It should come as a surprise to no one that I am the annoying relative who gives you books for the holidays. Which reminds me, ‘tis the season for one of my all-time favorite tweets:

Anyway, this year has been shitty and continues to be shitty, and if I’m being honest I’m pretty over it, but I’ve got a six and seven-year-old who insist on joy, so if you, too, are doing holiday joy and gift-giving this season, I figured I’d share my picks:

Books for Adults:
For my Boomer fam: King of Ashes S.A. Cosby—For the Boomer dads and others who can take a little gore, and Claire Lombardo’s The Most Fun We Ever Had for everybody else.

For Millenials/Gen Z: I know I’ve recommended it here before, but I’ve already got like five copies of Mia McKenzie’s These Heathens stacked in my Bookshop.org cart.

The spread: Do you have a back up present for the person you invariably forgot? Just me? Well, if you need something on hand that works for a wide variety of readers, Liz Moore’s God of the Woods just came out in paperback, and will be my go-to emergency present this season. Would work for teens, too.

Books for Kids:
Picture book favs: Tyler Feder’s Bodies are Cool, Eliza Hull & Sally Rippin’s Come Over to My House, bell hooks’s Homemade Love.

(Earlyish) elementary: Did you know they’re graphic novelizing The Magic Treehouse series? The boys and I tore through the first eight or so of these, until we caught up with them, and they were all in.

Middle Grade/YA: Ann Clare LeZotte, Deer Run Home. I reviewed this one earlier in the year and I still think about it sometimes.

The spread: If you’re looking for something heftier for the (hearing) K-8 crowd, the CODA is House Yoto and is obsessed. He’s got this one.