Hello jenm_999-ga!
What a great gift idea!! I love it! Your question caught my attention
and interest very quickly, as I, too, really enjoy creative gift
giving. We are doing something similar with one of our family
members?my husband has a brother named David and he is married to a
woman whose father, brother, 2 brothers-in-law, and several nephews
are all named David. They are now expecting their first child and if
it?s a boy?you guessed it?they?re naming him David and we?re putting
together this collection of Books including ?Too Many Daves? by Dr.
Seuss, A collection of humorous writing by Dave Barry, and a great
little book we?ve recently discovered called ?No, David? by David
Shannon. We like that one so much that I kind of wish he also had some
?No, Alex? (and so on) books for you!
I have looked for books that fit your requirements of having the name
in the title (or as the main character), making sure that the books
suit many ages, and ensuring that the character is a good character
(can?t blame you on that one!). And anytime that I?ve suggested an
illustrated book, I?ve made sure that the illustrations are really
remarkable. Okay, I?m excited to share what I?ve researched and found
for you! I conducted searches and had the results sorted by best
selling to be sure to get books that are widely read and enjoyed. To
be sure to give you plenty of choices, I?ve compiled at least 3 books
for each name.
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Alex
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?Amazon Diary: The Jungle Adventures of Alex Winters? by Hudson Talbott
This book got rave reviews on Amazon.com.
?A Monster Under Alex?s Bed? by Angelika Glitz
?Alex Did It!? by Udo Weigelt
And just in case the name ?Alexander? is okay, there is the classic
?Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day? by
Judith Viorst. Admittedly, this character is a bit of a whiner, but he
really does have a rough day and he earns the sympathy of many
readers. I think that I would be remiss to not at least mention this
classic children?s book.
- - - - - - - -
Jake
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?Jake Baked the Cake? by B.G. Hennessy
?Jake O?Shawnasey? by Stephen Cosgrove
Please note that at the time of posting, there were 3 left at Amazon.com
?Jake Gander, Storyville Detective: The Case of the Greedy Granny? by
George McClements
As a warning, I?d advise avoiding any ?Jake? books by Simon James?the
character is beyond mischievous and can do some pretty mean things. I
don?t think his books would fit what you?re looking for here.
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Joe/Joseph
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?Don?t Laugh, Joe!? by Keiko Kasza
?Where Does Joe Go?? by Tracey Campbell Pearson
?Joseph Had a Little Overcoat? by Simms Taback
This book won the Caldecott Medal Book in 2000
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Jack
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?The House that Jack Built? by Simms Taback
This book is by the same award-winning author mentioned above.
?The Book That Jack Wrote? by Jon Scieszka
This book got a wide mix of reviews?people seem to either love it or
hate it, so you may want to see if you feel this suits your family?s
sense of humor or not.
?My Jack? by Iza Trapani
Note: There is only one left in stock at Amazon.com at the time of
posting this answer for you.
There are many, many books with the name ?Jack? in it that are either
the original or spoofs of ?Jack and the Beanstalk? or ?The House that
Jack Built,? so I?ve tried to look for something more that that for
you. And anytime that I?ve mentioned something that IS a spoof on a
classic, I?ve researched it to make sure that it?s creative and fits
your needs. These books look great!
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Mark
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?Mark Twain at Work!? by Howard Goldsmith
This is a beginning biography of Mark Twain that contains childhood
stories that later developed into his well-known book ?The Adventures
of Tom Sawyer.? This is from a series of books about the childhoods of
famous Americans.
?River Boy: The Story of Mark Twain? by William Anderson
A biography similar to the one listed above, this one is longer and a
bit more advanced.
?Amazing Mark? by Robyn Supraner
?Mark Makes His Move? by Marian Potter
This book is a bit more advanced than some of the others.
This was by far the trickiest one. There were also a lot of books
referring to the Bible?s gospel of Mark and biographies of Mark
McGwire as well. I tried to find a variety of books that were in other
genres besides biographies for you.
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Most, if not all, of these books are available at both amazon.com and
barnesandnoble.com and I?m sure that you can also find them in other
places like half.com or ebay.com or other online bookstores,
especially if you?re looking to price shop. Both Amazon and Barnes and
Noble are offering free shipping deals with some restrictions. I?ll
also fill you in on a great website that shows you comparison prices
for books (and includes shipping prices and estimates!). I hope that
helps you find some great deals on whatever books you decide to get
for your friends and family!
AddALL book search
http://www.addall.com/
Thank you for an interesting question! I love reading and I love
creative gift giving, so researching this question for you has helped
me learn of several books that I hadn?t heard of before. I?ve added
several books to my wish list! I hope your gift giving is a big hit!
Should you need any further clarification, please do not hesitate to
let me know. Happy Holidays!
Sincerely,
Boquinha-ga
Search Strategy:
Personal knowledge as well as searching for books about the different
names at both Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com and listing the
results in best-selling order
www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnoble.com |
