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Christmas shopping lately?
‘Tis the season, as they say, so we know RCLS parents have a few children’s gifts to think about.
We’re here to help!
In the Bobcat Blog, we periodically publish lists of recommended books, gifts, and games for kids. We’ve assembled some of those lists here––and added a few more––so that your Christmas tree might include “teacher approved” gifts and games for your learners, this year.
Don’t forget, too, that we’re collecting games and books for Rochester’s Ronald McDonald House this month, so when you purchase a gift for your own child, perhaps you might consider purchasing one for a child at the Ronald McDonald House, too.
If you deliver those gifts to RCLS by December 15, we will deliver them to the Ronald McDonald House for you.
Make a list, check it twice…'tis the season, indeed!
Christmas Books & Advent Devotionals
In the flurry of December activities, it is too easy to be swept up in the “hurry” and to the neglect the “waiting.” This list, which we published last year in the quiet of canceled concerts and parties, offers titles that include both Christmas picture books and Advent devotionals and activities. In these first days of December, it’s not too late to start to practice expectancy with your family. Perhaps a resource from this list will help.
Teacher-recommended Gifts & Games
Among the most popular blog posts we’ve published, this list of teacher-recommended gifts and games likely has something for your Bobcat. Check it out to find a toy or board game your child (and family) will love.
Christmas break is a great time to have some cozy family read-aloud time. We published this short list of family read-alouds just before the summer of 2019. If a read-aloud is good for summer vacation, perhaps it will be a great family activity for Christmas vacation, as well.
Recommended Middle-school Reads
It can be challenging to find a title appropriate in both content and reading-level for a middle school reader. We published this short, teacher-recommended list in 2019. It includes a title or two for the reluctant reader as well as a couple of texts for the advanced reader. In most cases, the authors on this list have published additional titles (most frequently in a series), so if you find something here that works for your 6th-8th grader, we recommend sticking with that author for another text or two. (One can never have too much Tolkien, can he?)
Recommended Reads: Early Childhood through Middle Grade
We published this list just before the Scholastic Book Fair in the fall of 2020. There are some Christmas books on this list, and a few classic, juvenile titles, as well. These titles are generally widely published and can be purchased through Scholastic or through most book retailers.
Picture Book & Early Chapter Book Recommendations from Other Resources
Sally Lloyd-Jones: Top Ten Winter Books
The author of the popular Jesus Storybook, Sally Lloyd Jones is a wealth of encouragement and information for all-thing-literary for little kids. I pay close attention to her recommended reads for little learners, and I can’t recommend highly enough any book that she publishes. Take a peek at “Top Ten Winter Books,” a blog article highlighting recommended picture books. But don’t stop there; be sure to dig around on Sally’s website for all that she has to offer for the literary and spiritual development of young children.
New York Public Library: 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
If there is a “books that everyone should read list” that I have not yet discovered, I am not sure what it is. I love this kind of list, for it is usually brimming titles that have had a significant impact on individual hearts and minds as well as the broader culture. This list from the New York Public Library is fantastic, full of classic children’s books that you might remember from your own childhood. Goodnight Moon, The Little Red Hen, Make Way for Ducklings: these and 97 more classic picture books populate this list.
Read Aloud Revival: Series to Hook Your Developing Reader
If your child is a young, voracious reader or if you still hope to encourage your developing reader to read voraciously, perhaps a book series is a good bet for keeping books in their hands. Sarah MacKenzie publishes the Read Aloud Revival blog and podcast. She, like Sally Lloyd Jones, is a wealth of information for parents of young readers, so this is another great resource to bookmark. Take a look at her recommended list entitled “Series to Hook Your Developing Reader,” then peruse her website for other great lists.