10 books to buy teachers for Christmas

Books always come to mind when thinking about gift ideas for family, friends, and teachers. I was a teacher, and one of my favorite gifts was always a book (or even a book ornament), so today, I am sharing ten of my favorite books to buy teachers for Christmas. 

I loved receiving books as a gift for a few reasons: 

1.  When the student would write their name & a little note in the book (instead of writing in a card), it gave me a chance to see it each year. 🙂  
2.  I could use it for my classroom, so it’s a gift to many students for years to come! 
3.  It reminded me of that student every time I read it to my class for years.
4.  I love the messages found in books & I love to share them with my students. 
5. Who doesn’t love a great book?! 

TOP 11 FAVORITE BOOKS:

Here are a few books that any teacher would love!

1). But No Elephants – This book was my favorite as a child. It’s about Grandma Tildy and how she lived all alone until a salesman stopped by to sell her a pet. She welcomed a canary bird into her home, but made it very clear that she wanted NO ELEPHANTS! This heart-warming children’s book, written and illustrated by Jerry Smath, will delight parents and children from beginning to finish. 

2). Chrysanthemum – In this book, Chrysanthemum thinks her name is absolutely perfect—until her first day of school. “You’re named after a flower!” teases Victoria. “Let’s smell her,” says Jo. Chrysanthemum wilts. What will it take to make her blossom again?
This book has sold over 1 million copies.

3).Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse –  Lilly loves everything about school, especially her cool teacher, Mr. Slinger. But when Lilly brings her purple plastic purse and its treasures to school and can’t wait until sharing time, Mr. Slinger confiscates her prized possessions. Lilly’s fury leads to revenge and then to remorse, and she sets out to make amends.

4). The Cat Race – Mayor Tom is proud of Catville. He thinks Catville citizens are the best! But what can they do to become even greater? One day, Mayor Tom gets a wonderful idea—a race! Will Catville’s first annual race put them on the map? Enjoy some quality time with children in your life by reading this humorous story together!

5). If you take a Mouse to the Movies – this book doesn’t really need an explanation if you’ve read any of these books. They are all so fun!  (Or check out IF YOU GIVE A TEACHER A COOKIE)

6). Unique Monique  – Monique hates her school uniform. Brown and blue? Who wants to wear brown and blue? Monique wants to be different. One day she finds a trunk filled with her mother’s old clothes, and the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that Monique transforms her boring old brown and blue, (and herself), until she finally learns that no matter what you wear, individuality always shines.

7). The Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes- Meet Beatrice Bottomwell: a nine-year-old girl who has never (not once!) made a mistake. She never forgets her math homework, she never wears mismatched socks, and she ALWAYS wins the yearly talent show at school. In fact, Beatrice holds the record of perfection in her hometown, where she is known as The Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes. Life for Beatrice is sailing along pretty smoothly until she does the unthinkable–she makes her first mistake. And in a very public way!

8).  Owen- Owen had a fuzzy yellow blanket. “Fuzzy goes where I go,” said Owen. But Mrs. Tweezers disagreed. She thought Owen was too old for a blanket. Owen disagreed. No matter what Mrs. Tweezers came up with, Blanket Fairies or vinegar, Owen had the answer. But when school started, Owen’t mother knew just what to do, and everyone — Owen, Fuzzy, and even Mrs. Tweezers — was happy.

9). The Kissing Hand – School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chester’s fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary. Since its first publication in 1993, this heartwarming book has become a children’s classic that has touched the lives of millions of children and their parents, especially at times of separation, whether starting school, entering daycare, or going to camp. It is widely used by kindergarten teachers on the first day of school. Stickers at the back will help children and their parents keep their Kissing Hand alive.

10). The Giving Tree – ‘Once there was a tree…and she loved a little boy.’ So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein. Every day, the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk…and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older, he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave. This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow with consolation. Shel Silverstein has created a moving parable for readers of all ages that offers an affecting interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another’s capacity to love in return.

11- My Mouth Is A Volcano – All of Louis’s thoughts are very important to him. In fact, his thoughts are so important to him that when he has something to say, his words begin to wiggle, and then they do the jiggle, then his tongue pushes all of his important words up against his teeth, and he erupts, or interrupts others. His mouth is a volcano! My Mouth Is A Volcano takes an empathetic approach to the habit of interrupting and teaches children a witty technique to capture their rambunctious thoughts and words for expression at an appropriate time. Told from Louis’ perspective, this story provides parents, teachers, and counselors with an entertaining way to teach children the value of respecting others by listening and waiting for their turn to speak.

I hope those helped!   Those are a few of my favorites.

WHAT GIFTS DO TEACHERS REALLY WANT? WE ASKED THEM & HERE’S WHAT THEY SAID.

Here are a few more teacher gift ideas:

I hope that you find that these books put a smile on your face!  I’ve linked to each of these books that I love, and if you choose to buy through these affiliate links, you’re supporting this blog at no extra cost to you.