Great Books = Great Gifts
Gift-giving suggestions for kids from your Milwaukee Public Library.

Peekaboo Baby by Sebastien Braun. Ages 0-2.
Colorful illustrations feature a diverse cast of babies ready for a game of peek- a-boo.

How do Dinosaurs Eat Cookies? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague. Ages 1-3.
The feisty dinosaurs are baking cookies and eating a little, too! Children will delight in this delicious story complete with scratch and sniff cookie illustrations.

Five Little Monkeys Jump in the Bath by Eileen Christelow. Ages 0-2.
The five little monkeys need what most kids need after a special ice cream treat…a bath! This might be the right amount of fun to coax even the most reluctant child to get ready for bath time.

Lola Reads to Leo by Anna McQuinn; illus. by Rosalind Beardshaw. Ages 2-5.
Lola shares her love of books with her new baby brother. This charming book expounds on the delights of sharing a story and being a good sibling.

Huff & Puff: Can You Blow Down the House of the Three Little Pigs? by Claudia Rueda. Ages 2-6.
Think Three Little Pigs with a new twist. A die-cut hole allows the reader to be the wolf and do the huffing and puffing.

Llama Llama Time to Share by Anna Dewdney. Ages 3-6.
Llama Llama has play time with new neighbor, Nelly Gnu, but must learn to share with his new friend. Llama Llama’s resistance to sharing results in tears, but of course, Mama Llama is there to end the drama.

Penny and Her Doll by Kevin Henkes. Ages 5-8.
Penny has a new friend, a doll sent by her Gran, but struggles to find the perfect name for her doll until inspiration strikes.

Let’s Go for a Drive! by Mo Willems. Ages 5-8.
Gerald and Piggie dream of going for a drive, but are
delayed when Gerald thinks of more things they’ll need.

Bink & Gollie: Two for One by Katie DiCamillo & Alison McGhee; illus. by Tony Fucile. Ages 6-9.
Best friends and delightfully odd pair Bink and Gollie are off to the fair! They explore all the wonderful activities and discover the best part is spending time with a friend.

Cork & Fuzz: No Fooling by Dori Chaconas; illus. by Lisa McCue. Ages 6-8.
Cork the muskrat and Fuzz the possum are best friends, though they are quite different. During a winter adventure, they learn even more about friendship.

There’s a Fly Guy in My Soup by Tedd Arnold. Ages 6-8.
Buzz and the family are dining in a fancy restaurant, but Fly Guy is denied entrance. His attempt to find an alternative is sidetracked by a scrumptious smelling soup.

One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo; illus. by David Small. Ages 4-8.
Well-mannered and sophisticated Elliot gets into true child-like mischief after being coaxed by his father to attend the aquarium. A comical story ensues as Elliot tries to hide his new “suited” friend from his father.

This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen. Ages 4-8.
A small minnow brags that the hat he is wearing is not his; he stole it off a larger fish; and he has committed the perfect crime. Will the larger fish have his justice in the end?

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs as retold by Mo Willems. Ages 5-8.
Instead of stumbling into the home of the three Bears, Goldilocks
wanders into the home of three dinosaurs (well, two dinosaurs and their Norwegian guest). Willems’s witty humor, including a few laughs to tickle the adult funny bone, hits the spot.

Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds; illus. by Peter Brown. Ages 4-8.
Voracious carrot-eating Jasper Rabbit spends much of his day satisfying his cravings in Crackenhopper Field. One day he begins to sense something following him. Jasper Rabbit takes desperate measures to protect himself from the “creepy carrots.”

Z is for Moose by Kelly Bingham; illus. by Paul O. Zelinsky. Ages 4-7.
Zebra is trying to direct everyone to the correct page for the alphabet book, but Moose is so excited he keeps popping up at the wrong time.

Mice by Rose Fyleman; illus. by Lois Ehlert. Ages 3-5.
Ehlert charmingly illustrates Fyleman’s classic poem Mice. The simple poem and unique paper-cut
illustrations make this a delightful read-aloud.

It’s a Tiger! by David LaRochelle; illus. by Jeremy Tankard. Ages 3-5.
A boy takes an adventure through the jungle, sneaking by snakes, and disguising himself against the foliage. But, danger lurks as it appears “A TIGER” is after him…RUN!

Oh, No! by Candace Fleming; illus. by Eric Rohmann. Ages 3-7.
When a small frog falls into a “deep, deep hole” a series of animal friends try to help him, but to their own peril. When the group is gathered in the hole with no way out, the sleeping tiger is suddenly awake and licking his chops.

Olivia and the Fairy Princesses by Ian
Falconer. Ages 3-7.
Why do all little girls want to be princesses when there are so many alternatives? Primary colors stand out from Falconer’s black-and-white illustrations just as Olivia will always stand out from the crowd.

If All the Animals Came Inside by Eric Pinder; illus. by Marc Brown. Ages 3-7.
A little boy imagines what it would be like to have animals living inside his house. Imagine an octopus taking a bath or bats playing cards!

Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet by Jane O’Connor; illus. by Robin Preiss-Glasser. Ages 3-7.
Nancy’s dream of landing the starring role in the mermaid ballet are dashed, but when the lead has an accident, Nancy may get her chance after all.

1-2-3 Peas by Keith Baker. Ages 3-7.
Busy little peas introduce the concept of numbers from 1 to 100.

The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? by Mo
Willems. Ages 3-6.
The Pigeon is back! When Duckling gets a cookie just by asking, it results in a hilarious Pigeon meltdown.

Underground by Denise Fleming. Ages 2-6.
Step into a backyard in this charming picture book that explores the creatures that dig tunnels, burrow, and more!

Earwig and the Witch by Diana Wynne Jones; illus. by Paul O. Zelinsky. Ages 8-10.
Earwig is unhappy when a strange couple adopts her. A battle of wills begins
between the witch Bella Yaga and Earwig, who wants to learn magic.

Lulu and the Duck in the Park by Hilary McKay; illus. by Priscilla Lamont. Ages 7-9.
Lulu loves animals, but her teacher is not fond of them. When Lulu finds animals needing rescue she wants to help, but what about the classroom rule of no more animals?

Nancy Clancy: Super Sleuth by Jan O’Connor; illus. by Robin Preiss Glasser. Ages 7-10.
Fancy Nancy has a pink trench coat, a rhinestone-studded magnifying glass and a desire to solve mysteries!

Stink and the Midnight Zombie Walk by Megan
McDonald; illus. by Peter H. Reynolds. Ages 7-10.
When the town has a book release party for Stink’s favorite horror series, he and his friends create costumes, and Stink’s imagination runs wild with thoughts of Zombie hunters.

Mrs. Noodlekugel by Daniel Pinkwater; illus. by Adam Stower. Ages 7-9.
Siblings Nick and Maxine meet Mrs. Noodlekugel, a mysterious woman with a talking cat and unique mice. A one-of-a-kind adventure ensues.

Captain Underpants and the Terrifying Return of Tippy Tinkletrousers by Dav Pilkey. Ages 8-12.
The evil Tippy Tinkletrousers travels back in time to stop our heroes George, Harold, and Captain Underpants, risking the Banana Cream Pie Paradox!

EllRay Jakes Walks the Plank! by Sally Warner; illus. by Jamie Harper. Ages 8-10.
When EllRay takes the class pet home and his sister accidentally kills it, his classmates are not happy with him and one resorts to bullying.

The Case of the School Ghost by Dori Hillestad Butler; illus. by Jeremy Tugeau. Ages 7-10.
Buddy gets to attend the 4th-grade sleepover, but when the custodian’s scary ghost story turns out to possibly be true, Buddy investigates to get to the bottom of the “school ghost.” The latest Buddy Files mystery.

Bad Kitty for President by Nick Bruel. Ages 8-11.
Who will become the new president of the Neighborhood Cat Coalition? Bad Kitty is in the running, but his political know-how is lacking. Will he win in spite of himself?

The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee by Tom Angleberger. Ages 9-14.
Dwight and Origami Yoda may have been transferred, but that won’t stop them from infiltrating McQuarrie Middle School! Dwight sends forth Fortune Wookiee, and once again students are flooding the paper creatures for advice.

Wonder by R.J Palacio. Ages 10 & up.
Aggie (August) was born with a rare genetic disorder that caused facial deformity. He will attend school for the first time in his life as a 5th grader. Palacio creates an engaging and riveting story about differences and acceptance.

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen. Ages 10 & up.
Wahoo Cray’s life is anything but normal. When a TV show personality hires his zookeeper father, it spirals into a Florida summer filled with adventure, mystery, intrigue, and a swamp full of laughs.

The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney. Ages 9 & up.
In Greg Heffley’s 7th Wimpy Kid adventure he faces a dreaded and precarious event ― a middle school dance. And not just any dance ― the Valentine’s Day dance. Will Greg find a date? Will he find love?

Who Could That Be At This Hour? by Lemony Snicket. Ages 8-12.
In the first book in a planned series, 12-year-old Lemony Snicket is an apprentice to S. Theodora Markson. On his first case he discovers that he is surrounded by adults who are rather dimwitted and it will be up to him to solve the mystery.

Tales From a Not-So-Smart Miss Know-It-All (Dork Diaries) by Rachel Renee Russell. Ages 10 & up.
Nikki joins the school newspaper to keep tabs on her nemesis, Mackenzie, who has recently started a gossip column. Nikki ends up becoming the author of the advice column and is suddenly swamped with pleas for advice.

Ghost Knight by Cornelia Funke; translated by Oliver Latsch. Ages 10-14.
When Jon Whitcroft transfers to a new boarding school, Salisbury
Cathedral, he does not expect to become the prey of a group of ghosts. With his new friend Ella, they summon the ghost of Sir William Longspree, a medieval knight, to help.

The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver; illus. by Iacopo Bruno. Ages 9-12.
Liza realizes her younger brother Patrick’s body has been taken over by the Spindlers. Her parents don’t believe her and she must set out on a journey to recover her brother’s soul. Accompanied by Mirabella, a rat, Liza must traverse a monster-filled underground realm.

The Fire Chronicle by John Stephens. Ages 9-14.
The second book in The Books of Beginning series finds siblings Kate, Michael, and Emma being passed off to another orphanage. Once again the three children find themselves separated by time as they search for the second magic book.

Island of Silence (The Unwanteds) by Lisa McMann. Ages 9-14.
This sequel continues the story of the lands of Quill and Artime. Creator and leader of Artime, Marcus Today, wants a break and selects Alex to succeed him while his twin, Aaron, plots a political power move in Quill that may jeopardize a shaky truce.

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan. Ages 10 & up.
Jason, Piper and Leo unite with Percy, Hazel, and Frank. These Greek and Roman demigods must work together to defeat the Earth Giants released by Gaea.

The Hunters by John Flanagan. Ages 10-14.
In the third book in the Brotherband chronicles, Hal and his team pursue the pirate Zavac in an effort to recover the Adomal.

Eight Days Gone by Linda McReynolds; illus. by Ryan O’Rourke. Ages 3-7.
Using poetic language, young audiences are introduced to the 1969 Apollo 11 mission that put the first person on the moon.

Ladybugs by Gail Gibbons. Ages 4-8.
Gibbons explores the world of ladybugs with brightly illustrated pages filled with
interesting facts for preschoolers and beginning readers.

The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins. Ages 7-12.
Intriguing facts about beetles are accompanied by illustrations so detailed it is hard to believe the beetles are done in torn and cut-paper collage.

Zombigami: Paper Folding for the
Living Dead by Duy Nguyen. Ages 8 & up.
With step-by-step instructions, zombie and Origami enthusiasts can create their own walking dead Origami figures.

Illusionology: The Secret Science of Magic by Albert D. Schafer. Ages 9 & up.
The latest in the Ology series explores the history and science of magic as written by magician Albert Schafer who supposedly vanished in 1915. Step-by-step directions and props help readers try simple tricks.

Robotics: Discover the Science and Technology of the Future With 20 Projects Kathy Ceceri; illus. by Sam Carbaugh. Ages 9-14.
In addition to the do-it-yourself projects, readers are provided with a general introduction to robotics including history, technologies and progress in the field.

Titanic: Voices from the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson. Ages 10 & up.
Focusing heavily on firsthand accounts of survivors, Hopkinson richly tells the story of The Titanic. The text incorporates images of the ship, passengers, and more lending a readable feel to a well-researched story.

A Certain October by Angela Johnson. Ages 14 & up.
Scotty often took her brother to the doctor on the train. A terrible accident leaves Scotty injured and feeling guilty. Can she find emotional peace?

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Ages 12 & up.
Young love sprouts for Hazel when Augustus Waters arrives at the Cancer Kid Support Group. Hazel’s world is about to change.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. Ages 12 & up.
In a tale full of dragons and royal scandal, Seraphina is a strong-willed young lady who uses her musical talents as a distraction for her own dark secret.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. Ages 14 & up.
Alina Starkov joins the army and becomes a pupil of the mysterious Darkling when her unique magical talent is uncovered. She is trained to be part of the magical elite to help destroy the monsters of the Shadow Fold.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth. Ages 14 & up.
The sequel to Divergent continues in a post- apocalyptic Chicago. While a civil war engulfs 16-year-old Divergent Tris Prior’s world, she tries to save those she loves amid the chaos surrounding her.

Son by Lois Lowry. Ages 12 & up.
The finale to The Giver Quartet is here! Twists and turns from earlier books reunite family members bringing hope for their future.

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare. Ages 15 & up.
The adventures of Clary and Jace continue in the latest edition of The Mortal Instruments series. The two face a devastating sacrifice that risks their love and threatens the Shadowhunters with eternal darkness.