Holiday recommendations from the Hawaii State Library:

» "Gift of the Magi," by O. Henry (grades 5 to 12): It’s Christmas Eve and Della has only $1.85 to buy her beloved husband a Christmas present. Della has nothing to sell except for her only treasure: her long, glorious hair.

» "Jingle Boy," by Kieran Scott (grades 6 to 9): When 17-year-old Paul loses his Christmas spirit after his girlfriend dumps him and his family life is disrupted, he and his best friend join an anti-Christmas campaign. This year the spirit of Scrooge has settled in — and it’s not going to be pretty.

» "Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances," by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle (grades 9 to 12): A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms a small town into a glittering, romantic holiday haven. In this trio of hilarious interconnected tales of love, there is a recipe for holiday romance.

» "Starry Starry Night: Three Holiday Stories," by Lurlene McDaniel (grades 7 to 10)" In "Christmas Child" the sister of 15-year-old Melanie is born during the holidays but lives only a few days. The baby’s brief life shows Melanie the lasting value of love. In "Last Dance" Brenda becomes a dying boy’s final chance for happiness. In "Kathy’s Life" 16-year-old Kathy has the perfect job as a live-in caregiver for a couple’s baby boy. However, not everything is as perfect as it seems.