The holidays are approaching, decorations are on display, merchants are preparing for crowds of shoppers, pumpkin spice lattes are happening, and the Salvation Army’s bell ringers are out in full force. This is when I start to get in the mood unlike some people who start their holiday shopping in July and are all done by Thanksgiving with nothing left to do but the wrapping. I am not one of these individuals; it’s not that I drag my feet, but I find a nudge from my surroundings helpful. Books are lovely gifts if you have readers on your list, and here are some great ones created by Montana kid-lit authors and illustrators. All of these books are available at local bookstores as well as Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. Check ‘em out!
For the Picture Book audience:
Sue Lawrence
Montana’s Memory Day
Jen Ard (illustrator) https://www.jenniferard.com/
Nest
Into the Blue A Counting Adventure
Sneed Collard
Beaver and Otter Sort of Get Along
Border Crossings
Woodpeckers Drilling Holes and Bagging Bugs
Jeanne Bowman (illustrator) https://www.jeannebowmanillustrates.com/
Bob Marshall Defender of the Wilderness
Badger Clark Poetry Wrangler
Georgia Jipp: Blizzard Pilot
Gary Robson https://garydrobson.com/books/
Who Pooped in the Park series
Kelly Ann Dalton (illustrator)
Addie Ant
Beatrix Butterfly
Jean Petersen
Kind Soup
Connie Van Hoven
https://www.constancevanhoven.com/
Rare and Blue
Janet Fox
Wintergarden
Joann Howeth https://www.joannhoweth.com/
The Mollys B.
Neville’s Oasis
Jensen Collins (illustrator) https://jensencollins.com/
Mischief With Grandma
Annie and Khalil
Precious McKenzie
https://www.preciousmckenzie.com/
Nest
Michelle Weltz
Miraculous Sky
Julie Schnieders
A Hunt for Bugs
Michele Corriel https://www.michelecorriel.com/
Weird Rocks
Sharon Glick (illustrator) https://www.sharon-glick.com/
We Match!
Olivia the Mischievous Cat
Santral Lusin (author/illustrator) https://www.evaroe.com/books
Cloud Your Burps Are Loud
Chapter Books for those brand-new solo readers:
Bruce Smith https://www.brucesmithwildlife.com/
The Legend Keepers series
Betty Vanderwielen
Racoon Summer
Jean Petersen https://www.jeanpetersen.com/
Life on the Ranch with Banjo
Sheila Ruble
Don’t Park on a Pig
Intriguing reading for Middle Graders:
Robin Kolb
https://sites.google.com/view/robinkolbauthor/home
Galloping Away
LuAnn Rod https://www.luannmrod.com/
Maddie McDowell and the Rodeo Robbery
Sheila Ruble https://www.sheilaruble.com/
Cricket’s Choice
Fire Pony
Janet Fox
The Mystery of Mystic Mountain
The Artifact Hunters
Carry Me Home
Precious McKenzie
Selkie
Ruffian
Susan Adrian
Nutcracked
Forever Neverland
Kiri Jorgensen
Perfect
And for those discriminating Young Adults:
Susan Adrian https://www.susanadrian.net/
Tunnel Vision
The Dark At The End
Michele Corriel https://www.michelecorriel.com/
Membrane
Theresa Nichols Schuster
Brittle Silver: A Novel
