Best Books to Buy for the Holidays

As librarians we are often asked for title suggestions for holiday gifts. So we've created this guide with perfect choices for everyone on your list. This season give the gift of literature.

Happy Holidays from,

Christina Carter

Brendan Fallon

Jessica Godios

Paul Kloster

Kerra Mazzariello

Christine Tempestoso

Beth Yarbrough

This season please consider patronizing some of the wonderful local and independent book sellers in our area. Many of them are able to do pickup orders or deliveries.

A few of our favorites:

Monkey See Monkey Do -https://bookshop.org/shop/monkeys-read

This Children's Bookstore has worked with OP for years. You can order from home in your PJs from this online shop!

Alice Ever After - https://www.aliceeverafterbooks.com/

Alice, Ever After Books, a woman-owned business, is a place to celebrate children’s literature by providing a curated collection of diverse, high quality children’s literature and toys that inspires curiosity and a sense of wonder.

Talking Leaves Book - https://www.tleavesbooks.com/

Talking Leaves Books has been providing the reading public of Buffalo and Western New York with a distinctive and unusual selection of the finest writing and thinking bound into books for over 40 years.

Dog Ears Bookstore - http://dogearsbookstore.org/

Located in the heart of South Buffalo you can find everything from new releases to old classics, with titles for a range of ages and audiences. Enjoy adult and children’s books of all genres!

Buffalo Fluffalo and Puffalo by Bess Kalb

Fluffalo has had enuffalo when his quiet prairie life is turned upside down by the arrival of his new sibling, Puffalo, in this sweet and funny follow-up to the bestselling Buffalo Fluffalo!

The Bakery Dragon and the Fairy Cake by Devin Elle Kurtz

Running a bakery is no cakewalk for a tiny dragon with a big sweet tooth! Tummy rumbles turn to belly laughs in this feel-good picture book from the bestselling author and illustrator of The Bakery Dragon.

Big Book of Zodiac Signs by Alyona Achilova

An eye-catching, simple picture book that hightlights all 12 of the zodiac signs, what they look like in the sky, and the corresponding personality traits. A fun beginner's guide!

Chooch Helped by Andrea Rogers

Young Cherokee girl, Sissy, is frustrated with her brother but has been tasked with helping him learn all about their family's traditions. A wonderful story for siblings everywhere and 2025 Caldecott Medal winner.

I am Not a Chair! by Ross Burach

What's a poor giraffe to do when no one seems to notice that he is not standing there just to be sat upon?

Birtle and the Purple Turtles by Tara J. Hannon

Everyone is a turtle in Turtletown. So Teeny thinks she must be a turtle, too. But when Teeny sprouts feathers, she begins to wonder . . . is there a teeny possibility she's a . . . BIRTLE?

A Magic Spark by Jessica Young

Fly along with the Fairylight Friends -- Ruby, Iris, and Pip -- and their adventures in Fairy School in this magical early reader series!

Computers: how digital hardware works by Perry Metzger

Professor Isabella Brunel, Victorian Era Computer Expert (and a Tyrannosaurus Rex), narrates a screwball comedy romp through the fundamentals of computer architecture.

How to Say Goodbye in Cuban by Daniel Muyares

Here is the dramatic coming-of-age graphic novel memoir of 12-year-old Carlos (who would grow up to become the author’s father), his life during the Cuban Revolution, and his family’s harrowing escape to America.

All the Lovely Bad Ones by Scott Peterson

Graphic novel adaptation of one of award-winning author Mary Downing Hahn's most popular ghost stories, mischievous siblings pretend their grandmother's Vermont inn is haunted and awaken the real spirits who dwell there.

The Deep Dark by Lee Knox Ostertag

A moving graphic novel about high school senior Mags Herrera, who must feed a dangerous secret that lives in her basement. The arrival of her childhood friend, Nessa, threatens to expose the secret, and the two must navigate internal and external demons that represent societal and familial pressures.

The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer

The "Queen of Fairytale Retellings" is back! #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer weaves the tale of Bluebeard as it's never been told before. This is a thrilling romantasy and murder mystery, perfect for fans Meyer's Cinder and Heartless.

Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby

The forgotten story of a pioneering group of five Black ballerinas and their fifty-year sisterhood, a legacy erased from history—until now.

The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu

Sixth Sense meets Stranger Things in this sharp contemporary fantasy following a precocious and cynical teen as she explores the shadowy magical underside of modern Edinburgh.

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s Space Shuttle program

The Intruder by Freida McFadden

Main character Casey discovers a strange girl loitering outside her cabin in the woods. What's even stranger? She's covered in blood. Freida fans and thill seekers will want to read this brand new tale of survival.

The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb

Corby Ledbetter is struggling. New fatherhood, the loss of his job, and a growing secret addiction have thrown his marriage to his beloved Emily into a tailspin. And that’s before he causes the tragedy that tears the family apart. Sentenced to prison, Corby struggles to survive life on the inside

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

From New York Times bestselling co-author of The Coddling of the American Mind, an essential investigation into the collapse in youth mental health—and a scientifically proven path to health and strength

Several People are Typing by Calvin Kasulke

As a mid-level employee of a New York public relation's firm, Gerald never really mattered to the higher ups before--until he accidentally uploads his consciousness into the company's internal Slack channels and his productivity goes through the roof.

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

A thriller about Lucy, who is the prime suspect in her best friend Savvy's murder, which she cannot remember due to amnesia. Lucy tries to uncover the truth when a true crime podcast investigates the cold case years later, forcing her to return to her small Texas hometown to confront her past and clear her name