Gift Guide2008
From toys that stand the test of time to board games that are anything but boring, we found the best products for each grade that will build your child's brain as well as being chock full of fun. Our list of loot is kid-tested, teacher approved, and full of options for any family, so get wrappin'!
Bobo and the New Neighbor
Bobo tries his best to be a good dog. He walks himself. He welcomes the mailman (even if he does knock him down sometimes with his enthusiasm). He shares his food. So when a new neighbor moves next door, he's determined to make her feel welcome.
The Pencil
Once upon a time there was an extremely lonely pencil. Life was boring and sad until one day, the pencil quivered slightly and began to draw. He drew a boy, a dog, a cat... a whole world. Can your kindergartener predict what will happen next?
Harris Finds His Feet
This is not a book to be rushed through in the mad dash for bedtime. Though it's short, with only a few lines of text on each page, this is a book that should be savored. Beautiful watercolor illustrations sweep across every page, bringing to life the story of Harris, a wild hare with enormous feet.
Ivy and Bean Secret Treasure Box
Bean thought playing with her neighbor Ivy would be like taking the next train to Boring. But she quickly learns that bookworm Ivy is just as feisty a troublemaker as herself! The perfect gift for a second-grader, Ivy and Bean's adventures are sure to keep the pages turning.
Emily Windsnap: 3 Swishy Mermaid Tales
This boxed set of three mermaid adventures has a sweet innocence missing from so many of the books written for this age group. While it's not exactly fine literature, Emily's journey to the deep, full of danger and adventure, is a fun and frothy escape, especially for reluctant readers.
Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara
Follow the exploits of 19th century explorer, Arthur Denison, and his son Will, who survive a shipwreck only to find themselves stranded on an island teeming with dinosaurs! An adventure packed with amazing encounters, like a woolly mammoth and a giant dinosaur that resembles a knife-clawed chicken!
The Higher Power of Lucky
Lucky is a ten-year-old who lives in Hard Pan, a tiny desert town, with her guardian and her faithful dog HMS Beagle. Ever curious about the world, Lucky's take on life will ring true for kids and adults alike in this Newbery Medal award-winning read.
Triskellion
This is a riveting tale of two twin teenagers who, following their parents divorce, are sent to stay with their grandmother in a small English village. Sounds boring, until Rachel and Adam discover a legacy that foretold their coming... over three thousand years ago!
Tamar
Layered, exciting, and packed with secrets that unravel one by one, this award-winning book is the tale of two Allied spies who parachute into Nazi-occupied Holland during the winter of 1944, to help organize the Dutch Resistance movement.
