When you’re looking for a great gift book, who else would you ask but a librarian? Here are some holiday suggestions from our dedicated library staff.

And remember — you can buy these books and other holiday gifts at great prices at Queens Library's online store and get FREE shipping if your order is $25 or more! Go to www.queenslibrary.org/shop and use promo code “bringit” at check-out. Enjoy your holiday shopping — and support your favorite library!

“I'd like to recommend Terminal City by Linda Fairstein. This bestselling author delivers another breakneck thriller — this time, it takes place in Grand Central Terminal (from top to bottom). It's suspenseful and fascinating.”
Lianna Kelly, Senior Librarian, Central Library

“I recommend The Value in the Valley by Iyanla Vanzant. It’s a book that gives tools for dealing with and appreciating life's challenges.”
Edith Batchler, Customer Service Supervisor, Queens Library at Jackson Heights

“Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. This book is just great storytelling, especially if you're a child of the '80s, like I am. You've got a hidden quest in an online world, rife with references to late '70s and '80s pop culture, including Dungeons & Dragons, Duran Duran, War Games, and Godzilla! This book is one happy trip through time for me.”
Rosemary Kiladitis, Children's Librarian, Queens Library at Pomonok

“For teens and YA-loving adults, I recommend Half Bad by Sally Green. In this magical urban fantasy tale, sixteen-year-old Nathan is grappling with some serious identity issues. He's half white witch, half black witch. Will he be ‘good’ like his mom or ‘bad’ like his dad? Everyone is watching and waiting to see which half wins out!”
Karen Keys, Assistant Community Library Manager. Queens Library at Corona

"The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach is a wonderful choice for a young man in his teens or older. The book is full of action-packed descriptions of baseball and populated with a colorful variety of young men and women struggling with college life. Just the thing for a high school junior or senior wondering what college will be all about.”
Katherine Cohen, Outreach Assistant, Mail-A-Book

“I highly recommend Tahoe Ghost Boat from the Owen McKenna mystery thriller series by Todd Borg. The series takes place in Lake Tahoe, NV with private detective Owen McKenna and his trusty sidekick, Spot, a Harlequin Great Dane. Borg may not be well known on the East Coast, but he should be. Great reading, lots of action; you won't want to put the book down, and then you’ll want to read the whole series (12 in all).”
Andrew P. Jackson (Sekou Molefi Baako), Executive Director, Langston Hughes Community Library

“Diet for a New America by John Robbins — this 1987 title is still a hot seller, relevant, and a very useful resource explaining how the food we choose to consume has ramifications for us and our world. If you're thinking of incorporating a vegetarian lifestyle as part of your diet, this book will give you the motivation you need.”
Nick Buron, Vice President, Public Library Services

“My recommendation is The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. I don't remember how many times I have read this book, and every time I re-read it, I find something inspiring. Times and situations change, but Franklin's spirit of improving personal virtue should never change.”
Dave Wang, Manager, Queens Library at Laurelton

“My recommendation is The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. I think it is a book that unifies generations because it can inspire the inner child in adults, reviving their imagination, which they can then share with their children. That makes this book a good choice for both children and adults.”
Carmela Lara, Customer Service Specialist, Queens Library at Steinway

“I could suggest a classic book from my own childhood or an adult book but I'll recommend a book I actually DID give to a friend who had a young child; that book was Stellaluna by Janell Cannon. I find the illustrations wonderful and the story about a baby bat knocked from her nest by an attacking owl and ‘adopted’ by birds funny and endearing. I showed it to a couple of adult friends before I gave it away, and one was so taken by it she wanted a copy of her own! It's a great book that would make a treasured gift.”
Leslie A. Dann, Community Library Manager, Queens Library at Ozone Park

“I recommend the classic The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. It teaches about love and the unlimited giving of love.”
Lucianne Pastorello-Espino, Children's Outreach Librarian, Queens Library at South Jamaica