If you were going to go to the bookstore and get books for young people

[XemaSab]

(maybe ages 7-16) what would you get?

I'm planning my charitable giving for Xmas this year.

[Chan790]

1. Which young people?

I assume you mean the young people related to me...that presents a problem. Half the kids in my family are like me, reading Tolkien in 2nd grade and Orwell by 6th. They're getting Pynchon or Proust. The other half are like my brother, Crash, who is by-any-account a functional illiterate. He's getting wrestling magazines and Seuss.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

2. For the older kids I would look into the classics!

One that inspired me when I was 12 was "Call of the Wild". Reading how Buck was taken and became the... Uh I'll stop, don't want to spoil it for someone that has not read it!

[csziggy]

3. Look for The Newbery and Caldecott Award winners

The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association (ALA). The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

Newbery Medal Winners, 1922 - Present
http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberywinners/medalwinners

The Caldecott Medal annually recognizes "the most distinguished picture book for children" published in the United States, beginning with 1937 publications. It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association.

Caldecott Medal & Honor Books, 1938-Present
http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecotthonors/caldecottmedal

There are other lists at those links of excellent books for young people - (Theodor Seuss) Geisel Award for beginning reader books for instance.

Using these lists, you can check used book shops and find wonderful books for great prices.

[eShirl]

4. csziggy's suggestion; also, especially this year, The Hobbit.

[Lasher]

5. I'd see if they are into e-books.

They might prefer that format.