Now Read This: Books as gifts

If you're looking for gift suggestions for your favorite child or teen, try one of these great books:

__PRESCHOOLERS__

"How to Draw a Dragon" by Douglas Florian

Everyone can be an artist with this book as inspiration.

"If You Plant a Seed" by Kadir Nelson

A beautiful reminder that the world would be a better place if everyone thought about planting seeds of kindness.

"Maybe a Bear Ate Your Sandwich" by Julia Sarcone-Roach.

This fun book will bring out the storyteller in you.

"Red: A Crayon's Story" by Michael Hall

When a blue crayon gets labeled with a red wrapper, it sparks an identity crisis.

__INDEPENDENT READERS__

"Audacity" by Melanie Crowder

This novel in verse was inspired by the true story of Clara Lemlich -- a woman whose fight for equal rights changed the world.

"A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans" by Lawrence Yep

Fans of "How to Train Your Dragon" will enjoy this one.

"Fish in a Tree" by Linda Mullaly Hunt

This book will speak to anyone who has ever felt like something is wrong with them because they didn't fit in.

"Finding Serendipity" by Angelica Banks

Tuesday McGillycuddy and her dog, Baxter, set out on a quest to find missing author Serendipity Smith in this magical adventure to the mysterious place where stories come from.

__JUVENILE NONFICTION__

"Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery That Baffled All of France" by Mara Rockliff

Discover how Benjamin Franklin's scientific method challenged Dr. Mesmer's mysterious powers in a whimsical look at a true moment in history.

"Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh" by Sally M. Walker

Once upon a time, a soldier happened across a baby bear for sale at a train station. He bought her, named her Winnie for his hometown of Winnipeg, and brought her along to his training camp in England.

__TEEN FICTION__

"An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

In a world resembling ancient Rome, a young soldier is being groomed to take over the oppressive, militaristic government. When he decides to turn his back on the regime, he collides with a scholar determined to save her brother. He's a soldier; she's a slave. Together they prepare to rebel and find their freedom in this epic fantasy novel of love and revenge.

"Tracked" by Jenny Martin

This book is a good fit for fans of Mario Cart or the Need for Speed games. Think "Hunger Games" meets NASCAR, and you've got the idea. This one is a page-turner.

"Shutter" by Courtney Alameda

For those who can't get enough ghost stories and horror movies. Micheline Helsing, one of the final descendants of the Van Helsing bloodline, is a tetrachromat. She has the power to see the auras of the undead.

__TEEN NONFICTION__

"Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad" by M.T. Anderson

During World War II, the cruelties of Stalin and Hitler all but destroyed the city of Leningrad. Anderson tells the story of the symphony that inspired the world and ensured Leningrad's survival. He does not shy away from the horrors experienced by citizens of the starving, besieged city -- the book contains harrowing accounts of cannibalism and graphic accounts of torture. That said, the book is one of the most powerful books published this year -- a testament to the power and importance of music and to the resiliency of the human spirit in the midst of unthinkable circumstances.