Need Christmas Ideas? These Are The Best Children’s Books Of 2024 For Your Little Bookworm

Set during World War II, 19-year-old Jakob and his 14-year-old sister Lizzie — who have always loved riddles and puzzles — are pulled into a top secret British facility to decode German communications. Readers of The Bletchley Riddle follow Jakob as he tries to crack the Enigma cipher, and join Lizzie in her search for their missing mother. They’ll also encounter lots of actual historical figures along the way in this thoroughly researched tale.

Ages 10+

What toddler doesn’t love spotting a big, bright yellow bus on the road? In The Yellow Bus, one such bus spends her days driving kids to and from school, until her route changes, and so do her passengers. By the end of the book her driving days are done, but it turns out her joy is not.

Ages 3 to 7

If your child’s bookshelf is missing that perfect story full of finding magic in ordinary things, you need Trevor Noah’s Into the Uncut Grass (yes, that Trevor Noah). It’s 128 pages and broken into four chapters, with beautiful illustrations of talking coins, garden gnomes, and a boy and his faithful bear companion.

For all ages

In a world filled with magical creatures, Christopher’s life is upended the day he saves a drowning baby griffin. Along with his travel companion, Mal, he embarks on a journey through the uncharted Archipelago to uncover why their world’s magic is failing and its creatures dying. Impossible Creatures is a wild adventure accented by more than 60 illustrations, a map, and complete bestiary (like a glossary of mythical critters) to boot.

Ages 9+

Old MacDonald had a farm...but he didn’t, not always. No, at one point in time, The Man Who Didn’t Like Animals posits, he actually didn’t care for animals one bit. He liked his home clean and tidy and his things just so, until a cat came along that changed his mind. And then a dog... and then... you know where this story is headed.

Ages 4 to 8

Orris and Timble: The Beginning is the first book in a new trilogy from DiCamillo about the unlikely friendship between “a misanthropic rat and a naive owl.” Owls and rats are enemies, of course, so when baby Timble gets caught in a trap in the barn where Orris the rat lives, will he be kind enough to set the chick free? And what happens to grumpy rats who do the right thing?

Ages 4 to 8

If your kids loved Encanto, based on all the wondrous people and places in Colombia, I Am La Chiva! is the perfect new title for them. This is a rhyming tale a la The Little Blue Truck about a chiva — a colorful bus — as it navigates the terrain of the Andes mountains.

Ages 3 to 7

If your kid has been eagerly awaiting the newest Dog Man graphic novel, then you already know it comes out on Dec. 3, 2024. Its place on this list confirms that editors who got to read it early know it’s going to be a smash-hit with kids. In this book, kids will learn the origins of some of their favorite characters as they team up to stop the Space Cuties’ invasion.

Ages 7+

Josey is 107 years old and, essentially, he’s kind of just waiting to die in Not Nothing. He has survived so much — ghettos, dragnets, and a concentration camp — and is sick of room 206 at Shady Glen assisted living home. But one day, 12-year-old Alex knocks on his door. Alex has done something terrible, and a judge sentenced him to summer of volunteering with the elderly. As he hears Josey’s story, he comes back again and again for more, and begins to wonder if he can in fact confront his mistakes and turn his life around.

Ages 10+

I’m the Buffalo Fluffalo. I heave and I huffalo. Leave me alone because I’ve had enuffalo. Buffalo Fluffalo is kind of an adorable, arrogant jerk, with a puffed-up sense of self-importance. When a rain shower drenches his coat and the other animals see his actual size, he gets a little lesson in humility. The lilting, rhyming way Buffalo Fluffalo is written will keep little ones planted firmly in your lap to hear how the story goes.

Ages 2 to 6

The Diary of Anne Frank is assigned reading for most elementary schoolers, but what was Frank’s life like before she was forced into hiding? Published after extensive research and in partnership with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, When We Flew Away brings Anne to life as a creative, fearless young girl who sees her homeland closing in around her as the Nazis occupy the Netherlands.

Ages 11+

If your kid loves the Percy Jackson series but you’re a little lost, this new title is the seventh novel of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the second of The Senior Year Adventures. In it,

In Wrath of the Triple Goddess, Percy is trying to secure three recommendation letters from the gods so he can attend New Rome University. He has the first in hand, and Hecuba offers to write him a second if only he’ll pet sit her mastiff and polecat while she’s away. When one of his friends accidentally destroys your house — that can happen when you drink a potion that turns you into a giant goat, I guess — they’ll have to repair the goddess’ house and find her escaped pets before she gets back to town.

Ages 10+

Most Americans’ lessons on Black history begin with slavery, but that’s not at all where Black history begins. This picture book, Before the Ships: The Birth of Black Excellence, showcases African royalty, brave warriors, and the many accomplishments made in Africa prior to the Transatlantic slave trade. It culminates into an ode to the strength and resilience of Black people that all children would do well to read.

Ages 4 to 8

The Hotel Balzaar is the second in a trio of novellas, but you don’t have to read the first, The Puppets of Spelhorst, to enjoy it. In the land of Norendy, Marta accompanies her mother to work as a housekeeper at the Hotel Balzaar. There she quietly roams, befriending the bellman, studying art, and daydreaming about her missing father returning from war. Then one day, a glamorous countess and her pet parrot check in. She promises to tell Marta seven stories, all in order, and Marta begins to wonder if her father’s whereabouts might lie within the tales.

Ages 7 to 10

These are definitely not aliens, just regular humans. From Europe. Totally. When they crash land on Mr. Li’s property, he offers to fix up their “car” and let them stay with him in the meantime. As they begin to interact with the townsfolk and learn what humans do — “wear hat,” “make business,” “play sportsball” — this story in We Are Definitely Human becomes something extra special about offering and accepting kindness.

Ages 4 to 8

Black Star is the second installment of the bestselling Door of No Return trilogy. Charley Cuffey is set on becoming the first female pitcher to play professional baseball, but in the era of segregation, she knows the odds are not in her favor. But her Nana’s stories of their courageous ancestors make her feel like she too can do the impossible. But when she challenges a local bully to a game, the ramifications could be huge.

Ages 10+

From the author and illustrator behind Ivy + Bean comes Stella & Marigold, a new series focused on two sisters, ages 7 and 4. They do all the normal things kids do, like go to school, get sick, and play. They also happen upon magical bathrooms, snow monkeys, a lost Vice President, and so much more.

Ages 6 to 9

There’s the student who’s nervous to display her art, the inventor who can’t wait to show off his prowess, the Sport Kings ready to dominate the playground (though no one else really buys into their hype), and then the literal alien among them who rightfully feels out of place. Even the class pet’s POV makes it into this heartfelt story in The First Week of School about the dynamics of bringing all these people together as a class.

Ages 4 to 8

If your toddler likes construction vehicles, then you probably already know this series slaps. Well, if your kid has a similar affection for garbage trucks, this installment, Construction Site: Garbage Crew to the Rescue!, marries the two. In its signature rhyming way, this book in the series shows how garbage trucks, roll-off trucks, container delivery trucks, and more do their jobs around the construction site.

Ages 3 to 5

Hank Hooperman is only 11 when his mom just...doesn’t come home. This has happened before, so he takes care of his little sister, Boo, like always. But then a week goes by, and he knows he has to tell someone soon. But asking for help means a new school, social workers asking hard questions about his mom, and potentially different foster homes for Hank and his sister. While it sounds like a bleak read, The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman is really about having hope and healing.

Ages 10 to 12