With the holidays quickly approaching advertisements for toys, gadgets, and all sorts of hot items are increasing and seem to keep getting brighter, louder, and more insistent. My kids are certainly taking notice and chiming in with regular rounds of “I want that!”

Thankfully, with the marketing and tie-ins that most companies are doing these days there are plenty of books about the latest obsessions that can help explore the most popular product lines. From Minecraft to Disney movies, there are novels, picturebooks, and guides that could inspire a love of reading and some serious research. Here are some books you might want to take a peek at or test interest levels with the intended recipient, before purchasing as a gift.

Minecraft
Minecraft Blockopedia by Alex Wiltshire, Minecraft Essential Handbook  by Stephanie Milton,  Minecraft Redstone Handbook by Nick Farwell, and The Ultimate Player’s Guide to Minecraft by Stephen O’Brien.

Legos
The LEGO Ideas Book: Unlock Your Imagination or LEGO Play Book: Ideas to Bring Your Bricks to Life by Daniel Lipkowitz, The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide by Allan Bedford, The Lego Adventure Book : Spaceships, Pirates, Dragons & More!, The Lego Movie: the Essential Guide by Hannah Dolan, The LEGO Build-it Book. Amazing Vehicles Amazing Vehicles by Nathanaël Kuipers and Mattia Zamboni, and Building Robots with Lego Mindstorms: the Ultimate Tool for Mindstorms Maniacs! by Mario Ferrari, Giulio Ferrari and Ralph Hempel.

Star Wars
Star Wars: the Visual Dictionary by David West Reynolds, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith: the Visual Dictionary by James Luceno, Star Wars: Absolutely Everything you Need to Know by Adam Bray, Kerrie Dougherty, Cole Horton, and Michael Kogge, Star Wars: the Original Trilogy Stories based on the story and screenplay by George Lucas, The Star Wars Craft Book by Bonnie Burton, and LEGO Star Wars in 100 Scenes by Daniel Lipkowitz.

Disney (Frozen, Avengers, and so on)
Frozen: the Essential Guide by Barbara Bazaldua, Frozen: the Junior Novelization adapted by Sarah Nathan and Sela Roman, The Avengers Storybook Collection, Avengers, Age of Ultron: the Junior Novel by Chris Wyatt, Inside Out adapted by Suzanne Francis, Disney Pixar Inside Out: the Essential Guide by Steve Bynghall,  Disney Princess: Little Golden Book Favorites, Disney Storybook Collection, Thor adapted by Elizabeth Rudnick, Captain America. Winter Soldier Ultimate Collection and Knowhere to Run: Starring Star-Lord by Chris “Doc” Wyatt.

As always, these are just suggestions and a starting point. There are so many great books out there, and that is especially true of hot topics. There are graphic novels, novels, picture books, easy readers, and non fiction guides related to just about everything on the wish lists your family might be working on. Why not take a look at a library copy before adding a new book to your home library, or do some research on the newest game or topic that monopolizes discussions in your home?