Whether you have a kindergarten graduate or a big kid going into the real world, books make the perfect gift for any grad! We put together some recommendations for gifts that are sure to be a hit.
.
Elementary School
The Wonderful Things You Will Be
by Emily Winfield Martin
From brave and bold to creative and clever, the rhythmic rhyme expresses all the loving things that parents think of when they look at their children. With beautiful, and sometimes humorous, illustrations, and a clever gatefold with kids in costumes, this is a book grown-ups will love reading over and over to kids–both young and old. A great gift for any occasion, but a special stand-out for baby showers, birthdays, and graduation.
.
The Night Before Kindergarten Graduation
by Natasha Wing
Illustrated by Amy Wummer
It’s time to celebrate kindergarten graduation in Wing’s bestselling series featuring rhyming text in the style of the classic Clement C. Moore holiday poem.
.
I Wish You More
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Tom Lichtenheld
Some books are about a single wish. Some books are about three wishes. The infallible team of Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld have combined their extraordinary talents to create this exuberant book of endless good wishes. Wishes for curiosity and wonder, for friendship and strength, laughter and peace. Whether celebrating life’s joyous milestones, sharing words of encouragement, or observing the wonder of everyday moments, this sweet and uplifting book is perfect for wishers of every age.
.
The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary
by Laura Shovan
Laura Shovan’s engaging, big-hearted debut is a time capsule of one class’s poems during a transformative school year. Families change and new friendships form as these terrific kids grow up and move on in this whimsical novel-in-verse about finding your voice and making sure others hear it. Eighteen kids, one year of poems, one school set to close. Two yellow bulldozers crouched outside, ready to eat the building in one greedy gulp. But look out, bulldozers. Ms. Hill’s fifth-grade class has plans for you. They’re going to speak up and work together to save their school.
.
Junie B. Jones Is a Graduation Girl
by Barbara Park
Illustrated by Denise Brunkus
All the children in Room Nine are excited when they get their bright white graduation gowns. Mrs. says to keep them in their boxes until the big day. But Junie B. Jones just can’t help herself. Then-uh-oh!-an accident happens! Can Junie B. find a way to fix things? Or will she have to miss graduation and stay a kindergartner forever?
.
Middle School/High School
Surviving Middle School
by Luke Reynolds
In this hilarious guide full of honest, real-life experiences, veteran teacher Luke Reynolds skillfully and humorously shows kids how to not only survive, but thrive and even enjoy the wild adventure that is middle school. Middle grade series like The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dork Diaries bring an authentic voice and vision to fiction about middle schoolers. Now, for the first time a nonfiction guide to middle school offers that same funny and relatable voice, while skillfully teaching life lessons to not just help kids find their footing during the tough years between elementary and high school, but to find the joy in their new adventures and challenges.
.
The Hill We Climb
by Amanda Gorman
Forward by Oprah Winfrey
On January 20, 2021, Amanda Gorman became the sixth and youngest poet to deliver a poetry reading at a presidential inauguration. Taking the stage after the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden, Gorman captivated the nation and brought hope to viewers around the globe. Her poem “The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country” can now be cherished in this special gift edition. Including an enduring foreword by Oprah Winfrey, this keepsake celebrates the promise of America and affirms the power of poetry.
.
You Will Leave A Trail Of Stars
by Lisa Congdon
In this illustrated guide to life—perfect for graduates and other seekers—acclaimed artist and educator Lisa Congdon offers up wisdom and insights for living. Each inspirational quote, lesson, and piece of advice is brought to life by Congdon’s signature illustration style, making the book a beautiful gift or keepsake. Whether you’re starting a new chapter of your own story, or simply searching for ways to live with more intention, curiosity, and joy, this book will inspire you to connect with yourself and prepare for any adventure life might have in store. Everyone needs some extra guidance post-graduation, and this book—packed with colorfully illustrated, down-to-earth advice—makes a thoughtful gift for someone embarking on a new phase in life.
.
Rad Women Worldwide
by Kate Schatz
Illustrated by Miriam Klein Stahl
Educational and inspirational, this gift-worthy New York Times bestseller from the authors of Rad American Women A-Z, is a bold, illustrated collection of 40 biographical profiles showcasing extraordinary women from across the globe. Rad Women Worldwide tells fresh, engaging, and amazing tales of perseverance and radical success by pairing well-researched and riveting biographies with powerful and expressive cut-paper portraits. The book features an array of diverse figures from 430 BCE to 2016, spanning 31 countries around the world, from Hatshepsut (the great female king who ruled Egypt peacefully for two decades) and Malala Yousafzi (the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize) to Poly Styrene (legendary teenage punk and lead singer of X-Ray Spex) and Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft (polar explorers and the first women to cross Antarctica).
.
97 Things To Do Before You Finish High School
by Steven Jenkins & Erika Stalder
Being in high school is about a lot more than “going” to high school. It’s about discovering new places, new hobbies, and new people–and opening your eyes to the world. This book is about the stuff they “don’t” teach you in high school, like how to host a film festival, plan your first road trip, make a podcast, or write a manifesto. Want to make a time capsule? Spend a day in silence? Learn how to make beats like a DJ? Or shut down your house party before the police do? Whatever your creative, social, or academic inclinations, you’ll find 97 ways on these pages to amuse, educate, and interest yourself, and your friends. Because your life doesn’t stop at 3pm each day–it just gets started.
.
College
The Defining Decade
by Meg Jay, PhD
Our “thirty-is-the-new-twenty” culture tells us the twenty-something years don’t matter. Some say they are a second adolescence. Others call them an emerging adulthood. Dr. Meg Jay, a clinical psychologist, argues that twenty-somethings have been caught in a swirl of hype and misinformation, much of which has trivialized what is actually the most defining decade of adulthood.
Drawing from a decade of work with hundreds of twenty-something clients and students, THE DEFINING DECADE weaves the latest science of the twenty-something years with behind-closed-doors stories from twenty-somethings themselves.
.
A powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an eleven-hundred-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe—and built her back up again. At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than “an idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise.” But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone.
.
In this poignant, hilarious, and deeply intimate call to arms, Hollywood’s most powerful woman, the mega-talented creator of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal” and executive producer of “How to Get Away with Murder” reveals how saying YES changed her life and how it can change yours too. She’s the creator and producer of some of the most groundbreaking and audacious shows on television today: “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Scandal”, and “How to Get Away with Murder.” Before her Year of Yes, Shonda Rhimes was an expert at declining invitations others would leap to accept. With three children at home and three hit television shows on TV, it was easy to say that she was simply too busy. But in truth, she was also afraid.
.
In Conclusion, Don’t Worry About It
by Lauren Graham
Advice for graduates and reflections on staying true to yourself from the beloved Gilmore Girls actress and New York Times bestselling author of the memoir Talking as Fast as I Can and the novel Someday, Someday, Maybe. “If you’re kicking yourself for not having accomplished all you should have by now, don’t worry about it. Even without any ‘big’ accomplishments yet to your name, you are enough.” In this expansion of the 2017 commencement speech she gave at her hometown Langley High, Lauren Graham, the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood, reflects on growing up, pursuing your dreams, and living in the here and now.
..
Do Your Laundry Or You’ll Die Alone
by Becky Blades
When Becky Blades sent her firstborn daughter off to Harvard, she knew the world’s top-ranked college would not be covering the most important material: how to be kind, happy, and appropriate in public; how to protect oneself from sock monsters, boring conversations, and scary dates; and why you should keep your clothes clean. “Do Your Laundry, or You’ll Die Alone: Advice Your Mom Would Give If She Thought You Were Listening” blends bite-sized morsels of coming-of-age common sense such as “Keep at least one stuffed animal,” and “A bad attitude makes your butt look big,” with tiny essays on topics like forgiveness and phone etiquette.
.
How To Cook Everything: The Basics
by Mark Bittman
With “How to Cook Everything: The Basics,” Bittman reveals how truly easy it is to learn fundamental techniques and recipes. From dicing vegetables and roasting meat to cooking building-block meals Bittman explains what every home cook, particularly novices, should know. Includes 171 recipes and more than 1,000 instructive photographs.
.
