Books make wonderful, lasting gifts. Whether you are shopping for holiday gifts for kids, educational gifts to grow your home library, or educational books for your homeschool curriculum, books are always a good choice! Here are just a very few of our favorite books to gift kids – four types of books that make the best gifts for kids.
Books Make the Best Gifts for Kids
I could go on for days about our favorite classics for kids, but I will save that for another time, though no library is complete without The Secret Garden, The Chronicles of Narnia Set
, and such classics as Treasure Island
, to name some of my top favorite children’s novels.
The books listed below are fun, some are interactive, and all will definitely pique your child’s interest and get their brains working. They are some of my own kids’ favorites. Much more than a story book that they’ll smile at and move on to other gifts that offer something for them to play with, these books will pull them in and offer new worlds for their imaginations to take off in. They will return for more and possibly lead to new interests they would like to pursue. They are enjoyable for the whole family and almost any age.

Some related activities featured in these posts:
- Rainy day activities
- Fall Recipe – 2 Ingredient Chicken Pot Pie
- Books about geography
- Appreciating Poetry – Books and activities for the young poet
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Cuddling my kids with a good book that inspires questions and conversation is the best way to spend a chilly fall or winter day. Make some extra time to read with your kids this week.
Â
Top 4 Types of Books to Gift Kids
1. Pop up Books
You can never go wrong with a good pop-up book. These two are amazing!
- Bugs: A Stunning Pop-up Look at Insects, Spiders, and Other Creepy-Crawlies
- The Chronicles of Narnia Pop-up: Based on the Books by C. S. Lewis
- A Walk Through the Woods
2. Optical Illusions
Kids love to figure out tricks and mysteries. These are fun books that get you thinking and even creating your own optical illusions.
- Xtreme Illusions: Perplexing Puzzles, Amazing Mind Tricks, Impossible Illusions
- Visual Foolery
- The Ultimate Book of Optical IllusionsÂ
3. Visually Stunning Nature Books
Books with amazing colorful photography are big favorites in our home. Romancing the Rain has been son’s favorite book for years. He’s gone back time and again to look at the stunning rain forest photos and now that he’s older, is enjoying reading the adventures the photographer had to capture the images deep in the rain forest.
- Romancing the Rain
- Jungle: A Photicular Book
- The Fascinating Ocean Book for Kids: 500 Incredible Facts! (Fascinating Facts)
4. Visually Stunning History Books
Along with beautiful images of places and animals, my kids love the same when it comes to art and history. Image saturated history books gets them asking questions and lights a fire for learning inside them.
- Life in Ancient Rome: People & Places: An Illustrated Reference To The Art, Architecture, Religion, Society And Culture Of The Roman World With Over 450 Pictures, Maps And Artworks
- Then and Now: The Wonders of the Ancient World Brought to Life in Vivid See-Through Reconstructions
- Eyewitness Encyclopedia of Everything: The Ultimate Guide to the World Around You (DK Eyewitness)
There are many different types of books and every kid is different, but I have not met a child yet who didn’t like any one of these types of books. If you’re shopping for gifts for a child of any age, you can’t go wrong with a beautiful book. Books make the best gifts for kids.

















Thanks for the link back! I love giving books for gifts and actually just put a fun art book in my Amazon cart this morning. I have a few nieces and nephews that are hard to buy for but feel I can never go wrong with a fun book about a subject they enjoy. Pinned.
You have some great choices on your list! Thanks for the awesome suggestions!
Great ideas! My son would love that Dinosaur/Prehistoric book!