Picture book to YA: 10 books by N.C. authors to give, read

My kids' wish lists both are packed with books - and gift cards to book stores so they can pick out more books all year.

We're a family of readers. And, through my work, I've had a chance to read a lot and also meet and chat with lots of North Carolina authors, who are weaving the stories my kids and their friends love to read.

If you're looking for that one final gift or another recommendation to send over to grandma, here are some fantastic books by North Carolina authors for children (and their adults) - from picture book to middle grade to young adult.

We'll start with the youngest and move on up to young adult books ...

"Anyone who’s listened to our podcast for more than five seconds already knows that I’m a ginormous Kelly Starling Lyons fangirl," Skelding from the KidLit Drink Night podcast. "I’m unable to even think about her picture book, "Tea Cakes for Tosh," without tearing up. It’s the story of a special relationship between a grandchild and grandparent. It's sweet yet powerful, and contains a recipe at the end. Illustrations by E.B. Lewis illuminate this wonderful book."

​In this fun play on "Twas the Night Before Christmas," three pretty silly nights battle an unexpected foe - Santa Claus. And, as Holub writes, "no matter their efforts, they just wouldn't go!" My seven-year-old has big belly laughs every time she reads this one. (Older readers will enjoy Holub's "Goddess Girls" and "Heroes in Training" middle grade series).

"Few things in life bring me greater pleasure than a middle grade fantasy adventure novel. It’s as if Andrew Chilton wrote "The Goblin's Puzzle" with me in mind," writes Skelding of the KidLit Drink Night podcast. "This clever and funny book is populated by a loveably oddball cast of heroes who are up against an even stranger bunch of baddies and bureaucrats. Dragons, goblins, and logic puzzles keep readers entertained and engaged. And, the book has a map in it. A MAP. Enough said."

This was a page turner for my 11-year-old daughter. The book, by the New York Times bestselling author and Asheville resident, tells the story of the winged horses who live in the mirrors of Briar Hill Hospital, which is filled with sick children. One of those children, Emmaline, however, finds a horse that has left the mirror world. The book was recently featured in Time magazine and is a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2016.

The New York Times bestselling author has three books, so far, in the series - "Three Times Lucky," "The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing," and "The Odds of Getting Even." The great people who make up the children's book department at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh are huge fans of the author, who helped the store celebrate its new location in North Hills.

Of the latest book, "The Odds of Getting Even," they wrote: "How does she do it? Sheila Turnage's Mo & Dale Mysteries just get better and better (and when you start with Three Times Lucky as a base, that's saying a lot). Mo, Dale, family and friends are back and dealing with trouble close to home. Dale's no-good daddy is on the run, and Tupelo Landing, NC is suffering a serious and escalating crime spree. Is Dale's belief in his dad's innocence overoptimistic?"

With two bestsellers to his name, Beatty's book take place in and around the Biltmore estate in Asheville. It tells the story of Serafina and the magical world she lives in. "Serafina and the Black Cloak" arrived at book stores in 2015, followed by "Serafina and the Twisted Staff," which came out this summer. On the second book, the Kirkus review says, “even better than its predecessor, a sequel that delivers nonstop thrills from beginning to end."

This one is on Skelding's list of books to be read very soon. The psychological thriller by Revis, another New York Times bestselling author, is about a boy who believes he's lost his girlfriend and that he has superpowers to travel through time to save her. Says the School Library Journal review: "A compelling peek into the darkest corners of mental illness."