We’re Making a Book List You Can Check Twice
Wondering what to give the picky reader on your gift list? You need Holiday Gift Shelf Help.
The reading experts at the Kansas City Public Library have suggestions for book lovers of all ages, across all genres. The holidays are an ideal time to reconnect with an old favorite book or engage in a new discovery.
Looking for a picture book full of imagination and whimsy? Hunter Hawkins suggests slowly flipping through the dream-colored pages of Julián is a Mermaid. If a book could hug, Diana Platt says it would be The House in the Cerulean Sea. It's a charming magical story about an unusual family unit.
Know a reader who prefers Halloween to decking the halls? Leslie Case recommends Home Before Dark, a dark and twisty combination of ghost story, murder mystery, and chilling thriller.
See all of our reading recommendations below in our Holiday Gift Shelf Help video or view the full list on Bibliocommons here. Looking for more bookish ideas? Try any of our Shelf Help services.
Hunter Hawkins, Library Assistant
Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
The Stonewall Reader by NYPL
Julián is a Mermaid by Jessica Love (youth book)
Diana Platt, Collection Development Librarian
House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
Leslie Case, Event Technician
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay
Alisha Helms, Computer Librarian
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Can You See Me? By Libby Scott (youth book)
Ryan Reed, Supervisor of OneNorth Technology Lab
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
Life on Mars: Poems by Tracy K. Smith
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
Lauren Olson, Youth Librarian
You Matter by Christian Robinson (youth book)
Kitten Lady’s Big Book of Little Kittens by Hannah Shaw (youth book)
Class Act by Jerry Craft (youth book)
April Roy, Plaza Branch Director
Meet Yasmin! By Saadia Faruqi (youth book)
The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep by Allan Wolf (youth book)
(Don’t) Call Me Crazy by Kelly Jensen
Still looking for the right book?
Tell us about your special reader, and the Library’s reading experts will suggest several books to give as gifts.
Gift Shelf Help