Under the Christmas Tree--Last Minute Gifts: Boxed Sets They'll Love

Here are some kid-pleasing book sets with proven track records. They're even easy to wrap as gifts--small, lightweight, and already boxed. Here are some for almost every reading taste.

BEGINNING CHAPTER BOOKS
(Grades 1-4, Reading Levels 2-4)

The Judy Moody Star-Studded Collection: Judy Moody Saves the World!/Judy Moody Gets Famous!/Judy Moody Judy Moody's first day in third grade finds her a bit fearful, but Mr. Todd lets her inimitable style shine forth, and as the year goes on, Judy Moody makes a name for herself, takes on saving the environment as her science project, and finds herself in the mood for school.



In addition to the star-studded collection, The Judy Moody Totally Awesome Collection (Judy Moody) includes three more titles--Judy Moody Declares Independence, Judy Moody, M.D.: The Doctor Is In, and Judy Moody Predicts the Future.


Three average third grade guys have a problem: they keep getting whisked back in time (or even into the future to rescue their grandchildren) in a hilarious series with plenty of historical fun in the Time Warp Trio Gift Set, Books 1-4 (Knights of the Kitchen Table; The Not-So-Jolly Rodger; The Good, the Bad, and the Goofy; Your Mother Was a Neanderthal)



Two-time Newbery winner Kate DiCamillo has a winner of a heroine in pet pig Mercy Watson, who appears in this Mercy Watson: Three-Treat Collection: Slipcased Gift Set (Mercy Watson) in three hilarious books: Mercy Watson to the Rescue, Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride, and Mercy Watson Fights Crime.

MIDDLE READERS (Grades 3-6;)

Gloriously silly and beloved of third and fourth graders, Dav Pilkey proves he's the humormeister of elementary school in The New Captain Underpants Collection: Box Set (Books 1-5), along with its companion set The Second Captain Underpants Collection: Books 5-7 & Adventures of Super Diaper Baby.



Judy Blume's Fudge Box Set includes the complete story of Peter Hatcher, his little brother Fudge, and Peter's rival Sheila Tubman, including Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Superfudge, Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, Fudge-A-Mania, and Double Fudge.


The 1974 adventures of the latest historical character in the mega-popular American Girl series, Julie: An American Girl (American Girls Collection), includes six novels (Meet Julie; Julie Tells Her Story; Happy New Year, Julie; Julie and the Eagles; Julie's Journey; and Changes for Julie) featuring the newest American Girl, who encounters divorce between her parents, women's lib and Title IX, and the turmoil and promise of growing up in San Francisco in the 1970's.


The Little House Collection Box Set (Full Color) (Little House) includes the first five of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books, Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, On the Banks of Plum Creek, On the Shores of Silver Lake, and Farmer Boy, with Garth Williams' famous illustrations in full color.



For fantasy readers in Grades 4-5 especially, here are the first five novels in the popular The Spiderwick Chronicles (Boxed Set): The Field Guide; The Seeing Stone; Lucinda's Secret; The Ironwood Tree; The Wrath of Mulgrath series by Toni diTerlizzi.




Actually five novels and one fictionalized biography, Six Favorite Novels for Girls: Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden, Story of Pocahantas, A Little Princess, Little Women and Heidi has the classic "girl" novels from the last century, must-reads for all!



Despite its somewhat smarmy name, Charming Classics Box Set #3: Charming Horse Library (Charming Classics) has those must-have classic horse novels Black Beauty, National Velvet, and My Friend Flicka. (Note: Hollywood movies to the contrary, Black Beauty and My Friend Flicka have male main characters!)



There's no better-known author of novels about horses than Newbery Award author Marguerite Henry. The Marguerite Henry Treasury of Horses (Boxed Set): Misty of Chincoteague, Justin Morgan Had a Horse, King of the Wind brings together three favorites.


If you know a child who hasn't yet read (or had read to him or her) a Harry Potter book, Harry Potter Paperback Boxed Set (Books 1-5) can be the start of a lifetime reading experience! Not only does he banish evil wizards; Harry has the power to turn average kids into avid readers--and that makes us all merry!