The iSchool at Illinois is pleased to announce that The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books has released their highly anticipated 2025 gift guide, just in time for holiday shopping.
The Guide Book to Gift Books is an annotated bibliography of over 60 recently published books for young readers, ranging from picture books to young adult novels, as recommended by The Bulletin reviewers. Each entry in the guide contains a short summary of the work, its suggested reading level, and its typical price, making this guide a convenient and helpful tool for finding the perfect gift for a young book lover or new reader.
"Books make wonderful presents — to give and get!" said Kate Quealy-Gainer, editor in chief of The Bulletin. "But there are SO many books out there! The bookstore can be overwhelming, even with a helpful staff, and reviews on websites like Amazon or Barnes & Noble can vary so much in opinion. This guide is a handy, concise resource you can access on your phone while shopping, so you know you’re getting the right book for the right kid per the recommendation of people who are experts in the recent titles."
The experts in question are staff reviewers with The Bulletin, one of the nation's leading children's book review journals and a trusted source of information about new books for young readers for school and public librarians, teachers, and others interested in children's literature. The Bulletin is published eleven times per year for the iSchool by The Johns Hopkins University Press, and its staff review hundreds of new books for young people each year. While the recommended books in the Guide Book to Gift Books are all featured in The Bulletin, the guide itself is freely available online, no subscription to the journal necessary.
Previous editions were exceedingly popular among educators, parents, and relatives of young readers, but the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting staff shortages put the guide on hold for several years. This 2025 edition marks its eagerly awaited revival.
"We're excited to be offering this resource again," said Quealy-Gainer. "And we hope that readers will patronize their local independent bookstore to grab some of these fabulous titles for the holiday season or for future gift giving."