I live in Wisconsin, my family lives in Texas. My niece and nephew are 5 (kindergarten) and 7 (2nd grade), respectively. Every month I send them a “Naynee Package” with a new book each (this month was Christina Katerina and the Box by Patricia Lee Gauch and Spy School: The Graphic Novel by Stuart Gibbs) and something silly like Halloween themed temporary tattoos. November, one of the books I’m sending is Whale, That Was Unexpected by Casey Lyall (it’s SO funny-I’m getting one for my house, too). Not sure about the other one yet.

My youngest kids are 11, so I’m a little out of the loop with newer picture books and early readers.

I am starting to try to buy books that sneakily give them some diversity in their reads. I cannot, for example, get away with sending them something like Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder even though it is an awesome read, or a book about different types of families that include same sex parents. Or Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love. No matter how much I’m itching to. Anyway, I digress.

So throw me your favorite picture books, early readers, longer picture books (think old school Magic School Bus or Patricia Polacco), maybe even some early middle grade for family read alouds. The 7 year old really loved Spy School.

I’ve also gotten them: -Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein -Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson -The Boy with Big, Big Feelings by Britney Winn Lee (Niece is autistic and was struggling at the time) -Dinosaurs Before Dark graphic novel by Mary Pope Osborne -The Knot Fairy by Bobbie Hinman -The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell -Don’t Push the Button by Bill Cotter

I won’t go on, but share your favorite children’s books! While I’d prefer ones released in the last 3-4 years, I’ll take oldies but goodies, too!

ETA: You’d think I’d have plenty of recs from my own collection since children’s books and middle grade make up 630/1000 of my books…. but I like sending them NEW, freshly-ish published good ones. 🤣