Holiday Staff Picks 2019
Once Upon A Time favorites for everyone on your list!
Click the image below to open a PDF with links directly to each book or scroll down the page to view our entire list.
For the Littlest Reader:
Who says Ho, Ho, Ho | Long Ago on a Silent Night | You are Light | One to Ten L.A.
For Readers Ages 4 to 8:
Penny and Her Sled | Snail and Worm All Day | Home in the Woods | Great Santa Stakeout
For Middle Readers:
Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation | Words on Fire | Cog | Mac. B Kid Spy #1: Mac Undercover
For Young Adults:
Lovely War | Slay | Frankly in Love | Sorcery of Thorns
For the Young at Heart:
This Tender Land | The Starless Sea | Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? | Rough Magic
For the Whole Family:
50 California Hikes with Kids | Mog Time | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Illustrated Edition | Through the Water Curtain
For the Audiobook Listener:
The Golden Compass | The Fifth Season | Heart of Thorns | The Thief
For Everyone:
Traditional Gift Card | Online Gift Code | Digital Audiobook Gift

For the littlest reader

For the littlest reader
Signed copies available!

For the littlest reader

For the littlest reader

For readers ages 4 to 8
Signed copies available!

For readers ages 4 to 8
Signed copies available!

For readers ages 4 to 8
Signed copies available!

For readers ages 4 to 8
Signed copies available!

For middle readers
Signed copies available!

For middle readers
Signed copies available!
Nielsen's always first-rate historical fiction, this one about the early 20th century Lithuanian struggle against the Cossack occupation and censorship of Lithuanian culture, traditions and banning of books, hums along at a pace which will endear action/adventure fans into turning pages. Some scary situations -- beatings, villages set on fire and constant surveillance -- make the book a better fit for at least ages 9 and up.
— From Staff Picks by Maureen

For middle readers
Signed copies available!

For middle readers
Signed copies available!

For young adults
Signed copies available!

For young adults
Gamers get ready! Kiera is your normal student dealing with friends, boyfriend, and school, except she is also the game developer behind a secret multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. But when the game is exposed to the media, people want to tear down the safe space she has created. I loved the game play, energy, family dynamics and the few chapters told from different players perspectives. A great action packed book that can be given to so many people. For ages 13 and up. I want to SLAY!
— From Staff Picks by Jessica

For young adults
Signed copies available!
Funny, nerdy, relatable, and honest, Frankly in Love is about a high school boy who begins a fake relationship in order to deceive his strict Korean parents about the fact he is not dating a Korean girl. With a strong sense of SoCal life, this is great for readers ages 14 and up.
- From Staff Picks by Jessica

For young adults
This is the book you have been craving for! How can you go wrong with librarian warriors? Strong-willed orphan, Elizabeth Scrivener, lives for her job as an apprentice librarian at Summershall, home of a Great Library in the kingdom of Austermeer. Her knack of getting into wee troubles has brought her to the attention of Magister Thorn, who, with the help of his demon, Silas, enter unwittingly as a team investigating murders, prized grimoire disappearances and an otherworldly plot to sabotage the kingdom. With deft characters, clever plotting, fast action, plus a hint of romance, hand this terrific, high fantasy to fans of Leigh Bardugo. Sorcery of Thorns is an outstanding follow up to Rogerson’s star debut, An Enchantment of Ravens.
— From Staff Picks by Maureen

For the young at heart
Signed copies available!
Once upon a time there was a storyteller, whose stories existed in the land of many lakes – that boundless region called Minnesota, where hardy souls have made their living on the water, fertile land and in cities. This storyteller, William Kent Krueger, weaves his stories with characters so rich, so real and so human, the tale leaps off the page and buries deep into your soul. “This Tender Land” is simply a magnificent example of Krueger’s extraordinary gift as a writer. You will find it hard to put down, or even after finishing, hard to stop thinking of Odie, Albert, Mose and Emmy – your guides down the winding rivers in this book. Truly, a masterpiece.
— From Staff Picks by Maureen

For the young at heart
If you haven't heard Jessica talk about The Starless Sea yet, you will soon. This is her new favorite adult book of the year! From the author who brought us The Night Circus comes a wonderful new story disguised as a game wrapped in a puzzle secured with a bee, a key, and a sword.
Will you open the door?
- From Staff Picks by Jessica

For the young at heart

For the young at heart
In this season of strong, brave women, Maureen's absolute favorite memoir - Rough Magic by Lara Prior-Palmer - is not to be missed. It's about Lara's naiveté in trying to win the grueling, soul-wrenching World's Loneliest Horse Race in Mongolia, with nary a thought of preparation. This is for fans of Cherly Strayand's Wild and MacDonald's H is for Hawk and is writing at it's finest!
— From Staff Picks by Maureen

For the whole family
Signed copies available!

For the whole family
For the whole family

For the whole family

For the audiobook listener

For the audiobook listener

For the audiobook listener

For the audiobook listener
I remembered reading The Thief as a kid and being blown away by the story. With my Libro.fm membership I decided to experience the story again by listening to it and I will say it is now one of my go to audiobook recommendations. A rich mix of fantasy, intrigue, character, and unforgettable moments all expertly narrated by Steve West. This whole series is perfect for readers who want a more sophisticated fantasy.
Staff Picks
Jake’s diary chronicles the story of him setting out on a trading ship that gets attacked by pirates. After he gets press-ganged into a pirate crew, he learns all sorts of thing about piracy. This book is chock full of true facts about pirates in the real world. Curious adventure readers ages 7-9 will love this story. - Pete