Books young readers will love to find under the tree

Modern shoppers have lots of options at their disposal when the time comes to find holiday gifts for their loved ones. While the latest gadgets may be shiny and new, many a shopper still looks to an old favorite when shopping for holiday gifts.

According to a recent survey conducted by Talker Research, 51 percent of respondents indicated their plan to give a book as a holiday gift in 2025. Books provide hours of entertainment at a fraction of the cost of the latest gadgets or even experiential gifts like tickets to a show or sporting event. That makes books an appealing gift for loved ones of all ages, including children. Kids have much to gain from reading as youngsters. Indeed, research has shown that reading helps kids develop their critical thinking and language skills and can foster a sense of wonder about the world. Shoppers looking for books to give youngsters this holiday season can consider these titles that are among the many recommended by the Association For Library Service to Children.

· Night Walk, by Jason Cockroft. This is an intergenerational story about loss and remembrance that also showcases the wonders of the natural world. The story focuses on a sleepy boy and his grandfather as they follow the favorite path the boy's late grandmother liked to walk through nearby woods.

· Papilio, by Ben Clanton. This is the story of Papilio Polyxenes, a caterpillar going through the stages of metamorphosis. Papilio experiences the ups and downs of growth as she learns to fly, fall, and feed during her transformation from caterpillar to butterfly.

· Safe Crossing, by Kari Percival. Another book likely to inspire or strengthen a love of the natural world, this is the story of the efforts of a community to protect amphibians as they migrate from wooded uplands to a nearby pond.

· The Adventures of Cipollino, by Gianni Rodari. A translation of an Italian classic, this is the story of a young onion (most characters in the book are an animal, a vegetable or a fruit) who leaves his home in an effort to free his wrongfully imprisoned father. Cipollino encounters a colorful cast of characters along the way in this entertaining work that's written for readers nine and up.

· Busted, by Dan Gemeinhart. Oscar Aberdeen is the main character in this tale about an unusual 12-year-old boy who lives in a retirement home. A humorous story unfolds when Oscar and his grandfather are served with an eviction notice from their home at Sunny Days. Desperate to remain in the only home he's ever known, Oscar accepts the help of a fellow resident with a not-so-stellar reputation.

· Rebellion 1776, by Laurie Halse Anderson. A book taking young readers between the ages of 10 and 14 back to 1776 may be ideal as Americans commemorate 250 years of nationhood. In this tale, 13-year-old Elsbeth Culpepper awakes in the spring of 1776 during the Siege of Boston, which turns the city into a war zone. Elsbeth is subsequently forced to confront those conditions as well as a suddenly missing father and an outbreak of smallpox.

These are just a few of the many titles that would make great gifts for young readers this holiday season. A lengthier list of titles can be found at https://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncb.