Being a huge reader, my favorite gift for friends with kids are books. My personal recommendations are the Earthsea Cycle series (there are 6 books) and the His Dark Materials series (the first book, The Golden Compass, is out in the movies, but read the book first!). These books I'd recommend to adults, too! Additionally, here are some recommended books for children from bloggers around the web:

  • The Art Book for Children (Book One and Two), reviewed by MOMformation, introduces children to famous artists and styles of art. Artists like Dürer, Matisse, Dali, Raphael, Gainsborough and Homer are included, the artwork carefully selected for their appeal to children.
  • Tree Hugging Family offers a handful of books for kids on the important issues of our environment and world. I love these nonfiction intro-to-textbooks so kids may be less likely to see school books as "boring" or "not as fun" as reading fiction.
  • The Weary Parent reviews the Discovery Girls Fab Girls Guides and is also giving away a complete set! These books help guide girls through sticky situations from friendships to coping.
  • Our very own Lela Davidson highly recommends The Daring Book for Girls for any girls on your Christmas list. I'm personally itching to get this for myself. It looks like it has something for girls at ANY age!
  • Daniel Pinkwater has a list of kids books perfect for the winter season. His column on NPR.org is a frequent place to visit for me when a young one’s birthday is coming up.