While She Knits - Holiday Gift Edition

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

FALALALALA LALALALA.

Who else besides me is getting ready to buy the gift that keeps on giving?  Books for the holidays!

What books are you giving as gifts?  And what books for yourself are you sneaking onto to that Amazon order because, well, you have that free shipping anyway, right? 

Comments

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Ok, I need some ideas for a 5th grade boy who is a good reader and likes nonfiction, sports, and adventure. Problem is, I have no idea what he has read so it would have to be either an older book that's a bit more obscure or a brand new book.

[hazelwillow.livejournal.com]

What about Hatchet? Gary Paulsen. It's about a boy who has to survive in the northern ontario (? I think) woods after a plane crash.

You'd have to look up the suggested age range, but if he's a good reader, it should be ok I think..

[(Anonymous)]

What about The Great Fire by Jim Murphy? Have you read any of the ones they are talking about on Heavy Medal? Bomb, maybe?

~mwt

[(Anonymous)]

"Bomb" is awesome, Megan -- agreed! I've had boys who read it come back to get everything else by the same author.

Perfect suggestions, as usual :-)

BTW, thanks, mods, for un-spamming my earlier comment, with theMacDonald, Bruchac, etc. That was really strange!

deirdrej

[aged-crone.livejournal.com]

Oh, gosh, I forgot that Heavy Medal would be active again. On the other hand, maybe I should avoid it since two years running I've peeved people with my comments. :)

Do you remember the old Landmark Books series? Well-known adult authors wrote history and biography books for children; for example, C. S. Forester wrote about the Barbary pirates. And they're being reprinted.

http://www.sterlingpublishing.com/kids-catalog?section_key=21-56&limit=10&offset=70

I think your fifth grade boy might like those.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Already gave him Hatchet. :) And my dad borrowed his copy and read it, too, and really liked it.

[hazelwillow.livejournal.com]

Well. Glad to know I was on the right track! :)

It's a good book.

[readingisgoodforyou.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

Aren't there a couple of other books that come after Hatchet? One of my students (once upon a time when I was a teacher) devoured everything by Paulsen and I keep thinking that he read a few books about Brian. I will look it up and let you know.

ITA about anything written by Jim Murphy. I really don't care for non-fiction, but I had to read a couple of his books for a YA lit course and I quite enjoyed them.

ETA: There are three other books in that series: Brian's Winter, Brian's Return, and Brian's Hunt.

[(Anonymous)]

Have you read Harris and Me? Best totally inappropriate Gary Paulson book evar.

~mwt

[brandy-painter.livejournal.com]

Bomb is a good choice. It's non-fiction and adventure. N.D. Wilson writes great adventure novels too. His newere series is really good and non-stop action. Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus is also a good adventure/spy story that takes place in Norway during WWII and just came out this year.

[filkferengi]

Try _Follow My Leader_ by Leon Garfield. _Tunnel Through Time_ by Lester Del Rey is also very cool.