Staff Picks

Staff Pick Badge
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi: A new fantasy series set a thousand years before The City of Brass By Shannon Chakraborty Cover Image
$25.60
ISBN: 9780062963505
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Harper Voyager - February 28th, 2023

Looking for an excellent fantasy novel for a swashbuckling friend in your life? You've found it.

- Connor


Staff Pick Badge
The Writers: Portraits By Laura Wilson, Charles McGrath (Foreword by), Louise Erdrich (Introduction by) Cover Image
By Laura Wilson, Charles McGrath (Foreword by), Louise Erdrich (Introduction by)
$36.00
ISBN: 9780300257786
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Yale University Press - October 18th, 2022

You will need to buy two of these: one for a gift, and one for yourself.  These stunning black-and-white photographs of almost every contemporary writer you could think of, photographed not only in portraiture but in their libraries and homes, with their families and friends and dogs, and in the magnificent outdoors.  We know these authors through their books, but these images seem to bring us into their inner lives and selves in a way that the written word alone could never capture.

- David


Staff Pick Badge
I'll Go and Come Back By Rajani LaRocca, Sara Palacios (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Rajani LaRocca, Sara Palacios (Illustrator)
$13.48
ISBN: 9781536207170
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Candlewick - March 29th, 2022

Distance and language are no barriers to the very special bond between grandparent and grandchild in this sweet story of Jyoti and her grandmother. Winner of the Massachusetts Book Award this year.

- Ellen


Staff Pick Badge
Flower Fairies Magical Doors By Cicely Mary Barker Cover Image
$23.99
ISBN: 9780723263517
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Warne - March 19th, 2009

With beautiful illustrations and interactive pop-ups, this book is about as magical as it gets. I remember getting a book like this for Christmas as a kid, and I wouldn’t open another gift for hours! This book is the perfect gift for any kid, or adult, who loves to keep magic alive all year!

- Emma


Staff Pick Badge
Jan Brett's Christmas Treasury By Jan Brett, Jan Brett (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Jan Brett, Jan Brett (Illustrator)
$33.60
ISBN: 9780525517184
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers - October 16th, 2018

This is the type of book that you give to a child and then 20 years later they spend a good chunk of time searching for it because all they remember about it is the beautiful illustrations and the fact that it was a staple in their reading every holiday season. (Am I saying this from personal experience? Maybe). Which is to say: Give any child in your life a gift for now AND for later!

- Katherine


Staff Pick Badge
The Magicians By Blexbolex, Karin Snelson (Translator) Cover Image
By Blexbolex, Karin Snelson (Translator)
$27.96
ISBN: 9781592704040
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Enchanted Lion Books - November 7th, 2023

This is pretty cool.

- Engel


Staff Pick Badge
An Anthology of Our Extraordinary Earth (DK Children's Anthologies) By Cally Oldershaw Cover Image
$15.83
ISBN: 9780744083903
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: DK Children - October 17th, 2023

The newest installment in this beautiful, educational series does not disappoint. It's gorgeous inside and out and the graphic design is sophisticated enough to have appeal for older audiences as well.

- Stacey


Staff Pick Badge
Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods By Grace Lin Cover Image
$18.24
ISBN: 9780316486002
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers - September 12th, 2023

Savor every fact, myth, and legend in this delicious book!

- Robin


Staff Pick Badge
Telling Stories Wrong By Gianni Rodari, Beatrice Alemagna (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Gianni Rodari, Beatrice Alemagna (Illustrator)
$13.28
ISBN: 9781592703609
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Enchanted Lion Books - June 21st, 2022

Kids participate in the storytelling as they correct grandpas goofy fairy tale gaffes. Perfect for the grandfriend in your life.

- Wendy


Staff Pick Badge
The Cupcake Diaries Collection (Boxed Set): Katie and the Cupcake Cure; Mia in the Mix; Emma on Thin Icing; Alexis and the Perfect Recipe By Coco Simon Cover Image
$22.39
ISBN: 9781442484450
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Simon Spotlight - October 30th, 2012

Following four best friends and their bizarre baking adventures, The Cupcake Diaries is a sweet addition to any young reader's library. Each book features an adventure through the plights of middle school and running a, you guessed it, cupcake business! These books got me hooked onto reading as a kid. (And in case you're worried, no, I never got cavities from consuming this scrumptious series!)

- Cindy


Staff Pick Badge
A Stage Full of Shakespeare Stories: 12 Tales from the world's most famous playwright (World Full of...) By Angela McAllister, Alice Lindstrom (Illustrator) Cover Image
$19.24
ISBN: 9781786031150
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Frances Lincoln Children's Books - September 6th, 2018

Drawing on both Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies, this is a fun way to introduce your children to the bard. Alice Lindstrom's collage-style illustrations really bring the stories to life.

- James


Staff Pick Badge
Letters to Anyone and Everyone By Toon Tellegen, Jessica Ahlberg (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Toon Tellegen, Jessica Ahlberg (Illustrator)
$14.81
ISBN: 9781914912214
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Boxer Books - January 3rd, 2023

Charming tales for you and your loved ones that will always have a place in your home and heart. Check out its sister as well - The Squirrel's Birthday and Other Parties (also a 12/23 staff pick!).

- Jane


Staff Pick Badge
The Squirrel's Birthday and Other Parties By Toon Tellegen, Jessica Ahlberg (Illustrator), Martin Cleaver (Translator) Cover Image
By Toon Tellegen, Jessica Ahlberg (Illustrator), Martin Cleaver (Translator)
$14.24
ISBN: 9781915801098
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Boxer Books - November 7th, 2023

If the squirrel left a note for YOU in your house, on your wall, it would most likely say the following: "Don't forget to red The Squirrel's Birthday (and Other Parties), and also--will you be attending the celebration?" A sweet, heartwarming read. (Check out the sister book Letters to Anyone and Everyone - also a 12/23 staff pick!).

- Sophie


Staff Pick Badge
The Tea Dragon Society Box Set By K. O'Neill Cover Image
$51.19
ISBN: 9781637150740
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Oni Press - July 19th, 2022

Beautifully illustrated and heartwarmingly tender, this collection of the complete Tea Dragon Society is the perfect gift for someone who needs a pick me up, loves tea lore, or just enjoys the sweet things in life.

- Jen


Staff Pick Badge
Fever Knights Role-Playing Game: Powered by ZWEIHANDER RPG By Adam Ellis, Daniel D. Fox, Anna Goldberg, Gabriel Hicks, Kate Bullock (Editor), ARTeapot (Illustrator) Cover Image
$39.49
ISBN: 9781524867607
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Andrews McMeel Publishing - November 7th, 2023

Battle enemies like a swordfighting chicken or Viscountess Jellyroll! Become a superpowered high schooler with your friends! The perfect gift for someone interested in Dungeons & Dragons, regardless of experience level. Cozy, spooky, lighthearted, story-heavy, and combat-light, appropriate for middle schoolers to adults.

- Murphy


Pages