts *science
*grades 8 and up *animals *environmental interest * nature
*social media *dogs * humour *all ages
*high school and adult *science *humour *browser *social media
*grade 7-up *geeks *non-fiction *humour
Making & Doing
Just to prove that we have diverse tastes and that it’s not ALWAYS about reading we’ve included a few books that take a more hands approach. Make way!
*grades 6 and up *trends *colouring books *because ‘everybody’ is doing it *hobbies
*high school *stories with related projects *building things *crafts *hobbies
*grades 6 and up *building things *hobbies *crafts
*young adult *cookbooks *cooking
*grades 5-8 *building things *hobbies *crafts
*grades 2-6 *writing *creativity *art *stories *poems
*young adults *cookbooks *cooking *keeping it real
Pretty Pictures
We love coffee table books so we naturally assume everyone else does, too. With that in mind we selected a variety of titles that have photographs, illustrations or maps that should capture the attention of the most inattentive viewer.
*all ages *coffee table books *photos *building things
*grades 3 and up; all ages (for those who just can’t let the boy wizard go) *illustrated novel *fiction *fantasy
*all ages *coffee table books *photos *animals
*high school *coffee table books *photos
*all ages *coffee table books *photos *animals
Play, Play, Play
All of the following books have an interactive component. The Book with the Hole is a little off the beaten track but well worth finding as its loads of entertainment figuring out what could possibly fill that hole on each 2-page spread. Polar is also a favorite with fabulous moving images.
*grades 1-6 *imaginative *fun, fun, fun
*grades K-6 *optical illusions
*grades 3-6 *interactive (cool chain game) *art *artists
*all ages *optical illusions *animals *moving images
Picture Books –
PreK-Grade 3
What a great
way to have a before bed chat with your kids or to quiet the pace during the
day. We love funny picture books but we tried to add variety to the list. Looking for a downer, they are all in YA
(young adults), not a one in Picture Books.
*humour *fiction *read aloud
*wordless
*fiction *adventure
*animal
stories *fiction *read aloud
*animal
stories *non-fiction
*adventure
*life lessons *humour
*humour
*nonsense *read aloud
*adventure
*creativity *invention *humour
*humour
*read aloud *identity *belonging
*belonging *identity *read aloud *humour
*humour *identity *fiction *life
lessons
Middle grade – Upper
Elementary/Junior High – Grades 5 to 8 or 9
There are SO many terrific titles for this age range. It was very difficult to list just these few.
There’s something here for everyone – funny, scary, mysterious.
*magic realism *fantasy *touching story
*graphic novel *short stories *adventures *fantasy
*animals *fantasy *dreams*touching story
*historical *contemporary *storytelling *gold-gilt
edges!! *touching story *illustrated
*contemporary *magic realism *suspenseful *little creepy
*Canadian
*animals *adventures *dreams *touching story
*contemporary *friendship *grief
*contemporary *latest-in-series *humour *illustrated in
scrapbook style
*loved the cover *historical *mystery *illustrated
YA – Young Adult –
Teens – High School Novels
Okay, young people typically like stories that are intense,
suspenseful, dramatic and otherwise fraught.
Which is good because going by this list there seems to be a
fair amount of each of these. Obsessions,
dysfunctional families and mental illness predominates here. But these are the titles that are getting
rave reviews. Check The Prom Goer’s
Interstellar Excursion or Hold Me closer for lighter reads.
*grade 9 and up *historical *war *suspenseful
*grade 9 and up *contemporary *historical *war *mystery
*Canadian
*grade 10 and up *contemporary * romance
*grade 7 and up *historical *coming-of-age
*follow up to Will
Grayson, Will Grayson *humour *musicals
*grade 9 and up *award winner *art * suspenseful
*fractious siblings *ghostly mother?
*grade 9 and up *contemporary *mental illness
*grade 8 and up *contemporary *humour *fantasy
*extraterrestrials
*grade 9 and up *historical *mystery *suspenseful
*betrayal *New York
*grade
9 and up *historical *fantasy *fairy tales
*grade
8 and up *contemporary *romance *mental illness *Canadian
*grade
9 and up *contemporary *suspense *mental illness
Crossovers – Adult books for teens,
young adults
Picking adult books for those strong, mature readers is an
interesting exercise. We could have
listed many more but decided to just remind you of books that are kind of ‘in’
because of movie or TV tie-ins, big in publishing or was a hit with a
real-live, actual teenager.
*contemporary *mystery *suspense
*science fiction *science *suspense *against-the-odds
*movies
*fantasy *heroes *science *real-live teenager loved this
*contemporary *nonfiction *tv
*contemporary *suspense *movies *Canadian
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